The Progressive Era was a time of success and decline, as well as equality and corruption. The early 1900s consisted of advancements in technology, societal rights, territory, wealth, etc. However, the United States prided itself on founding a superior society based on its new principles (democracy, liberty, equality). The United States may have developed an industrialized, successful economy but it was constructed through unethical morals that did not obey its original institution. America was not living up to its founding principles due to racism, social hierarchy, and the rise of big businesses. Big business, social hierarchy, racism The Big Business Empire began with entrepreneurs Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, …show more content…
With the accumulation of wealth came dominance and these entrepreneurs became some of the most powerful men in America. “Yet, their ruthlessness in building wealth at the expense of their competitors, workers, and consumers, often earned them the contrary title of “Robber Barons”, suggesting that they may have used unquestionable or unethical business practices to become wealthy and powerful” (Gilded Age Document A); some of these methods included vertical integration, horizontal integration, predatory pricing and the establishment of “the trust”. These men held the world in the palms of their hands, “administering it (wealth) for the community far better than it would have done itself” (Gilded Age Document A). “This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth: First, to set an example of modest, ostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance and, after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which one to him simply as trust funds,”(Gilded Age document A), just as Rockefeller did. Rockefeller was the first man to manufacture oil and founded Standard Oil Company. With the development of oil which is an essential resource, came great responsibility and dominance. However, …show more content…
This type of racism continued during the Philippine-American War. The Philippine-American War was originally initiated after the United States annexed the Philippines under the Treaty of Paris after the Spanish- American War, ignoring the Philippines' Declaration of Independence. The US wanted the Philippines because they wanted new markets and to create new naval bases, specifically in Minella, Philippines. With the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, the Spanish Empire would be completely terminated; thus, resulting in the US becoming a complete world power, especially with the annexation of the Philippines. This became a controversial argument as it went against all American values of equality as they believed that the Philippines were not equipped to manage and operate their country themselves. However, the US procured the Philippines on February 6, 1899, when two Philippines crossed American lines, initiating the US's first colonial rebellion with “60 US Soldiers and 700 Filipinos” being killed (Crucible of Empire: The Spanish American War 7:17). This quadrupled the size of the US army and began the “gorilla war”. This new enforcement did not wear uniforms, “so they would be able to fade into civilian populations very, very quickly..it involved surprised attacks, raids without warning” (Crucible of Empire: The Spanish
Rockefeller’s enormous wealth and success began to make him a target of muckraking journalists, reform politicians, and many others, who commonly viewed him as a symbol of corporate greed and opted to criticize his efforts, in which he built his empire. (history.com, 2010) Many of the views towards Rockefeller ranged from him being labeled as a monopolist, to him demonstrating charitable deeds. Nonetheless, Rockefeller played a substantial role in America’s development.
America effectively entered the Philippines to liberate them from Spanish rule. However, with the freeing of the Philippines, as the war neared the end, a great debate sparked much controversy. Some felt as though the Philippines should be annexed to the United States, however others felt that the Philippines should be granted freedom and democracy. Two major voices of opposing opinions are Charles Eliot Norton and Albert J. Beveridge.
The American-Philippine War and Its Decline in Foreign Policy America is a strong political and economic influence that uses its power to strengthen and provide for other nations. Imperial America consisted of the thirst for new markets, the desire for military strength, and the belief in cultural superiority. The United States has had its history of annexation over territories and land, because of imperialism. At the start, the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, and in 1893, annexed Hawaii. The Spanish-American war resulted in the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
In a time when economics and advancements were the most crucial parts of life, there were entrepreneurs who took advantage of their wealth and status to manipulate the economy and the less fortunate citizens. It is a powerful question throughout history whether these influential yet dictatorial men were captains of industry who allowed the economy to advance and flourish or robber barons who benefitted off the work of the lower classes and the betrayal of democracy. It is not arguable, however, that the only correct answer to this question would be that these men flourished and exceeded through the exploitation of the labor of the lower class which leads to the conclusion that they were robber barons. These men such as Cornelius Vanderbilt
The United States initially was interested due to economic reasons but later gained even more support. After the USS Maine explosion, Yellow Journalist took advantage of this event and blamed Spain. Not wanting to anger the U.S., the Spanish Government handled the accusations very peacefully. Not too long after, the United States declared war on April 25, 1898. U.S. Soldiers did not have all the supplies
It formalized the transfer of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from Spain to the United States after the Spanish-American War. The acquisition of these overseas territories provided the U.S. with new spheres of influence and extended its reach beyond its borders, solidifying its role as a major player on the global stage. However, this expansion also raised questions about the ethical implications of acquiring foreign lands and governing distant
As for the Philippines, the US ended up paying Spain $20 million for the land as a result of the Spanish American war. America tried to impose our way of doing things and when tried they were met with resistance. The US ended up leaving the Philippines after the Filipino insurrection. During which time the American soldiers were sent to the Philippines, there were almost 4,000 deaths that occurred during this conflict. However, the lack of support the Philippines had during the insurrection hampered the forces behind
In 1899 the American Anti- Imperialist League was founded, inspired by the occupation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippians by the United States. The U.S. eventually gave up Cuban, letting it become a nominally independent country, they retained control of Puerto Rico and the Philippians. The Oxford Dictionary defines Imperialism as, “A policy of extending a country’s power and influence by military force.”. The U.S. had complete control of the Philippians, which was not loved by the Filipino people as they revolted in 1899 but were suppressed in 1902. Many Americans supported the government and their expansion of territory, but some notable names did not support it like Andre Carnegie and William James.
“The Progressive Era was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States, from the 1890s to 1920s” (Wikipedia, 2016). During this time, Americans decided their political system needed to adjust to new conditions and they pushed for reforms in which they faced opposition. Because of this, they had to try different ways to achieve these reforms. During this time there was racial prejudice and elitism. Some of the reforms that were put in place at this time were the Progressive income tax and the Federal Trade Commission.
John D. Rockefeller, a titan of the American Industrial Revolution, is known for his role in shaping the petroleum industry. This essay will dive into his life, his rise to success with Standard Oil, and his philanthropic endeavors. Born in 1839, Rockefeller entered the oil business in the 1860s. His strategic decisions and entrepreneurial spirit led to the establishment of Standard Oil in 1870.
The late 19th century was full of growth, production, and business. People were craving power and seemed to achieve this through any means necessary. Consequently, a new business elite formed consisting of the richest men alive. The way in which these individuals acquired all their profits is something very contradictory even over one-hundred years later. Some historians characterize these businessmen as “robber barons” who used extreme methods to control and concentrate wealth and power, and being supported by multiple sources, this statement is justified but only to some extent.
In 1899, the United States annexed the Philippines after a short but bloody war with Spain. These rich, plentiful islands full of resources were in great demand. The U.S. saw the Philippines; fighting against Spain so like them when they were rebelling, and decided to step in and aid ‘the spirit of 1776’ (Doc. A). However, the question still remains: should the United States have annexed the Philippines?
Instead, it later gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain, beginning the process of turning the United States into an imperialist power. The United
Justin Clement APUS DBQ Big businesses controlled the economy and politics throughout 1870-1900. They were in control of the prices for certain items because they destroyed their smaller competitors until there was no competition left. They had much sway over politics and took away the people’s say. As we can see from Document A, between 1870-1899, the price for food, fuel, lighting and living decreased with the emergence of big businesses.
The great Spanish American War of 1898 was a war between the Cuban and the Philippines, against Spain (Schultz, 2013, p. 353). Therefore the Cubans gained, independence, however, the Filipinos did eventually get their independence. The United States intervention, in both instances, was not welcome. However, the war started by Spain's crude and inhuman treatment of the Cuban also the Philippines independence movement (Schultz, 2013, p. 353).