The Rise Of Monopolies

Reconstruction did more harm than good to the United States. There was anger, tension, and division that came out of Reconstruction. Also, there was debt, poverty, political conflicts, and African-American struggles. Some political problems were Andrew Johnson’s relationship with Congress which led to his impeachment trial. Another problem was that Confederates worked their way back into office. The main problem in Reconstruction was freeing slaves into society. This is justified by black codes, the creation of the KKK, rise of other white supremacy groups, and the Compromise of 1877, which led to the downfall of African American rights. This was the beginning of allowing racism into society.

Monopolies were on the rise, with the assembly line raising production rates, Ford and Chrysler were able to out-produce their competition, essentially forcing them

Finally is the allowance of these monopolies to rise in the first place. Since there were no regulatory agencies back in the second industrial revolution, big businessmen with the idea of trimming fat in their companies could conquer any competitor by using hardball tactics of purposely

Reconstruction took placed in the South from 1865 to 1880. It impacted the United States’ history by holding the South back economically behind the

Throughout history, there have been many problems present in the American life. In the time period between the 1800s to the 1900s, there were many problems such as, poor living and working conditions and powerful monopolies. Many reforms were proposed in order to solve these problems. The grisly living and working conditions, along with overpowered monopolies, were both addressed with reforms.

The United States changed dramatically during the reconstruction period. After the reconstruction period, the United Stated continued to adjust well as we see it change economically and politically. Though the adjustment continued to go well, the change that occurs after reconstruction is emphasized with industrialization and the impact that industrialization has in certain regions of the U.S and on the people. Along with the new economy came with complications that affected the improvement of conditions in work and in life.

Up until the 1880s, the United States economy followed the policy of laissez-faire (the idea that the government should have no involvement in the economy), and this led to competition which led to good prices of goods for the average consumer. However with the growth of many large companies that controlled the market, prices of goods raised due to the lack of competition. With consumers becoming frustrated and prices constantly rising, the government was forced to regulate the control of monopolies in the market.

Prior to the American Era of Industrialization, the American Civil War had just taken place that gave the Northern Economy war profits that were eventually invested into industrialization. However, the Age of Industry, in the United States, was extremely harmful to the nation, due to the fact that the idea of Social Darwinism arose, there was corruption within the government, and monopolies began arising which had a negative effect on the the economy and the working class. Monopolies, in the industrial period, had a negative impact across the nation due to the fact that monopolies made life difficult for the arising middle class, economically speaking. Document 1 illustrates perfectly how monopolies made life difficult for the working class

Although there was successions of the Reconstruction, there was failures that happened through it. For example, the Black Codes. The Black Codes basically shortened African American civil rights. This code gave cruel punishments on African Americans that passed their labor contracts. As a result, a slave would would be working for less then the average wages. Also, the Black Codes prevented African Americans from owning property, marrying, and from suing in court. Another failure through the Reconstruction was the Share cropping system. This system was intended to give credit to many people effected by the Civil War by making them work with cotton from the planting process to through its sale. In the end, the merchants that gave them food and supplies received money from its final sale. Unfortunately at times there was not enough money making the workers start the next year in debt causing an end less cycle.

The era of Reconstruction was supposed to be a positive turning point for the United States. The North and the Confederacy was fighting to see who was gone represented the South. After the North beat the South there were a lot of hopes of the nation moving forward together, The south didn’t agree with the plan and wasn’t corporative. These Documents shows the struggles and views for the North and South, American Horizons; Louis Hughes, "Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom," 1897: Letter to Colonization Society 1880: The Social Principle among a People, Reconstruction, 1875; and Equal Suffrage 1865. During, the Reconstruction era there was a failed attempt to bring the Nation together; there were some positive came from the Reconstruction and also some negative.

     In the years that followed Reconstruction many issues came up including whether laissez-faire was the correct system to follow. Because of problems like that remained unsettled for some time industrial leaders began to pop

As the American Civil War came to a close, the United States started to revamp the country, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era. Throughout this Period of time (1865-1877), the authorities attempted to fix America politically, economically, and physically. The United States unfortunately faced struggles, when people were evidently unable to adapt themselves to the era. As a result of bringing an attempt to come back from the defeat, the result was insufficient. This clearly shows that the Reconstruction Era was certainly not a success because the changes created by the government failed to make positive changes to society.

During the Progressive era from 1900-1920 , the reformers and the federal government was making reforms on the national level. The Progressive Era was bursting with ideas to make life better in the industrial age by making changes to political and social through the government.Most of the Progressives had the ideology of limiting big business, improving social justice, and improving democracy for the people. They only made limited change with child labor and trust-busting.Some limitations prohibited leaders from implementing their actions right away, but their success was the ultimate result. This was fueled by investigative reporters who were called muckrakers. This era was named the Gilded Age, which means there was bad under the appearance of something good.

Adam smith explained that monopoly charges any price that it chooses, and that it robs consumers and makes the countries less efficient and poorer. He also explained that competition means that businesses try to charge the lowest price possible, so that consumers could get the maximum value for money and that if they can buy more, jobs in the economy will be more supported and then the country will grow even more richer than it already is. Adam Smith also explained that without the police stopping competition, monopolies couldn’t survive for very long.

2. What are the differences among horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate mergers? Provide real-world examples of each type of merger. What policy do you think the US should follow toward mergers? Why?