The Goose-Step (book) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Upton Sinclair |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Sociology |
| Publisher | Self (Pasadena, California) |
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Publication date
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1923 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover first edition, softcover second edition) Reprinted 2004 by Kessinger Publishing in paperback |
| Preceded by | The Brass Check |
| Followed by | The Goslings |
The Goose-step: A Study of American Education is a book written in 1923 by Upton Sinclair. He was an American writer and a "muckraking" journalist. Muckrakers were reporters who investigated and exposed problems in society.
In this book, Sinclair looked into how rich and powerful people controlled American colleges and universities. He believed that the education system was not helping everyone. Instead, he thought it mainly served the interests of wealthy business owners. Sinclair wrote that the system's goal was "merely to keep America capitalist."
This book is part of a series of six books Sinclair called the "Dead Hand" series. These books explored different American institutions. The series included books about religion, journalism, and art. Sinclair used the name "Dead Hand" to show how greed and old ways of thinking held back society. This was different from the idea of an "Invisible Hand" in economics. That idea suggests that markets guide themselves for the good of all.
Contents
Why Was This Book Written?
The Goose-step came out in 1923, after World War I. This was a time when many people in the United States were very interested in politics. There was a period called the "Red Scare." During this time, people were worried about new ideas like Socialism and Communism. These ideas were popular after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Some people supported populist ideas, which focused on the common person. Others were interested in Anarchism. At the same time, there was a strong feeling against Germany after the war. This led to strong feelings against ideas seen as "foreign," like Socialism. The government even took action against people suspected of being radicals.
Around this time, other writers also started looking closely at higher education. Sinclair spent a year traveling across the country for his book. He talked to over a thousand people. He also used original documents like letters and student newspapers.
Sinclair himself had studied at Columbia University in New York City. The longest part of his book criticizes Columbia and its president, Nicholas Murray Butler. Sinclair had planned to write about elementary and high schools too. But his book became too long, so he saved that material for another book called The Goslings.
What Does "The Goose-step" Mean?
When the book was published, people knew what the title The Goose-step meant. It referred to the strict, marching style of the German military. Germany had recently been defeated in World War I.
By using this title, Sinclair suggested that American universities were training students to think in a very similar, controlled way. He pointed out that many major university presidents had studied in Germany. These included leaders from Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, and Yale. Sinclair wrote that these leaders "learned the Goose-step under the Kaiser!"
How Was Education Controlled?
Sinclair explained how financial groups controlled higher education. He used information from a 1913 report by the Pujo Committee. This report talked about "interlocking directorates." This meant that a few big banks in New York controlled many major companies. Their directors sat on the boards of these companies. They gave orders because they controlled "credit," which is like the money flow for businesses.
Sinclair showed that these same powerful people were also on the boards of trustees for American universities. Trustees are people who manage an organization. A study found that rich people made up most of these boards. In contrast, there were very few farmers or workers, and no professors from the schools themselves.
Sinclair described how these powerful groups influenced each university. Bankers and local business leaders often ran the boards. They made sure that school policies helped their own interests.
This influence happened in many ways:
- University presidents served the board's interests, not always the students'.
- People who were not qualified but had conservative political views were hired.
- University money was invested in favored banks at low interest rates.
- Schools bought land from people connected to their administration.
- The administration stopped students from expressing radical ideas. They also banned speeches by Socialists like Sinclair.
- Even state universities, funded by the public, taught students to serve the rich.
A big concern for Sinclair was that professors could not speak freely. They feared losing their jobs if they criticized the way things were. The boards of trustees, through the university presidents, stopped any criticism. Many professors were fired or not promoted because of their political views. Sinclair said this happened at private, church-sponsored, and state schools.
He quoted a professor who said: "We are good cows; we stand quietly in our stanchions, and give down our milk at regular hours. We are free, because we have no desire to do anything but what we are told we ought to do. And we die of premature senility." This meant professors felt they had to follow orders and couldn't truly think for themselves.
Other parts of the book discussed how important it was to keep wealthy donors happy. It also looked at how groups like the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching influenced education. One chapter, "The Academic Pogrom," talked about efforts to reduce the number of Jewish students applying to some schools. The final chapters supported education for workers and labor colleges.
Sinclair suggested some changes. He wanted more professors to join unions like the American Association of University Professors. He also wanted college students to experience real life. He thought they should visit jails or work in factories. Or, prisoners and labor leaders could speak at their schools.
What Did People Think of the Book?
Critics generally liked The Goose-step. They praised Sinclair for gathering so much information into an interesting book. They called it "muckraking at its best" and an "honest effort to find out the truth." They rarely found factual mistakes.
However, some critics felt Sinclair's explanations were too simple. They argued that rich people were not the only cause of problems in higher education. For example, some thought that many cases of academic freedom being stopped were due to war excitement, not just control by the wealthy.
Universities Mentioned
Sinclair gave nicknames to many schools, showing where he believed the main financial influence came from.
- Columbia University: The University of the House of Morgan
- Harvard University: The University of Lee-Higginson
- University of Pennsylvania: The University of U.G.I. (United Gas Improvement Company)
- Princeton University: The Tiger’s Lair
- Yale University: The Bull-Dog’s Den
- University of California (Berkeley): The University of the Black Hand
- Stanford University
- Reed College (Portland, Or.), University of Oregon (Eugene, Or.): The University of the Lumber Trust
- University of Washington (Seattle): The University of the Chimes
- University of Montana (four schools): The Universities of the Anaconda
- University of Idaho (Moscow)
- University of Utah: The University of the Latter Day Saints
- University of Denver: The Mining Camp University
- Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines: The Colleges of the Smelter Trust
- North Dakota Agricultural College
- University of North Dakota-Grand Forks: The University of Wheat
- University of Minnesota: The University of the Ore Trust
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- University of Chicago: The University of Standard Oil
- Northwestern University: The University of Judge Gary
- University of Illinois (Urbana): The University of the Grand Duchess
- University of Michigan (Detroit): The University of Automobiles
- University of Pittsburgh: The University of the Steel Trust
- Syracuse University: The University of Heaven
- Clark University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Cornell University
- Brown University
- Wesleyan University
- New York University: The University of Jabbergrab
- City Colleges of New York (College of the City of New York: men; Hunter College: women)
- University of Southern California: Sinclair actually praised this university. He thought it was committed to free thinking. He was a big fan of their football team.
Sinclair also briefly mentioned: MIT, Cincinnati, Washington University, Temple, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Ohio State, Beloit, Marietta College, Rockford College, Williams College, Delaware, Bryn Mawr. Religious colleges: Wooster, Muskingum, Allegheny, Washburn, American University, Trinity, Baylor, SMU, Bethany, Emory and Henry, and Drew Theological Seminary (later Drew University).
He praised these institutions: Union Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School (Middletown CT), Oberlin, Iliff School of Theology (Denver), Y.M.C.A. College (Springfield, MA), Harvard Law, Amherst, Swarthmore, University of North Carolina, New School for Social Research
