Carl Degler Out of Our Past

Machines, Men, and Socialism

Section I

  1. What is the thesis for section 1? What evidence does he muster to support his analysis?
  2. How did demography and geography affect the industrial growth of the United States?
  3. What does Degler mean by “there was a quid pro quo (262)” in the relationship between the railroad and US government?
  4. Through the “part government played in the powerful thrust of industry after 1860 cannot be accurately measured…there was also something more subtle (263).” What is Degler’s implication about the government’s role?
  5. Why does Degler point out the “American’s machinemindedness?” What does he mean by machinemindedness and its results?
  6. On 266, Degler discusses the conditions for the capitalizat0on during the pre-WWI period. Pay attention to this analysis.
  7. What does Degler add to the “missing ingredients” that contributed to American growth?
  8. Consider the social origins and personality of entrepreneurs. What do you think about Degler’s analysis here?
  9. Consider the last two paragraphs in Section 1. What do you think?

Section II

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?

Section III

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?
  2. Why did corporate consolidation matter?
  3. Why was investment banking an important development?
  4. What was the response of the “American people (274)” to concentration of industry? Why is it significant the Degler uses the phrase “American people?”

Section IV

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?
  2. How did cotton manufacturing influence the southern economy? The family?

Section V

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?
  2. In what way, according to Degler, was the “rags to respectability” possible in the US?

Section VI

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?
  2. What is the “modern shape” of labor unions?
  3. How does Degler defend the somewhat counterintuitive notion that labor unions are conservative in nature? (Consider the many offers of evidence throughout the chapter).
  4. Consider Degler’s analysis of the freeing of factors that birthed modern capitalism.
  5. How did labor union’s self-perception object to the radical character of capitalist ideology?
  6. What separated successful trade unionism from socialism in the US?

Section VI

  1. What is the thesis of this section? What evidence does he provide to support his analysis?
  2. Why did socialism not gain widespread support in the United States? Why was there a “relative weakness of class consciousness among Americans (292)?”
  3. What influence did social structure and political history influence the failure of socialism in the United States?
  4. How did the “success of capitalism” result in the failure of socialism?