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Standard Oil Company
John D. Rockefeller founded this company that would eliminate its competition and take control of most of the nation's oil company. This is a part of the WXT theme because this company took over the development of the economic markets. -
Panic of 1873
Starting from railroad declaring bankruptcy, the Panic of 1873 led to a long lasting financial economic depression: 1/4 of unskilled workers lost jobs, 600 banks closed, 20% unemployed, which led to a nation-wide frustration. The theme corresponding to this event is PCE since all of the blame was placed on the gold standard for restricting the money supply and causing the depression, which meant many campaigns went out for the advocacy of easy-money. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented Chinese immigration to the US, and this is a part of the MIG theme because the people who had moved into the US had to change their lifestyle to work in other places. -
Cleveland Elected President
Grover Cleveland won a solid victory in both the popular and electoral vote in part of the unpopularity of the high-tax McKinley Tariff. Once in office, the country entered into one of the worst and longest depressions in its history, which is why this is a part of the PCE theme because of how he had influenced the country. -
Haymarket Square Riot
A violent strike broke out in Chicago to fight for 8 hour workdays that led police to harass and kill strikers. This is a part of the WXT theme because of what the government had decided, which led to the anarchists to throw a bomb at the police that hurt the Union. -
Dawes Severalty Act
This was designed to break up tribal lands for purchase, 160 acre for family, which challenged the nomadic way of life life for families. This is a part of the MIG theme because whites engaged in Indian hunting that led to a genocide. -
The Great Railroad Strike
This strike was the last straw for the railroad workers when their wages were cut by %10, which led to many walking off the job, and this became the first nationwide labor uprising. This is under the WXT theme due to the decline in the economic markets. -
Homestead Steel Strike
Henry Frick, manager of steel mill owned by Carnegie, continued cutting wages with no negotiations, lockout of workers, and a gun battle broke out that ensued between workers and hired Pinkertons that led to the strike, which were spies on workers that used force; Strikebreakers were hired and the workers on strike blacklisted. The WXT theme focuses on the factors behind the systems, and the failure of the Homestead strike set back the union movement in the steel industry until the New Deal. -
Pullman Strike
In 1894, wages were cut by 40% and would not reduce the rent, fired members of workers' grievance committee, and shut down railroads, which impacted the government because they needed the mail to travel, so President Cleveland sent federal troops to shut the strike down. In reason that the union's boycott tied up all rail transportation across the country, this reflects off of the WXT theme due to the changes that had to be implemented. -
Presidential Election of 1896
William McKinley won the presidency and pushed for gold standard, which republicans then enacted a higher tariff (Dingley Tariff). This is under the PCE theme because the defeat of Bryan & the Populist free-silver movement initiated an era of Republican dominance of the presidency.