Gilded Age (Improvements)

Question 1

What gains were made by African Americans in the Gilded Age

Answer 1

• By 1900, some 47,000 African American
  professionals
  such as teachers, artists, lawyers and doctors
• Rise in the number of religious organisations, banks
  etc.
• Main improvement was in literacy, 1 in 2 African
  Americans could by 1895
• By 1910, 25% of African American farmers owned
  their land

Question 2

What gains were made by NAI in the Gilded Age

Answer 2

• Victory at Battle of Little Bighorn convinced some Americans
that conflict was in response to poor treatment and a change in
policy was required.
• Tow off reservation boarding schools set up to improve quality
of education
 Boys taught vocational skills and girls domestic skills

• Education provided allowed some NA the opportunity to find
better jobs
 Working in Indian Agency
 Interpreters and scouts for the army

• Establishment of reservations provides:
 opportunity to establish farming communities.
 Better health care
 Allowed tribal life to continue

• Some tribes such as the Navajo made huge success of
reservation life.
 Gained more land (from 4 million acres to 10.5 million acres)
and saw a population rise.

• Dawes Act turned some NA into landowners for the first time
which meant they gained full US citizenship.

Question 3

What gains were made by Trade Unions and workers rights in the Gilded Age

Answer 3

• Wages rise dramatically (rise by 60%)
• Increase in transport and heavy industry created an increase in
demand for unskilled workers
• Number of craft orientated labour unions grew.

• Unions saw rapid growth in membership.
 KOL went from 20,000 in 1881 to 700,000 in 1886. Included
both women and AA

• AFL established in 1886.
 First national union and sought to unite all unions
 More employers willing to work with them.

• Unions extended their influence into politics at both national
and local level.
• Some sickness clubs were established but compensation was
limited.

Question 4

What gains were made by women in the Gilded Age

Answer 4

• Period typified by urbanization and diversification for the role
of women – new job opportunities outside of domestic sphere
 Number female domestic servants halved between 1870 and
1900

• Women unionizing – KOL allowed women to join its ranks in
1881
• Women start to organize own unions and by the mid 1880s
there are 113 women’s’ assemblies with female membership c
50,000.
• ‘Mother Jones’ organisers miners wives to oppose strike
breaking and march of factory children.