The Late Nineteenth Century Essay

Submitted By AndreGray62

Words: 347

Pages: 2

Open Document

In the late nineteenth century, private detective James McParland attracted fame and controversy. Gifted and ambitious, McParland rose quickly through the ranks of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, then the premier agency of its kind. In the 1870s, he infiltrated, spied upon, and ultimately helped to convict Irish-American miners in Pennsylvania. The execution of twenty men implicated in terrorism by McParland led to both his praise and vilification. Leaders of industry saw him as a hero; trade leaders saw him as management's weapon against unions. His story casts light upon the methods and political uses of for-hire detectives during the infancy of U.S. policing.
In 1876 and 1877 McParland was the star witness for the prosecution of John Kehoe and the Molly Maguires. Twenty members were found guilty of murder and were executed. This included Kehoe, a former union leader who was convicted of a murder that had taken place fourteen years previously.
There was a great deal of controversy about about the way the trial was conducted. Irish Catholics were excluded from the juries while Protestant immigrants from Germany who could not speak English were accepted. Welsh immigrants, who had for a long-time been in conflict with the Irish in Schuylkill County.
Most of the witnesses who provided evidence in these cases were like McParland on the payroll of the railroad and mining companies who were attempting to destroy the trade union movement. In other cases, defendants were

Essay on Late Nineteenth Century

Rigdon French Literature Rédaction 1 Madame Kirkland Le 3 octobre 2014 19th century writers were traditionally writers of the romantic movement that began in Europe and spread to the rest of the world during the 19th century. Romantic writings were characterized by reliance on the imagination and subjectivity of approach, freedom of thought and expression, and an idealization of nature. During the late 19th century, a new type of writing style became more popular: realism, which was writing pertaining…

Words 545 - Pages 3

History: Industrial Revolution and Late Nineteenth Century Essay

During the second half of the nineteenth century, the United States experienced an urban revolution unparalleled in world history up to that point in time. As factories, mines, and mills sprouted out across the map, cities grew up around them. The late nineteenth century, declared an economist in 1889, was “not only the age of cities, but the age of great cities.” Between 1860 and 1910, the urban population grew from 6 million to 44 million. The United States was rapidly losing its rural society…

Words 433 - Pages 2

Essay on The Social Inequality in the U.S. during the Late Nineteenth Century

Marc Moxey Thematic Essay 12/9/14 Social Studies The last years of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth saw change in many aspects of American life. Cities were growing, skyscrapers were built, and millions of immigrants were moving into the country. Life in these cities could be difficult; many Americans worked long days in factories or coal mines or on the railroad. While captains of industry like Carnegie and Rockefeller earned hundreds of millions of…

Words 1169 - Pages 5

Essay on The Discontent of the Farming Population of the U.S. in the Late Nineteenth Century

During the last thirty years of the nineteenth century, the United States’ large farmer population was growing increasingly discontent with the state of political affairs. Deflation, debts, mortgage foreclosures, high tariffs, and unfair railroad freight rates contributed to the farmers’ unrest and desire for political reform. Farmers sought immediate and radical change through political means. The establishment of the Farmer’s Alliance and the Populist Party had drastic repercussions in national…

Words 1476 - Pages 6

Essay on To What Extent Was Late Nineteenth-Century and Early Twentieth-Century United States Expansionism a Continuation of Past United States Expansionism and to What Extent Was It a Departure?

APUSH To what extent was late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century United States expansionism a continuation of past United States expansionism and to what extent was it a departure? Throughout the history of the United States, America had a desire to expand its boundaries. The United States acquired most of it's land during the nineteenth and early twentieth century with a brief break during the Civil War and Reconstruction. However, the way America went about graining new lands…

Words 1200 - Pages 5

Imperialism: Empire of Japan and Nineteenth Century Essay

Matt Sullivan Mrs.Riggio During the long nineteenth century a number of nations were trying to find their identities and industrialize, in the midst of it all was Japan. Throughout this time period Japan changed through westernization and imperialism but also continued to practice and keep the Japanese culture intact mainly with religion. Japan prior to the nineteenth century had a policy of isolationism and lacked technology and a strong military. With the impact of outside nations…

Words 378 - Pages 2

Daniel R Headrick New Imperialism Analysis

Although one can argue that much of history can be seen in a more nuanced light with the passage of time, late nineteenth-century imperialism seems like a notable exception; the aggressors involved were acutely aware of their actions and exercised them with careful, meticulous intent. Therefore, one may conclude that the events that transpired over the latter half of the nineteenth century were not, in fact, a perfect storm, but rather a calculated orchestration of strategic maneuvers. By examining…

Words 1398 - Pages 6

Working Class Dbq

working class in the late nineteenth century early twentieth century was physically and mentally brutal. With extremely low wages and hardly any chance of improving their pay, financial security was nonexistent for the working class. They also had to deal with horrible working conditions that lead to poor health and sickness. To make matters worse, there was high risks of being injured or even killed on the job and money for recovery came out of their own pocket. As a nineteenth century working class citizen…

Words 735 - Pages 3

American Imperialism 19th Century

American imperialism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries can be seen as both a continuation and a departure from past United States foreign policy. While the United States had a history of expansionism and territorial acquisition, the nature and scale of American imperialism during this period represented a significant departure from past policies. One way in which American imperialism can be seen as a continuation of past foreign policy is in the United States' desire for territorial…

Words 312 - Pages 2

Chinese Immigration Essay

Hist157- 0204 Chinese Immigration I disagree with the statement that compared to other immigrant groups, Chinese immigrants found the legal and social conditions of the late nineteenth century in the United States favorable to their success. However, the economic conditions of the late nineteenth century in the United States were highly favorable to their success. Chinese peasants left their villages to become laborers in the American West. The first wave of Chinese migrants was skilled workers…

Words 714 - Pages 3