America’s Gilded Age

America’s
Gilded Age

1. What
   factors promoted settlement of the West? Why did the unsettled West hold a
   particularly strong romantic appeal for Americans? How has the romantic
   vision of the frontier been perpetuated in American culture? Is it still
   promoted today? How?

One
of the factors that promoted settlement of the West was the manifest destiny.
Many white Americans believed that it was their God-given rights to occupy the
West. The whites assumed that it was their mission to expand their civilization
and institutions across the West. Therefore, they moved in large number to
occupy the area. Another factor that led to the settlement in the West was the
agricultural opportunity that the area represented.  Many of the individuals who settled in the
area kept buffaloes and also practiced farming (Foner 590). Some of the crops that were grown
in the area included wheat, which was mostly grown by small farmers. The
Homestead Act of 1862 also promoted to the settlement of the West.

The
Act allowed individuals to own huge pieces of lands and in return, they would
pay a small initial payment.   The
settlement in the West was also encouraged by the building of the railroad in
the west. The passage of the Pacific Railway Act allowed the construction of
the transcontinental railroad (Foner
591).
It allowed the people to move easily to the West.  The unsettled West presented an excellent
opportunity for the Americans; hence, they felt an urge to move to the area.
The railroads also contributed to the idea of the romantic West.  The romantic vision has been perpetuated in
American culture as they have continued to improve the area so as to attract
tourists. Today the state has continued to promote the idea by developing parks
and other regions.

1. Describe
   the evolution of the late 19th century corporation. What is horizontal and
   vertical integration? Give examples of each

The
evolution of the late19th-century corporation was marked with high production
of machinery. The Americans had also developed more improved products and
building the rail. The utilization of iron and steel was also high during the
evolution. The United States’ economy also experienced massive economic growth
(Foner 590).
Although there was tremendous economic growth during the period, there was also
a vast difference in regards to class. The vast difference in class was mainly
triggered by the fact that factory owners could create their laws that
oppressed the workers. There were also business monopolies whereby, the rich
individuals could dominate an entire industry. For instance, Andrew Carnegie
dominated the production of steel (Foner 594). 
One the other hand, Edwin Drake dominated the oil industry whereby at
sometimes he owned 91% of the industry (Foner 597). The period was also characterized
establishment of the patents. Many inventors also marked period, one of them
was Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb and electricity . His
invention also led to the rise of various industries, Westinghouse, and General
Electric. Another characteristic of the period was the development of cities
due to migration (Foner
598).
The rise of unions was also high during the evolution. Many migrants from
different states who were used to unions in their different countries
introduced the idea in the United States.

Vertical
integration refers to the process of owning various areas of an industry. For
instance, apart from making steel, Andrew Carnage bought iron, coal mines as
well as railroads so as to transport its merchandise to major markets (Foner 591).  He made sure that he occupied all levels of
the manufacturing procedure. On the other hand, horizontal integration is the
process whereby, the businesspeople tried to conquer the industry by their
competitors and then maximize their products in the market. The businesspeople
would also purchase the processors in the aim of occupying the industry. For
example, John D. Rockefeller established the Standard Oil Company, and with his
company he bought up his competitors and filled the market with his product (Foner 597).
He also went ahead to purchase the refiners.

1. Explain
   the significance of the 1877 Railroad Strikes. How was the government
   involved? What did that imply for the future?

The
1887 Railroad Strikes lead to the rise of union memberships. The strikes were
triggered by the 10% wage cut among the union and dividends of the same amount
for the shareholders. The workers felt that they were being oppressed as their
salaries could not help them meet their basic needs (Foner 605).
They, therefore, united and decided to strike as a show of disappointment with
the industries. The government sent its troops to end the strikes which later
lead to a massive rise in union membership. The growth in union membership
meant that workers could rely on the unions to help in presenting their
grievances.

1. Explain
   what finally happened, including the last major battle, to the Plains
   Indians and the role the Dawes Act played in this outcome.

The
Native Americans in the West were against the migration of the white Americans
to the West. This led to conflict between the Native Americans and the White
Americans.  The Sioux Indians in the
Western South Dakota had entered into a treaty with the United States after the
Civil War. Nevertheless, many of the White Americans desired the lands due to
its minerals. This lead to the shrinking of Sioux reservation agreement and
this triggered Wounded Knee Massacre (Foner 605). 
The White Americans tried to move the Sioux Indians from South Dakota.

However,
the Indians were rebellious, and they started to practice Ghost Dance religion.
They believed that the religion would assist in driving the white Americans
away. However, most of the Whites did not understand what was going on and they
thought it was a war dance (Foner
605).
This triggered a war which forced most of the Native Americans to move to
Oklahoma. The Native Americans who had participated in the Dawes Act became
citizens of Oklahoma. The Dawes Severalty Act allowed the absorption of the
Native Americans. They were allowed to own properties, and this helped in
bringing peace among the Native Americans.

Works
Cited

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An
American History. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2014.

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