Political, Economic, and Social Change 1
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Mark Twain Why a Gilded Age? From a satirical novel written with Charles D. Warner, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today 1873. Meaning the prosperity and culture that is seen is only on the surface major problems lurk beneath the surface. Golden cow paddy
Politics In the Gilded Age 4
Series of weak presidents Party bosses ruled. Presidents should avoid offending any factions within their own party. Few significant issues separated the major political parties After the Civil War Lifeblood of both parties was PATRONAGE(or the spoils system ) disbursing jobs by the bucketful in return for VOTES! 5
Boss Tweed NYC Party Boss over Democratic political machine of Tammany Hall Cartoonist Thomas Nast will take down Tweed. Along the way, he will create the party symbols and modern version of Santa! 6
Two-party stalemate 1869-1877 Ulysses S. Grant 1877-1881 Rutherford B. Hayes 1881 James A. Garfield 1881-1885 Chester Alan Arthur 1885-1889 Grover Cleveland * 1889-1893 Benjamin Harrison 1893-1897 Grover Cleveland * 1897-1901 William McKinley *Democrat
Election of a President 8
Civil Service Reform Civil Service- refers to government jobs other than legislative, executive, or judiciary Two Republican groups differed over civil service reform. Half-breeds (for reform) Supported by Garfield Stalwarts (against) Senator Roscoe Conkling (Stalwart) A disappointed and mentally deranged office seeker, Charles J. Guiteau, shot President Garfield in the back at a Washington railroad station. 9
Assassination of a President Charles Guiteau: I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!
Activity Read excerpts from the Pendleton Act to determine changes brought by the legislation. 11
Pendleton Act (1883) Garfield's assassination spurs its passage the Magna Carta of civil-service reform which called examinations for potential office seekers, outlined appropriate behavior, and created a Civil Service Commission. 12
Economics In the Gilded Age 13
Industrialization
Industrialization New inventions helped the growth of industry, including the Bessemer process, electric bulb, telegraph, and telephone. For example, better steel created by the Bessemer process led to big business as demand for steel increased construction, for example, railroads and skyscrapers. Other inventions allowed factories to produce more faster. Rapid immigration provided more factory workers.
Growth of Railroads Technology and industry enabled the growth of railroads. Industry used railroads for shipping products. Railroads were needed because of increased demand with settlement and economic development of the west. Meeting of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific at Promontory Point in southern Utah in 1869
Rise of Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise Adam Smith Herbert Spencer
Rise of Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise Entrepreneur- someone who organizes, manages, and takes on the risks of a business. Many new businesses sprung up in the U.S. including many begun by immigrants using their trade skills. Free enterprise-business can operate with little government influence. laissez-faire The U.S. promoted this idea during the Gilded Age.
What do you see in the political cartoon?
Big Business Industrialists reduced competition through monopolies and trusts. Monopoly-control of one group over service or product Trust-companies come together and agree to control aspects of a business They used vertical and horizontal integration to control industries. Vertical-group controls many parts of the supply chain Horizontal-groups monopolizes a portion of an industry
Important Industrialists Andrew Carnegie-steel John D. Rockefelleroil J.P. Morgan-banking/finance Cornelius Vanderbiltrailroads
Captains of Industry vs. Robber Barons Some people viewed them as great assets to the growth of American industry Others saw them as ruthless men only interested in their profit Either way the gap between rich and poor widened as industry grew
How rich were the robber barons compared to Microsoft founder Bill Gates? 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 $ billions $ Rockefeller Carnegie Vanderbilt Bill Gates Jay Gould JP Morgan James H. Hill
Labor Conditions Labor leaders criticized companies for reducing competition, paying low wages, and unsafe working conditions child labor
Growth of Unions Factory workers formed and joined labor unions to engage in collective bargaining. Knights of Labor-formed in 1869, Terrence Powderly led national union of skilled and unskilled workers American Federation of Labor (AFL)-formed in 1881, founded by Samuel Gompers and included a series of different unions of skilled workers In opposition to business practices, many workers went on strike during the 1880 s. In the late 19 th century, government favored business and opposed unions.
Haymarket Square Clash between police and a mob of labor activists and anarchists on May 4, 1886, in Chicago s Haymarket Square.
Farmers React to Big Business Farmers problems in the late 19 th century leads to a call for change. Farmers tried to keep big businesses from fixing prices and further hurting their profits. Populism By 1890, farmers react to McKinley Tariff which hurt farmers who sold their harvests on unprotected markets but were forced to buy expensive manufactured goods Many farmers wanted government control of transportation and communication to protect farm industry. Other concerns-8 hour workday, free silver, graduated income tax, direct election of senators
Early Legislation Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Prohibited unfair railroad practices and created the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce the act. First time that Congress stepped in to regulate business in America. Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890): Aimed was to break up large monopolies and trusts designed to restrain trade. Initially not successful because it was vague and lacked any means of enforcement. Clayton Act (1913) passed to strengthen the Sherman Act.
Social Issues In the Gilded Age 31
NEW INVENTIONS MADE RAPID URBAN GROWTH POSSIBLE
CITIES NEAR NATURAL RESOURCES GREW THE FASTEST. REQUIRED MORE LABOR, ATTRACTING MANY IMMIGRANTS
Immigration Changes Northern and Western Europe Eastern and Southern Europe 1800-1880s AFTER 1880s NEW IMMIGRATION, MILLIONS ARRIVED, CATHOLICS AND JEWS FROM EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE
COMING TO AMERICA WHY? WHAT WERE THE PUSH/PULL FACTORS
Nativism PAPER READS: MAFIA IN NEW ORLEANS, ANARCHISTS IN CHICAGO, SOCIALISTS IN NEW YORK
REACTIONS TO INCREASED IMMIGRATION AMERICAN PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION ANTI-CATHOLIC GROUP THAT HAD OVER A MILLION MEMBERS BY 1894. Idea of protecting the interests of native-born people against those of immigrants. INCREASED IMMIGRATION It was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States NATIVISM CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT
CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT OF 1882 The act barred Chinese immigration for 10 years Prevented the Chinese in the U.S. from becoming citizens. *It was not repealed until 1943.
Problems of Urban Growth Tenements-poor housing Sanitation and disease Low wages Child Labor Immigrant challenges Isolated, scared Unable to speak language Used by politicians
Women s Rights Women were working for greater rights, More women working but often for low wages and sometimes poor conditions Triangle Shirtwaist factory for example Especially suffrage (the right to vote) Notable people, pioneers in women's suffrage, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1948 Seneca Falls Convention
Rights of African- Americans The majority were poor and lived for the most part in the southern states. They worked as tenant farmers. Jim Crow Laws-were enacted in many Southern areas to promote segregation of Blacks from Whites Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)-court case that established separate but equal Blacks had little political control. Faced the brutality of mob violence and lynching, Ku Klux Klan. Notable people: Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells