Gilded Age Flashcards
Who created the term gilded age and what did it mean
• coined by Mark Twain - “glittering in the surface but corrupt underneath”
The gilded age was the period of what 7 things
- Greed, scandal, and corruption in (government and industry)
- Unprecedented economic growth and exploded
- Modern industrial economy
- Moved from an agrarian (rural) society to an industrial (urban) society
- USA becomes an emerging world power
- Mass immigration
- Unequal distribution of wealth - “Haves” and the “Have-nots”
This was the closest the United States ever came to an :
Less than ____ of the population owned ____ of the wealth
- closest the USA ever came to an aristocracy of the elite
* Less than 1% of the population (4,000 families) - owned 50% of the wealth!!!
Why did immigrants come?
- Escape religious persecution
2. Escape poverty
America was the land of:
America was the land of opportunity!!! (Rags to riches)
The Golden door was the promise of
Golden Door” The promise of a better life!
Journey to America
- means of transportation
- how long did it take from Europe
- how long did it take from Asia
- what’s steerage class
- where did most immigrants land?
- what were immigrants greeted by? And what did the symbol stand for?
steamboats - 2 weeks from Europe, 2 months from Asia
• Steerage class (3rd) - lowest decks - $30
• Most lands in either New York or San Francisco
• After 1886 they were welcomed by the statute of Liberty (represent opportunity and freedom)
Emma Lazarus
American poet
2 main immigration centers
- between 1870 and 1920 how many immigrants came to America
- how long did processing take and what were the three steps?
Ellis Island (NYC)
Angel Island (San Francisco)
• immigration centers the people has to pass through
• between 1870 and 1920 - about 20 million people came to America
• Processing - 3 steps - usually 1 day
1. Physical examination
2. Record names/questioning
3. Documents checked (passports, etc.) and legal requirements checked
Where to live? Find a job?
• most settled in the ______, why?
What are ethnic islands and why were they a thing
• most people were ______ _______ _____ who worked in the _______
• what are sweatshops
- most settled in the cities, why? JOBS
- Communities known as “ethnic islands” (same ethnic groups) - WHY?
- most people were unskilled common laborers who worked in the factories
- Sweatshops (dark, crowded, and unsafe) factories in the clothing industry
What’s the melting pot theory
• Who adjusted faster
- the melting pot theory (give up culture and blend in)
* Childrenadjusted faster
Who were old immigrants
Old Immigrants” - came from Great Britain and Northern Europe - Protestant
Wasps - White Anglo-Saxons Protestants
Who were the new immigrants and why were they not welcomed at first.
The “new immigrants” - Southern Europe/Asia - were not welcomed at first - why?
- They did not fit in (look, dress or speak the same)
- Job competition
- Religious differences
- Ethnic differences
- Racial differences
Immigration Restriction League - 1894
Wanted to restrict immigration
Nativism
Nativism was an ant-immigrant movement that swept through America.
The American party
The American Party (Know-nothings) - political party designed to restrict and stop immigration
NINA signs -
NINA signs - no irish need apply!
Chinese exclusion act
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
• stopped Chinese immigration for 30 years!
Gentlemen’s agreement
Gentlemen’s Agreement (1908)
• limited the number of Japanese immigrants to America
Immigration Act of 1917
• required them to be able to read or write before they could enter the country
Immigrant contributions
Immigrant Contributions
- Provided workers for the industrialization of America
- Enriched America with unique customs, culture, language, and literature
- Creative entrepreneurial talents (business)
Urbanization of America
Urbanization of America
• movement of people from the rural/country to the urban/city
• 2/3rds if immigrants moved into the cities - WHY? Jobs
Urban city problems
Urban (city) problems
1. Housing:
• Working class poor “Have Nots” Dumbbell Tenements (multi-family dwellings) - overcrowded and unsanitary
• Middle class- Row Houses
• Rich - Huge homes (30+ rooms) “Haves” extreme wealth
2. Transportation:
• mass transit (designed to move large groups of people)
• Streetcars (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 very common - summers
• 1st sewer lines by 1900/Sanitation dept.
5. Crime:
• pick pockets and thieves
• NYC 1st police force
6. Fire:
• wooden building stacked on top of each other
• Limited water
• Candles and kerosene lanterns - fire!
• Cincinnati oh - 1st fire dept.
7. Factory working conditions:
• 12 hour day, low pay ($1 per day), dangerous conditions and child labor.
Government/politics corruption
• political machines -
• Graft (illegal use of political influence for personal gain -
• How it worked:
Government/politics corruption
• political machines - an organized 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 it worked: immigrants stepped off the bait and the machine would get them a job, and a place to stay in exchange for political support (votes)
Most infamous political machine was ___________ in NYC - “Tweed Ring” - run by William tweed (Boss Tweed
Most infamous political machine was Tammany Hall in NYC - “Tweed Ring” - run by William tweed (Boss Twe
The _____ ______ and the ________ ______ was mostly corrupt! - controlled by big business’
The US Congress and the White House was mostly corrupt! - controlled by big business’
6 presidents during that period
- Ulysses S. Grant - only one that wasn’t corrupt during his presidency
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- James Garfield
- Chester Arthur
- Grover Cleveland
- And Benjamin Harrison
• most were corrupt
Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast - journalist - drew cartoons to expose corruption of the Bosses and Robber Barons
Modern industrial economy:
• economic growth was fueled by what 3 things
Modern industrial economy: • economic growth was fueled by 3 things 1. Wealth from the war 2. Modern machinery 3. Unlimited workforce (immigrants)
Railroads were the “_______” (connected America) made it go!
Railroads were the “Linchpin” (connected America) made it go!
Who were big businesses controlled by
What we’re monopolies
Big Business” controlled by the “Robber Barons” (rich businessmen) who created industrial “monopolies” (single seller/controls all)
- Cornelius Vanderbilt -
- Cornelius Vanderbilt - railroads- worth $100 million - todays money!
- Andrew Carnegie -
- Andrew Carnegie - steel - worth $7.5 billion in today’s money
- JP Morgan -
- JP Morgan - banking/finance - worth $41 billion
- Henry Ford -
- Henry Ford - automobile - worth $200 billion
- John D. Rockefeller -
- John D. Rockefeller - oil - worth $340 billion
Industrial workers (“Working Class”) worked long hours for
• average salary = $1.50 per day or $500 per year - *today = $6,000
• _______. ______ made all the profit
Industrial workers (“Working Class”) worked long hours for low wages
• average salary = $1.50 per day or $500 per year - *today = $6,000
• Robber Barons made all the profit
Toward the end of the Gilded Age was the
Toward the end of the Gilded Age was the *Progressive Era - period of reform
Men like ______. ________ - a social reformer journalist/photographer showed how the “Other half lived”.
• “_______” exposes the evils of society
Men like Jacob Riis - a social reformer journalist/photographer showed how the “Other half lived”.
• “Muckrakers” exposes the evils of society
Changes in the society
Reforms (changes) in the society:
1. Helping the poor - “Have nots”
• Washington Gladden - founder of Social Gospel Movement - preached salvation through service to the poor (Jesus Christ) emulate
• Settlement houses: (community centers that provided services to the poor)
• Examples: YMCA (Young men’s Christian association) - George Williams
• Salvation Army - William booth
• Hull house - Jane Addams - for battered women
2. Improve working conditions: formation of…
• unions - organized to protect workers rights (better wages, hours, safer working conditions, child labor laws)
• Strike - stoppage of work (only weapon) to combat “Robber Barons”.
3. Women’s suffrage (right to vote)
“Suffragettes” women who fought for the right to vote
• Susan B. Anthony
• Lucrecia Mott
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• Alice Paul
• 1920 - right to vote
4. Alcohol Reform: prohibition 1919-1933
• forbade the sake and consumption of alcohol
5. Education reform: Horace Mann
• “Father of modern public education”
6. Child labor - out laced
7. Government corruption
8. Ended business “monopolies”
