Gilded Age Flashcards
How could the gilded age be best described? Mark Twain’s coined term works best.
“Glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath”
The gilded age was a period of 7 things. What were they?
- ) greed, scandal and corruption in (government/industry)
- ) unprecedented economic growth/exploded
- ) modern industrial economy
- ) moved from an agrarian (rural) society
- ) USA becomes an emerging world power,
- ) mass immigration
- ) unequal distribution of wealth
This was the closest the USA has ever been to a _______
Aristocracy of the elite
Less than one percent of the population (_____ families) owned how much of the wealth?
4000 families owned 50% of the wealth.
Immigrants. Why did they come?
- ) escape religious persecution
2. ) escape poverty
America was the land of ____________.
Was considered to be the _______ door.
Opportunity
Golden
(Rags to riches)
Describe the journey to America
*steamboats
2 weeks from Europe
2 months from Asia
The steerage class (3rd) - lowest decks cost $30.
What does the Statue of Liberty represent?
Opportunity and freedom?
Ellis Island
Angel island
Locations?
Describe the immigration centers
NYC Angle island (San fransisco) for the Asians
Immigration centers the people had to pass through
Describe the procession for Ellis island
.
- ) physical examination
- ) record names/questioning
- ) documents checked (passports, etc. ) and legal requirements checked
Where to live and find a job after immigrating?
Most settled I;the cities, why? Jobs
Communities known as “ethnic islands” (same ethnic group) why?
Most were unskilled and common laborers who worked in the factories
Sweatshops (dark, crowded, and unsafe factories in the clothing industry)
What is the melting pot theory?
To give up culture and Blend in. The people were expected to do this.
Describe the old immigrants
Came from Great Britain and Northern Europe - Protestant.
WASPS. White Anglo saxons Protestants
Describe the new immigrants.
Why were they not welcomed at first?
Southern Europe / Asia
Were not welcomed at first , why? 1.) they didn’t fit in (look, dress or speak the same) 2.)job competition 3.) religious differences 4.) ethic differences 5.) racial differences.
What happened as a result of the anti immigrant backlash
Immigration restriction league began and their number one goal was to limit, restrict, and stop immigration.
This turned in to a movement called nativism. This was an anti immigrant movement that swept through America.
Describe nativism
Anti immigrant movement that swept through America
Nativism became so popular what happened?
The American party (dubbed know nothings) political parathyroid was formed designed to restrict and stop immigration.
What are the know nothings?
The American party
What are NINA signs?
No Irish need apply!
Didnt want Irish (Catholics) to apply.
Describe the Chinese exclusion act
Stopped Chinese immigration for thirty years!!!!
Describe the gentlemen’s agreement
Limited the number of Japanese immigrants to America.
What was the immigration act of 1917
Required immigrants to be able to read or write before they could enter the country
Immigrant contributions:
- ) provided workers for the industrialization of American
- ) enriched America with unique customs, culture, language, and literature.
- ) creative entrepreneurial talents (business)
Describe the urbanizTion of America
Movement of people from the rural country to the urban/city
2/3 of immigrants moves into the cities - WHY? JOBS
Urban (city)problems
- ) housing
* working class poor “have nots” lived in dumbbell tenements. (Multi family dwellings) - overcrowded and unsanitary
- middle class - row houses
- rich - huge home (30+ rooms)
“Haves” extreme wealth.
2.) transportation
Mass transit (designed to move large groups of people) Street cars (horse drawn, cable, electric) Subways - 1st in Boston
3.) water (drinking)
Rivers, lakes, pipes,
Indoor plumbing was rare!
4.) sanitation
Street sweepers (trash, manure, etc.)
Cholera. Typhoid was very common - in the summers!
1st sewer lines by 1900 and sanitation dept.
5.) crime
Pick pockets and thieves
NYC first police force
6”) fire
Wooden building stacked in top of each other,
Limited water
Candles and kerosine lanterns
FIRE
Cincinnati o.h. Had the first fire dept.
- ) factory working conditions
* twelve hour days with low pay. Dangerous conditions and child labor.
Describe the government politics and corruption
Plolitical machine (how it worked)
Graft
Most infamous political machine
Political machines were an orginizaed group that controlled the activities of a political party in the city by providing services to people and businesses in exchange for votes
Graft (illegal use of political influence for personal gain - MONEY)
How political machines worked: immigrants stepped off the boat and the machine would get them a job, and a place to stay in exchange for political support.
Most famous political machine was Tammy hall in NYC. Was called the “tweed ring” was run by William tweed and became a very wealthy man. Pretty much ran New York.
William tweed
Ran the tweed ring. Tammy hall
How was the us Congress and the White House?
It was mostly corrupt, controlled by big business
Name the six presidents during this period
Ulysses s. Grant. Rutherford b Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Most were corrupt!
Who was Thomas Nast
He was a journalist. He drew cartoons to expose corruption of the bosses and robber barons.
ECONOMIC GROWTH WAS FUELED BY WHAT??
Describe the modern industrial economy (3things)
1.) wealth from the war
Modern machines
Unlimited workforce. (Immigrants)
Railroads were the “linchpin” (connected America) made America go!
Railroads were the what
Linchpin” connected America and made the whole revolution possible. Made America go!
Who were the robber barons?
Rich businessmen who created industrial “monopolies” (single seller controls all)
Who was Cornelius Vanderbilt?
Had a monopoly of railroads. He was worth 100 million of today’s money
Who was Andrew Carnegie
Had a monopoly over steel. Worth 7.5 billion billion in today’s money
Who was J.P. Morgan.
Monopoly over banking and finance. Worth 41 billion
Who was Henry Ford
Had a monopoly over the automobile market. Worth 200 billion
Who was John D. Rockefeller **
Monopoly over oil. He’s worth 340 billion
Who is Jeff bezos
What about the have nots? Industrial workers, “working class”
Average salary 1.50 per day or 500 per year, today worth 6,000
Robber barons made all the profit.
Toward the end of the gilded age was the *progressive era. Was a period of reform.
..
Who was Jacob riis
Men like him. A social reformer journalist and photographer that showed how the other half lived.
What were muckrakers
They exposed the evils of society.
Reforms and change in society in progressive era.
1.) helping the poor, “have nots”
2.) improve working conditions
3.) women suffer age (right to vote)
4.) alchohol, reform (forbade the sale and consumption of alcohol)
5.) education reform - Horace Mann
6.) child labor - outlawed
7.) government corruption
8,) ended business monopolies
Who formed the social gospel movement and what was it
Washington gladden formed it. It preached salvation through service to the poor. (Jesus Christ.)
What were settlement houses
Community centers that provided services to the poor
Example of them was the ymca
What were unions.
Organized to protect workers rights, (better wages, hours, safer working conditions, child labor laws. )
Strike - stoppage of work (only weapons) to combat the robber barons.
What were suffragettes?
Women who fought for the right to vote.
Give some examples of suffragettes
Susan b. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth ton, Alice Paul
When did women get the right to vote?
1920
Show as Horace Mann
He was the father of modern public education
