At the same time, the nation experienced corruption in business and government, and workers, farmers, immigrants, African-Americans, Americans, women, and children struggled to get by. The Gilded Age The Rise of Big Business How did the forces of expansion and reform impact South Carolina at the turn of the century? CHAPTER 7 Expansion and Reform The railroads help expand other industries and fueled industrial growth. Effects included: Entrepreneurs Inventions and innovations A large pool of labor How did the Second Industrial Revolution affect South Carolina? The Gilded Age The Gilded Age: A time period from the late 1860s to the early 1900s characterized by tremendous industrial growth and increasing wealth as well as explosive population growth. The Rise of Big Business Entrepreneurs (businessmen willing to take risks by investing in and managing new businesses) helped fuel industrial growth. Wealthy industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were entrepreneurs in their industries. Both men created monopolies in their industries. John D. Rockefeller Andrew Carnegie 1
A Large Pool of Labor For industry to grow, many workers were needed. Immigrants from other nations helped fill the need. Between 1800 and 1860, six million immigrants came to America. 25 million more immigrated to the US between 1865 and 1915. Growth of Labor Unions Labor unions represented specific trades such as bricklayers, typesetters, and shoemakers. The National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor were two of the first. New machines allowed unskilled labor to make products in large quantities. Immigrants, blacks, and poor whites usually made up the unskilled labor in factories. Working conditions were dangerous. Oftentimes, young children and women worked in factories too. Working Conditions Samuel Gompers and the AFL The American Federation of Labor sought better wages, hours, and working conditions. Samuel Gompers, its leader, wanted a workplace where all workers belonged to the union. Strikes and boycotts became the AFL s chief weapons. Labor Unions A labor union is an organized group of workers who negotiate with employers for better wages, work hours, job benefits, and safety. Many unions would lead workers on a strike, where they refused to work until the company met their demands. The New South Southern states began to diversify (to make or offer a greater variety) their economies. Entrepreneurs helped diversify the southern economy Railroads played a role in creating a New South The textile industry saw significant growth in the South 2
2/10/2016 The Textile Boom in South Carolina New Industries in the South Cottonseed oil became an important ingredient in margarine, salad oil, and shortening. Disenfranchising African Americans Bourbon Democrats passed new laws to prevent blacks from voting. One law redrew the boundaries of voting districts and decreased the number of polling places, especially in counties with a black majority. Then, the legislature passed the Eight Box Law. Law. Bourbons took other actions to disenfranchise black voters. The textile industry became the symbol of the New South by the early 1900s. The textile industry had a huge effect on South Carolina. Southern mills were different from those in the North. Phosphate deposits discovered in the lowcountry along major rivers led to South Carolina becoming the leading producer of the mineral. The state s numerous trees encouraged growth of the lumber, paper, and turpentine industries. The National Political Stage While Democrats ruled in South Carolina and most other Southern states, Republicans ruled the White House and Congress. Government on all levels was marred by corruption, much of which would be addressed by a reform movement in the early 1900s. Politics in the Gilded Age Gov. Wade Hampton III and his followers called themselves Bourbons, Bourbons, a name inspired by the French Royal family that had regained power following the French Revolution. The Bourbons were conservative Democrats who wanted to restore South Carolina to its old glory. Gov. Hampton upset some of his closest allies. How was South Carolina affected by the rise of the Populist Party? The Tillman Era 3
Although technology and new machinery had improved farming and made farms more productive, farmers struggled in the late 1800s. Unhappy Farmers Overproduction Increased Debt & Bankruptcy Low Prices Crop Surplus (too much supply) Foreign competition Low Demand The Farmers Alliance Replaced the Grange Active in politics Wanted gov t to have more control of railroads Wanted banks to lower interest rates In SC, there were separate Alliances for black farmers and white farmers This 1904 photo shows one of the few rice plantations to survive the hurricanes that struck the lowcounty in the late 1800s. How could the weather severely impact a farmer or sharecropper s livelihood? The Populist,, or People s, Party wanted: Government control of the railroad, telegraph, telephone, and bank industries Increase in the money supply An income tax A reduction in the tariff Direct election of senators A subtreasury system An 8-hour workday for factory workers Farmers Organize A New National Party Ben Tillman with his pitchfork The caption reads: In battle array, and and there s not much doubt about the result. The Grange (Basically a Farmer s Union) Founded in 1867 Major goal: help farmers improve their lives Work together to sell crops & improve agricultural education Farmers Address Economic Troubles Farmers Organize Presidential Elections Many South Carolina farmers did not support the Populists. The Populist Party faded after the election of William McKinley in 1896. Many of their reforms would be taken up by a new movement. 4
The Rise of The Pitchfork Ben Tillman Ben Tillman was a farmer who wanted South Carolina to prosper. He blamed Bourbon Democrats for many of the state s problems, particularly the problems of farmers. Tillman and his followers were Democrats known as The Reformers. Tillman s Accomplishments Improved education across the state. Helped establish Clemson Agricultural & Mechanical College. Supported creation of the Winthrop Training School for women. It is now known as Winthrop College in Rock Hill. Supported railroad regulations. Limited work hours for textile operatives. Refinanced the state s debt. Cut costs by decreasing state salaries. Tillman wanted farmers to learn more about agriculture and the scientific aspects of the trade. He thought the only way to really make a difference for the farmers and economy was to run for governor. Tillman as Governor The Dispensary Governor Tillman created the Dispensary as a response to the South Carolina attempting to ban the sale of liquor because of the temerance movement. The Dispensary enabled the state to control all of liquor sales and put saloons and drugstores out of business. South Carolinians opposed prohibition and the corruption of the Dispensary which ultimately led to its downfall. Tillman Becomes Governor Tillman had a landslide victory in the 1890 governor s race. Additionally, his supporters, called Tillmanites Tillmanites, won control of the General Assembly. Rather than pursue promised reforms, Tillman and his followers focused on punishing their enemies Bourbon Democrats and African Americans. Tillman Becomes a US Senator After serving two terms, Tillman turned his attention to the US Senate. Using his political connections, Tillman persuaded the General Assembly to vote Wade Hampton out as Senator. Tillman was nominated and elected soon after. After Tillman became a US Senator, he used his influence to restore white supremacy in South Carolina by rewriting the state constitution. 5
South Carolina s 1895 Constitution Tillman and 160 county representatives met in Columbia for a constitutional convention. Tillman s main goal was to strip African Americans of any remaining political power they had gained during Reconstruction. The caption for this 1913 cartoon reads: For the Sunny South. An airship with a Jim Crow trailer. Jim Crow laws required black citizens to ride in separate railcars, use separate restrooms, drink from separate water fountains, and more. The 1890s saw unprecedented violence against African Americans, especially lynching. The Constitution of 1895 Restoring White Supremacy Strict voting requirements New residency requirements Payment of poll taxes six months prior to an election Literacy test Voting rights denied to anyone found guilty of certain crimes, excluding murder Women were allowed to own property and sign contracts, but couldn t vote and were prohibited from seeking divorce. In 1895, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation was okay in public places as long as they were separate but equal. The ruling paved the way for more segregation laws, more commonly called Jim Crow laws, throughout the South. The Constitution of 1895 The Rise of Jim Crow 6