Entry #7 - OK. I am DOING THIS

Posted by naeevatay Labels:
Not.

Well, basically I had an entire holiday.

And I tried to start by studying AP World History.

Did not work. I was too interested in 1) my English essay, 2) my MATH :) 3) browsing for summer camps...

Self-studying was way down on my list of "favorite things to do". Which makes it not so much a "favorite" thing to do =P.

As I am freaking out about how the holiday is about to come to an end, and how my extra-curriculars will soon bog down on me because there are a LOT of things coming up, and no holiday to serve as a buffer against the huge tidal wave of pressure...

I notice how all my interests actually END last quarter.

Doesn't that mean I can focus? I can FOCUS for once? With no other "prior commitments" to other interests?

That surely is a sign of hope...

But payments for the exams are due way before that last quarter of school. That means I'm either out, or I'm in it the whole way, price, grade and all.

And that's a whopping $90 at stake for each AP exam.

Is cramming really the way to go?

And I've never really been good at cramming. Hmm...
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More About the Gilded Age

Posted by naeevatay Labels:

More About the Gilded Age

- Industrial growth: railroads, iron, coal, electricity, oil, steel, banks.

§ The benefits from railroad building also had bankruptcies due to overspeculation, resulting in reorganizations and mergers.

§ Significance of the railroads:

· United the nation physically.

· Created a domestic market connecting raw materials w/ markets

· Attracted domestic and foreign investments.

· Added on time zones, which altered the concept of time.

· Stimulated industrial revolution in the US

· Great urbanization – stimulation of immigration, maker of millionaires.

- Significance of iron

§ Minnesota-Lake Superior region yielded some iron ore by the 1850s – contributed to rich deposits of Mesabi Range in the 1890s.

§ Was the “priceless bonanza” as it led to the stimulation of a vast steel empire.

- Significance of coal.

§ Used as fuel in industry

§ Midwest coal mining was often a family business

· Until 1890, English and Irish immigrants dominated the business.

§ Was a dangerous and dirty business

· B/w 1887 and 1894 were 116 major coal strikes in IL alone.

§ Were the first large group of skilled workers drastically affected by influx of immigrants

· Clash between “old” and “new” miners led to violence.

· Would have United Mine Workers’ pressure on Congress to restrict immigration.

- Significance of electricity.

§ Thomas Edison breaks down barriers with inventions.

§ Less well known inventions were the improved telegraph (4 messages in one wire), first modern research laboratory and invented a “telephone repeater” which became the phonograph.

- Significance of Steel

§ Led to heavy industry which concentrated on making “capital goods” as opposed to “consumer goods”.

· Invention of the Bessemer process transformed the industry.

· US would produce as much steel as England and Germany combined by 1900.

§ Was made possible by abundance of coal for fuel, iron ore for smelting and labor.

§ Andrew Carnegie was the “Sultan of Steel” – ¼ of Bessemer steel production in nation.

· Partner was Henry Clay Frick who expanded empire through vertical trust.

· Firm believer in American democracy and laissez-faire economy.

- Significance of oil

§ “black gold” surpasses wealth of gold industry

§ John D. Rockefeller the giant in this industry.

§ By 1877 would control 95% of all oil refineries in US

· Firm believer in Social Darwinism

· “Rule or ruin” was motto.

§ Master of methods incl. Consolidation (trusts) to eliminate “wasteful competition”

- Significance of millionaires

§ The “pirates” of industry had the “new rich” replace the older American aristocracy.

· Displaced aristocrats joined anti-trust campaigns.

§ Rockefeller’s monopoly of oil industry resulted in relatively cheap prices through use of large scale production, distribution methods.

- Significance of Banks

§ JP Morgan “financed capitalism”

§ Through the United States Steel Corporation, financed reorganization of major industries in this area.

- Laissez-faire conservatism

§ Gospel of Wealth added social responsibility to Social Darwinism (a term coined by Rockefeller)

· Had Constitution and courts uphold plutocracy.

· Congressional control over state to state commerce resulting in corporations resisting state efforts at control.

· Interpreted 14th Amendment’s “due process” of a “person” to include corporations.

· Incorporated industries in states had little or no restrictions.

§ Myth of the “self-made man”

· Idea that anyone can become an Andrew Carnegie if they worked hard.

· Horatio Alger’s stories of boys becoming rich through hard work popular

o Gave poor people the hope they needed.

· Was a myth because most workers had little chance to become successful after consolidation of businesses in this area – limited development of free enterprise.

§ Social Critics and dissenters

· Social Gospel movement and other churches confront issue of monopolists.

· Journalist authors joined in movement.

o Henry George and his Progress and Poverty advocated single tax to prevent unfair accumulation of wealth.

o Edward Bellamy wrote Looking Backward, influential in economic and social injustices of era.

o Theodore Dreiser wrote Sister Carrie, narrative of what happens to poor working girl in Chicago.

· Common for “social novelists” to portray social and econ problems in their work.

- Effects of tech development on workers

§ Short term effect of technological advances was temporary displacement of workers.

§ Transportation system brought immigrants everywhere.

· Immigration would make labor plentiful and cheap, further reducing power of labor force.

- Union Movement

§ Workers powerless as corporations had money and influence in politics and law enforcement.

§ “scabs” (strikebreakers), to “injunctions” to order strikes back to work.

§ “lookout” method to keep workers out until submitted.

§ “yellow dog contracts” or “iron clad oaths” made workers agree not to join unions.

§ “black lists” on workers to prevent them from joining other companies because they were known to have organized unions.

§ “company towns” kept workers dependent on employers as they cashed in checks for food and credit.

- Public saw organization of labor w/ suspicion, thought of as unpatriotic, undemocratic, socialist, foreign.

§ Previously Civil War gives labor unions a boost.

· Laborers more scarce, increasing their worth.

· Rise in cost of living = incentive to unionize.

- The Knights of Labor and American Federaiton of Labor.

§ Lead by Terrence v. Powderly

§ Secret organization – later included all workers.

· 90,000 membership.

§ Worked for 8 hour day and workplace improvements.

§ Supported May Day strikes in 1866 and association with Haymarket Square riot caused it to be associated w/ radicalism, etc.

· Due to not granting special benefits to skilled workers, soon had most members go to other unions by 1890.

- The American Federation of Labor 1866 – skilled workers only.

§ Samuel Gompers led.

§ Self-governing union.

· Against socialism, didn’t oppose capitalism.

§ Conservative approach to winning fair shaie for workers.

· Had “closed shop agreements” which all employees must join union and used “walkout” and boycott methods to win terms.

§ Effective but narrower in scope.

· Was non-political, so less threatening.

§ Was the “labor trust”

· Only 3% of labors unioized.

§ Able to change public attitudes as many concede that workers have the right to organize, bargain collectively, strike, etc.

· Labor Day est. 1894.

- Haymarket, Homstead and Pullman.

§ Haymarket Square Incident 1886

· See Chapter 24 Notes

§ Homestead 1882

· Carnegie’s partner Frick cut employee wages by 20% at the Homestead Steel Plant.

· Involved the PA state militia.

o Plant reopened under military guard and strikers give up.

§ Pullman strike 1894

· Eugene Debs helped organize the American Railway Union (150,000 workers)

· When the Pullman Palace Car Company hard hit by the depression of 1893, wages were cut by a third and rent not lowered.

o Federal troops dispatched and courts issued injunction to cease strikes.

- Led to outrage against Washington that they would use “government injunction” to break strikes.

§ Saw as “proof” that there was alliance between big businesses and the courts.

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Entry #6 -- The Whole... Idea of Self...Studying?!

Posted by naeevatay Labels: , ,
Ahh. Self studying 3 APs.

Well actually, taking 1 AP course, then possibly studying a maximum of 4 APs.

The mere THOUGHT of that. Doing ALL THAT in (yes, ... well, more like 3 months until May, but the thing is, chances are I won't have time [as experiences have very kindly shown me -- I have barely enough time for homework and my awesome extra-curriculars. Ahh, so many things to do and so little time! :)]...

It's just bubbly exciting!

OK. Halt. Self-studying APs is exciting? "Are you out of your mind?"

Well I don't know. The thought of ... someday (perhaps that someday, the cynical side says, is after the May AP Exams that I end up NOT DOING SO WELL on them after all!) being able to answer those questions...to let others know that I have that knowledge regarding world history (the very thought of knowing a little of something of everything! -- That's what I like ;)), or human geography (... no comment, but it's good to know that there is such a thing as ... well, human geography right?), and PSYCHOLOGY (the coolest, but I actually do want to make space for next year.

The thought of being able to DO ALL THAT. In one week.

Now that's exciting.

And impossible, the cynical side of me snorts. (Wait, I have a split-personality? -gasps-)

You know what I mean. So great, now what do I do? I want to obtain all that, but is it feasible...or not?

Well, of course everyone wants their attempts at self-studying the AP to be feasible. So why not focus on fewer ones to do to get a few 5s? Great. And my memories are playing back experiences from upperclassmen who have lamented their regrets about how they've tackled too many APs at the same time.

But what if you're one of those "I understand that too many APs may be bad for me, but I want to study as much as I can (for knowledge purposes, or for ... ahem. other reasons) because I am an overachiever and I can't stand the idea of just studying a few to get 1 or 2 5s because when other people get like 4 5s or something, I would feel like I could have done better, and so I'm not sure if I should attempt them all, or just focus on one, but I really want to do them all! But I don't know if that's possible becuase I've never self studied before and I haven't even taken my first AP exam yet!"?

Well. Gee, I don't know. Lucky you, you can just scroll up and see what happens to this sad-wannabe-overachiever.

Now know that I'm not showing off at all I'm completely aware of those who take 7 APs a year. Totally aware. Coooompletely aware.

But I couldn't find the time, so I gave up my home of "5" APs in sophomore year and dwindled down to a possible...4? (I can hear you guys snorting, HA, 1 AP, big difference)...

Yea true, but I've always been conservative in nature.

Don't know...I don't know....I don't KNOW!

But YOU'LL find out. Lucky you.

(Wow, are my cliffhangers awesome or WHAT).
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Entry #5 Oh no...No Motivation...

Posted by naeevatay Labels:
Looks like it's that time again.

That time with no homework.

And the implied "no motivation" time period where no one feels like working. Until of course, the time slowly ticks to the day when school starts tomorrow, and they start wondering why they have wasted such a hard-earned time doing nothing.

But now I've find myself conscious of such a time, without having school start tomorrow.

Wow that's rare. Yet I am blogging and lamenting about how little I've done in this week with no homework. That's not very productive ... no no.

Well basically, for this year I've decided to self study AP Human Geo, AP Psych and AP World. There are some others I am considering, but I'm not sure if it's worth the money or worth the time.

I have exactly 1 week to be an expert on the above three topics. Let's go. Starting with AP Human Geo.

No time to daddle.

Let's see if for once, a teenager can achieve the miracle of "not waste holiday and do nothing".

Will it happen?
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Online Resources for AP World History

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Online Resources for AP Psychology

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Online Resources for AP Human Geography

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Online Resources for APUSH

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Social Darwinism and the American Laissez-fair Capitalism

Posted by naeevatay Labels:


- Herbert Spencer took Darwin’s theory of Evolution and applied it to human society

o Made Social Darwinism to justify laissez-faire or unrestrained capitalism.

o Wrote about ideas before Darwin’s book published.

§ First book argued for laissez faire capitalism, which allows businesses to operate w/o government interference.

o 7 years before Darwin published Origin of Species, would coin the term “survival of the fittest”

- Believed that competition was the “law of life” and resulted in the survival of the fittest.

o “Society advances where its fittest members are allowed to assert their fitness with least hindrance”

§ Went on to argue that the unfit should not be “prevented from dying out”.

- Believed that individuals could genetically pass learned characteristics to children

o Was popular but erroneous belief in 19th century.

o Spencer believed that wealthy inherited industriousness, frugality, desire to own property while the poor inherited laziness, stupidity, and immorality.

§ According to Spencer, poor people would eventually go extinct due to inability to compete.

o Soon England and other advanced nations would evolve into peaceful, “industrial” societies.

- Argued government should not interfere w/ survival of fittest individuals

o Fittest should have freedom to do whatever they want as long as they did not infringe on the equal rights of other competitors.

o Criticized English Parliament for ‘over legislation’.

§ Such laws delayed extinction of unfit.

- Believed that government should have two purposes

o Defend nation and protect citizens from criminals.

o Objected to public school system, control of diseases (which “are among the penalties Nature has attached to ignorance and imbecility and should not, therefore, be tampered with”), taxation which was a confiscation of wealth and undermining natural revolution of society, and ironically condemned colonialism and wars.

§ Ironic because many of his ideas used to justify colonialism.

§ Colonialism = vast government interference, leading to opposition from Spencer.

o Also believed labor unions took away freedom of individual workers to negotiate with employers.

- Laissez-Faire Capitalism in America

o Often called period between 1870 and early 1900s the Gilded Age.

§ Age of industrialization, laissez-faire capitalism, and no income tax.

o William Sumner praised new class of millionaires.

§ Argued social progress depended on these fit families

§ By 1800s however, monopolies and not competing companies increasingly controlled production and prices of goods.

- Led to workers’ wages and working conditions not being regulated.

o Wages rose moderately, but frequent economic depression caused deep pay cuts.

o Local judges who often shared the laissez-faire views of employers, issued court orders outlawing worker strikes and boycotts.

- Starting in 1880s worker strikes, protests increased, more violent.

o Some voiced fears of a Marxist revolution.

- Around 1890 US Supreme Court began to aggressively back laissez-faire capitalism.

o Justice Stephen J. Field said that Dec. of Indep. Guaranteed “right to pursue any lawful business or vocation in any manner not inconsistent with equal rights of others”

o Ruled many state laws which attempted to regulate working conditions, etc, as unconstitutional

§ Often based decisions on 5th and 14th Amendments.

- 1890 reformers got Congress to pass Sherman Antitrust Act

o Focused on “combinations” like monopolies (also called trusts)

o Banned them if they interfered w/ interstate commerce.

§ Justices instead focused on behaviors of “bad trusts” that used unfair tactics against competitors.

- Supreme Court limited p rotest rights of labor unions in 1911 case that outlawd some economic boycotts.

o Court continued to weaken unions until 1930s.

- Progressive Era reformers increasing successful (despite hostpile Supreme Court)

o 1906 in Pure Food and Drug Act prohibited companies from selling contaminated foods and misbranded drugs.

o By 1912 fed and state governments have adopted Progressive reform legislation aimed at reducing child labor and improving work conditions.

§ Had three presidential candidates all w/ Progressive platform.

§ Democrat Woodrow Wilson, Republican Howard Taft and Progressive Theodore Roosevelt.

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