THE GREAT

INDUSTRIALIS

TS AND THE

RISE OF UNIONS

M AT C H I NG A

C T I VI T

Y AN S W E R S

This businessman was the founder of a monopolistic company that controlled the iron mines, “Bessemer” furnaces, railroads, and shipping routes for all the steel in America by the early 1890s. His workers were subjected to dangerous conditions, and paid very low wages. In 1892, they went on strike!

ANDREW CARNEGIE – THE MAN OF STEEL

This entrepreneur was the founder of the Standard Oil Trust, the company which controlled approximately 90% of the oil industry by the year 1900. His company forced rivals to join their “trust,” - an agreement to end competition and raise prices – which hurt the American consumer!

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

This man gained great power, enormous wealth, and fame by consolidating all of the railroads in New York. Although he had accumulated great wealth in the railroad industry of New York, his most lasting legacy is an outstanding university in Tennessee, named in his honor – because he donated the money to found the school! His nickname, “Commodore” serves as the school’s nickname as well today!

CORNELIUS VANDERBILT

He founded a luxury railroad car company – building dining cars, first class passenger cars, sleeper cars, and refrigerated boxcars to transport produce or other perishable goods. After the “Panic of 1893,” – an economic recession – he slashed the wages of his employees. Yet, he refused to lower the rents of his workers (he was also their landlord), or the price of the food sold at his company stores. His employees organizing a strike that crippled the US Economy during 1894.

GEORGE PULLMAN

LELA

ND STANFO

RD

He was

the P

residen

t of t

he Cen

tral P

acific R

ailroa

d line,

and

the man

who d

rove i

n the fi

nal sp

ike w

hen th

e

transco

ntinen

tal ra

ilroad

in M

ay of

1869.

 

SAMUEL GOMPER

S

He was

the f

ounder of

the Ameri

can

Federa

tion of L

abor,

and his

goals

were

higher pay

for w

orkers

, safe

r conditio

ns,

more le

isure

time,

and th

e right t

o

colle

ctive

bargain

ing.

EUGEN

E V. D

EBS

He was

the l

eader

of the A

merica

n

Railroad

Work

ers Union

– who su

pported

a

strike

again

st the P

ullman

compan

y in th

e

1890s a

nd was

jaile

d in th

e earl

y 1900

s for

his op

position

to W

W I.

HENRY FO

RD

He was

the i

nventor

of th

e Mod

el-T F

ord,

and th

e first

auto

produce

r to u

se th

e

asse

mbly lin

e to m

ake a

utomobile

s.

ALEXANDER

GRAHAM

BELL

He inve

nted th

e tele

phone and fo

unded

the Ameri

can Te

lephon

e & Te

legrap

h Co.

(AT&T)

ORVILLE A

ND WILB

UR

WRIGHT

He and his

brother

were th

e first

in flight:

Kitty H

awk,

NC – Dec

ember

17, 19

03.

CORNELIUS VANDER

BILT

He was

the m

an w

ho con

solid

ated th

e

railro

ads i

n New Yo

rk durin

g the 1

800s,

and he f

ounded

a unive

rsity

in Tennes

see

which st

ill bea

rs his

name.

JOHN D. R

OCKEFEL

LER

He was

the f

ounder of

the Stan

dard Oil T

rust, a

compan

y

which ra

n almos

t all o

ther oil r

efineri

es ou

t of b

usines

s in

the earl

y 190

0s – u

ntil it w

as brok

en up by t

he Sherm

an

Anti-Trust

act a

nd the a

ction

s of T

heodore

Roose

velt.

ANDREW CARNEG

IE

He was

the f

ounder of a

stee

l com

pany w

hich

dominated th

e industr

y – it

was prac

ticall

y a

monop

oly. H

is work

ers re

ceive

d little

pay, h

owev

er,

and upris

ings at h

is ste

el plan

ruined

his rep

utation

.

TEREN

CE V. P

OWDERLY

He was

the l

eader

of Ameri

ca’s

first

labor

union, th

e Knights

of La

bor.

MARY HARRIS

“MOTH

ER” J

ONES

She was

a fem

ale la

bor union or

ganize

r who

focuse

d on helping w

omen in

the g

armen

t

workers

unions and yo

ung child

ren w

ho

were for

ced to

work

in th

e tex

tile m

ills.

THOMAS ALVA ED

ISON

He was

the i

nventor

of th

e light b

ulb,

the phon

ograp

h, the b

attery

cell,

and

the moti

on pict

ure mac

hine, just

to

name a

few. H

e held

thou

sands o

f

patents,

and es

tablis

hed hundred

s of

compan

ies!