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Monday, December 2, 2013

Progressive Era - The Jungle

1) What qualities did Sinclair believe a person must have to succeed in Packingtown?
The factory workers needed to be driven by fear.  There were hundreds of people outside the factory that would like the job, so the current workers had to be selfish and work like someone was watching their every move, because someone usually was.
2)According to the passage, what is the plant owner's main goal.
The factory owners main goal was to get as much work out of the workers as possible to make as much money as possible.
3) What does Sinclair mean when he says, "...there was no place in it where a man counted for anything against a dollar....?"
Sinclair is saying that the facory workers were willing to do anything to increase/maintain production by climbing over everyone else's backs.

USDA Meat & Poultry Regulations
The USDA mandates that restaurants that prepare raw and uncooked meat and poultry understand how not preparing it correctly can cause serious harm.  The require that the cooks study the affects and how to prevent it.  The USDA also manages the hormones and how the chickens are raised.  There are certain types of hormones that have been made illegal by the USDA in chicken farming.  The USDA will send representatives to chicken farms to make sure that the chickens are being raised properly and healthfully.  The USDA will also do random health inspection of restaurants that serve meat and poultry

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Jim Crow Laws

The Jim Crow Laws were a series of laws that were based upon the principle of "separate but equal".  Starting in the Southern states in 1890, these laws spread mainly through the south for the better part of a century.  These laws were more prevalent in the southern states due to the Civil War.  The "separate but equal" idea was not always the case.  Schools were segregated, public places were segregated, including restaurants, restrooms, and drinking fountains.  The facilities for the African Americans were in worse condition, and usually did not work.  Following the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's, and court cases like Brown vs Board of Education, the Jim Crow Laws were put to an end by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws



Monday, October 14, 2013

Owner of a Railroad

      Having the money to build a railroad meant that a person was pretty well off.  For Leland Stanford, this was the case.  Stanford moved out west in 1852 and took over his brother's grocery business.  He then became quick friends with some people who had leverage in the local government.  He was then elected to become the president of the Central Pacific railroad, which broke ground on January 8th, 1863.  Stanford went on to leave a legacy, dipping into company funding to establish a private institution, named after his son who died from typhoid in 1884.  Leland Stanford Junior University opened in November, 1885.

      Being a business owner in the 1800s was rough, especially out in the west.  Most territories out in the west did not become states until the late 1800s, so there were no laws to protect your business.  Business was also cut throat.  People did anything to get ahead out in the west.  People could come to your house in the middle of the night, and force you to give up your business, or kill you.

Source:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/tcrr-stanford/

Friday, September 27, 2013



Johnny Murphy


Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson earned his nickname in the First Battle of Bull Run, when he gave critical support to Confederate soldiers while under a heavy attack by Union soldiers.  He had his soldiers stand firm, showing how he instilled discipline in them.  Brig. Gen. Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. rallied his troops by saying “There is Jackson standing like a stonewall.  Rally behind the Virginians!” After the battle Jackson was promoted to major general and put in charge of the Valley District.


During the battle of Chancellorsville (May 2,1863), and after a long day of successfully pushing the Union forces back, Jackson returned to camp.  It was dark, and the Confederates could not identify them.  JAckson identified them as confederates, but they were fired on, hearing “It’s a damned Yankee trick!  Fire!” from MAjor John D. Barry.  Jackson was hit three times, twice in the left arm and once in the right hand.  JAckson eventually had to get his left arm amputated due to other complications, Jackson’s left arm had to be amputated.  On May 10, Jackson died after having complications from pneumonia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson#Civil_War

http://www.biography.com/people/stonewall-jackson-9351451

Stonewall Jackson paragraphs

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15E-uYOEfAA4OXTU5v9RVpsx5P2pycHUMmkT4qabf1VA/edit
You might have to copy paste it into another tab