Project: The Men Who Built America
EPISODE 6
OWNING IT ALL
The Gilded Age
EPISODE 6 MISSION
Directions: Write the episode mission below in the "Episode Mission" box of your Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles.
I can tell you the part that J.P. Morgan played in building America.
EPISODE 6 OVERVIEW
Directions: Read the Episode 6 Overview below.
With an investment from Morgan, the Edison Electric Company is created and begins wiring homes in New York. A rival, Nikola Tesla, soon emerges with a different technology for electric light. A battle between Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) power ensues. Morgan eventually buys out Edison and forms General Electric which adopts AC power, setting the stage for the next several decades of electric power. Meanwhile, there is increasing unrest among American workers as the gap between the rich and the poor grows.
EPISODE 6 VOCABULARY WORDS & TERMS
Directions: Write the vocabulary words and terms below in the "Vocabulary and Terms" box of your Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles.
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antitrust regulation: laws that encourage business competition and prevent trusts and monopolies
bankrupt: a person or business that is unable to pay its debts bid: to offer to do work for a particular price William Jennings Bryan: the Democratic candidate for President of the United States in 1896 that vowed to put an end to the country's monopolies and corrupt big business practices Chicago World’s Fair 1893: a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492 where Nikola Tesla gave his first demonstration of A.C. electrical current to the world infringement: violating the rights of another person Morganization: a consolidation technique introduced by J.P. Morgan where warring companies are brought together and managed as one company, reducing competition and increasing profits nationalism: a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries patent: a legal document that gives an inventor credit for the invention and control over how it can be produced or used portfolio: the investments that are owned by a person or organization progressive movement: a campaign for social, economic, and political reform as a result of the corruption of the Gilded Age royalties: an amount of money that is paid to an inventor or creator based on how much of the invention or creation is sold streamline: to make a company more efficient and effective by using faster or simpler working methods submission: the act of accepting the authority or control of someone else turbines: an engine that has a part with blades that are caused to spin by pressure from water, steam, or air Wall Street: the street in New York City where the New York Stock Exchange is located |
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EPISODE 6 GUIDE
Directions: While Watching Episode 6: Owning It All, answer each of the following questions in the "Episode Guide" section of your Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles. You should read one question ahead so that you are always listening for the answers you need. If you are absent, you can view the Episode by clicking on the link below.
- The public doesn't connect A.C.to Tesla. All they remember is that electricity was used to kill a man and that _______________ was behind it.
- A company at ______________________ has begun work on one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken. The world's largest power plant is being built.
- Niagara is a watershed in the history of the electric industry. It shows that it is not only feasible but practical to _____________________.
- Construction of the Niagara Power Station is continuing at a blistering pace. Workmen are almost finished with a 2.5-mile-long tunnel. It won't be long until water shoots through it powering ______________ the size of houses that will generate enough electricity to light up the entire Northeast.
- Morgan capitalizes on a downturn in the economy, launching a ______________________ designed to trigger a sell-off of Westinghouse stock.
- Tesla gives Westinghouse control of A. C. and forgoes all claim to his ___________________ .
- The managers and the creators of the ________________________ want to have an entirely electric city. They want to be cutting edge.
- Westinghouse drastically ____________________ the project claiming the can light the fair for less than a quarter of what Morgan and Edison have bid. The bold move secures the contract, and Westinghouse and Tesla immediately get to work wiring the fairgrounds.
- The plant at Niagara Falls reaches a decision and two letters go out. But there can only be one winner. In a shocking twist ____________________ wins the contract for the power station.
- Westinghouse has no choice but to give in to Morgan's demands. Knowing that the cost of a lawsuit will put him out of business, he's forced to _______________ for Tesla's A.C. electricity.
- Morgan buys up additional shares of ___________________ until he has complete control of the company.
- Morgan's new electric company, ________________ is instantly one of the most powerful corporations on earth valued at $50 million, or the modern equivalent of over one billion. With Edison out of the way, Morgan converts the company to ______________. The standard that's still used today.
- As the head of the biggest ________________ in the world, Morgan has unrivaled power and influence, and he's returned to his old ways.
- J.P. Morgan puts together a loan worth over $100 million, almost $3 billion today, and bails out the ___________________, saving the American economy from complete collapse.
- Alan Greenspan says, “Morgan obviously was looking at the national interest in the context of his own, that is, saving the U.S.Treasury was an act of basic self interest, but it was an act of ________________.
- To keep Standard Oil profitable, Rockefeller needs to find a product to replace _______________.
- Rockefeller targets a byproduct of refining oil that for years has been thrown away. The highly flammable runoff is soaking fields and polluting rivers. The toxic substance is called _________________ and so far, no one has figured out a use for it.
- The quest to create a more powerful motor leads to the development of the _____________________. The exact properties that make gasoline so dangerous, also make it the perfect fuel to power this engine.
- Already in possession of the world's largest supply of gasoline, he starts using __________________ to run machines in his refineries. The efficiency and power of the engine quickly make it the standard in factories across the country.
- Andrew Carnegie, has stayed out of the fray. He's been quietly building his steel empire bigger than ever, including landing lucrative contracts with the _________________ to provide steel for warships, making him one of the country's first _________________.
- Morganization, in effect, means taking companies that were fighting each other, bringing them together, and managing the company in such a way that ________________ is reduced, profits are increased.
- The _______________ between the rich and the poor continues to grow at a staggering rate. While the working class struggles, profits for Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller are better than ever.
- William Jennings Bryan is an up and coming political force who's drawing huge crowds vowing to put an end to the country's __________________.
- To many people it seemed as though big money, big corporations, the biggest of all Standard Oil, were taking over the country. From this emerged the ___________________ and a major part of its platform was ________________.
EPISODE 6 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Directions: After Watching Episode 6: Owning It All, you will participate in a small group discussion. In your groups, you will use our "Great Answer Strategy" to discuss and answer the following questions in your Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles.
The Great Answer Strategy
Discussion Questions
- How did J.P. Morgan take down George Westinghouse?
- How did J.P. Morgan streamline the Edison Electric Company?
- How did J.P. Morgan help the Federal Government?
- How did Rockefeller save Standard Oil after electricity went mainstream?
- How did Morganization affect the Working Class?
EPISODE 6 INVESTIGATION
Directions: In this Investigation, you will participate in three activities: A Live Action Role Play, an Information Analysis, and a Documenting Accounts Activity. Follow the instructions below.
Reflections on the Live Action Role Play (LARP)
In the Reflections portion of your Investigation, you will participate in Live Action Role Play. The scenario is called, Desperate Times. In the scenario, you will be divided into factory owners, workers, and immigrants. Then, you will be given several situations that you must react to. After the LARP, we will answer the discussion questions in your Episode 6 Chronicles about what you learned from it.
Scenario 1
The owner of the ACME Limestone Company is hiring two new employees. The owner of the Spectrum Coal Company is also hiring two new employees.
All of the workers in the community need jobs. So, all workers need to apply for jobs at one or both of the companies. Owners of the companies need to negotiate wages with the employees they wish to hire. Remember, you only have a certain amount of money budgeted for labor costs and you can't go over. Once the owners have hired their new employees and the employees have agreed upon the amount of wages they will be paid, both the owner and employee must fill in the amount they agree upon on the job contract and both need to sign it.
All of the workers in the community need jobs. So, all workers need to apply for jobs at one or both of the companies. Owners of the companies need to negotiate wages with the employees they wish to hire. Remember, you only have a certain amount of money budgeted for labor costs and you can't go over. Once the owners have hired their new employees and the employees have agreed upon the amount of wages they will be paid, both the owner and employee must fill in the amount they agree upon on the job contract and both need to sign it.
Scenario 2
Both the ACME Limestone Company and the Spectrum Coal Company are making a great deal of profit! Both companies decide to expand. They both are again looking to hire two new employees.
It is a great time for expansion because many new immigrants have arrived in America looking for jobs. All of the immigrants as well as all of the unemployed workers in the community need jobs. So, all the immigrants and unemployed workers need to apply for jobs at one or both of the companies. Owners of the companies need to negotiate wages with the employees they wish to hire. Remember, you only have a certain amount of money budgeted for labor costs and you can't go over. Once the owners have hired their new employees and the employees have agreed upon the amount of wages they will be paid, both the owner and employee must fill in the amount they agree upon on the job contract and both need to sign it.
It is a great time for expansion because many new immigrants have arrived in America looking for jobs. All of the immigrants as well as all of the unemployed workers in the community need jobs. So, all the immigrants and unemployed workers need to apply for jobs at one or both of the companies. Owners of the companies need to negotiate wages with the employees they wish to hire. Remember, you only have a certain amount of money budgeted for labor costs and you can't go over. Once the owners have hired their new employees and the employees have agreed upon the amount of wages they will be paid, both the owner and employee must fill in the amount they agree upon on the job contract and both need to sign it.
Reflections
Answer the questions below about the Live Action Role Play in your Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles.
- What happens to wages when there are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available? Explain.
- How can stiffer competition for jobs help business owners?
- In what other ways can workers be affected by situations in which too many workers are available?
Industrialization Analysis
In the Analysis portion of your Investigation, you will work with your small groups to interpret information in charts about the Gilded Age. Then, you will answer the discussion questions in your Episode 6 Chronicles.
The years from 1877-1913 brought a second Industrial Revolution to America. It was a time of amazing growth. The population, which was growing at a staggering rate, increased from 31,443,321 in 1860 to 76,212,168 in 1900 and to 92,228,496 in 1910. Railroads, seen by some as the backbone of industrialization, expanded from about 30,000 miles of track before the Civil War to nearly 270,000 miles in 1900. The mass-production of steel set off a race to industrialize. Large factories, which had been the domain of the fabric industry before the Civil War, became more and more common in a variety of industries.
The rapid growth of industries brought an explosion of need for industrial labor. The U.S. work force nearly tripled between 1880 and 1910 to about 8 million. Unfortunately the population growth spurred by immigration served to keep workers’ wages low. Since there was a ready supply of people to fill the positions, people had to accept little money for their labor. As time went on, though, workers increasingly began to organize and resist the way their lives and health were threatened by their jobs.
The rapid growth of industries brought an explosion of need for industrial labor. The U.S. work force nearly tripled between 1880 and 1910 to about 8 million. Unfortunately the population growth spurred by immigration served to keep workers’ wages low. Since there was a ready supply of people to fill the positions, people had to accept little money for their labor. As time went on, though, workers increasingly began to organize and resist the way their lives and health were threatened by their jobs.
1.) An appropriate title for this passage would be
A.) “Industrial Growth and Change.”
B.) “The History of American Labor.”
C.) “Growth of America’s Railroads.”
D.) “The Birth of American Unions.”
2.) Which definition FITS the use of the word “domain” in the first paragraph?
A.) an Internet address for an organization
B.) a sphere of activity, concern, or function
C.) a territory over which control is exercised
D.) all of the possible values of a given variable
3.) Which graph correctly illustrates the information in this passage?
A.) A
B.) B
C.) C
D.) D
A.) “Industrial Growth and Change.”
B.) “The History of American Labor.”
C.) “Growth of America’s Railroads.”
D.) “The Birth of American Unions.”
2.) Which definition FITS the use of the word “domain” in the first paragraph?
A.) an Internet address for an organization
B.) a sphere of activity, concern, or function
C.) a territory over which control is exercised
D.) all of the possible values of a given variable
3.) Which graph correctly illustrates the information in this passage?
A.) A
B.) B
C.) C
D.) D
Documenting Accounts
In the Documenting portion of your Investigation, you will participate in a jigsaw activity. A Jigsaw Activity is when the class is divided up into groups and each group is given a portion of a topic to learn. Then your group teaches your portion to the rest of the class. In this Jigsaw Activity, each group will be given a real account of different workers' job experiences at the turn of the century. Each group will summarize their worker's experience in one paragraph and create a list of the problems their worker faced. When time is called, each small group will stand up and present their paragraph and list to the class. Students will take notes on each other's accounts and glue them into their Episode 6 Lesson Chronicles.
END OF THE EPISODE 6 LESSON
Directions: You have completed the Episode 6 Lesson of the Men Who Built America Project. Click on the icon below to go back to the Project Homepage.
