Gilded Age (Lack of Progress)

Question 1

Lack of progress for African Americans

Answer 1

• Occurred particularly after the 1877 compromise, in
  which Federal troops were removed from the
  southern states
• Black Codes
• Plessy V Ferguson and other Supreme Court cases
• Segregated districts became common in the north as
  well as the south e.g. Harlem effectively became its
  own separate district
• Growth of segregated transport
• Restricted voting e.g. grandfather clause
• George H White retired in 1901, the only black
  representative in congress

Question 2

Lack of Progress for NAI

Answer 2

• In practice reservation policy a failure. NA lost their
freedom and civil rights as they became dependent
on the state.
• Life on reservations was harsh and the land they
were granted was poor, making it difficult to farm.
• Gov subsidies were insufficient and were cut further
when there were other demands on gov funding.
• Wounded Knee massacre 1890.
• Education on reservations was inconsistently poor.
Those how utilised the boarding schools still found
employment opportunities hard to come by and felt
alienated from their tribal communities.

• Most NA failed to adapt to allotment policy and sold
their land to white settlers at cheap prices
 With no concept of money they quickly spent their
money and fell into poverty.

• Reservation land reduced
• Women in tribes lost their status

Question 3

Lack of Progress for Trade Unions and workers rights

Answer 3

• Period of increasing inequality and poverty
 Particularly amongst new immigrants
 2% or population owning 30% of wealth

• Wage of an unskilled workers around 30% of a skilled
worker
• Demand for skilled workers declined
• Use of ‘contract system’ meant that workers could be
laid off during quiet times.
• Few rights for workers.
• Long hours
• Dangerous conditions
 1889 2000 rail workers killed in accidents

• Violent strikes
 Homestead Strike 1891
 Pullman Strike 1894
 Haymarket Affaire 1886

• Workforce divided
 White/skilled/unskilled/women/AA/new immigrants

• Laissez faire policy encouraged large corporations and
meant little legislative protection for workers.
• Courts supported employers and issued injunctions
against strikers.

Question 4

Lack of progress for Women

Answer 4

• Period accentuates inequality and leads to sexual
exploitation
• Female employment still limited to unskilled labour in
textiles and cotton mills
 Few opportunities for advancement

• Men receive higher wages for the same work.
 Gap greater in southern factories

• Sweatshop labour typified by low wages and
dangerous conditions.
• Urbanisation brought rapid growth to prostitution – sometimes seen as a preferable ‘trade’.

• Male trade unionists offered only limited support for female workers who they saw as undercutting the
men.
 1882 Lawrence textile mill. Strike over 20% pay cut fails ater 4 moth battle. NO support from male
unions.

• AFL unsympathetic to female workers Largely represented skilled workers which women could not
become.
• By 1900 only 2% of all trade union members were women.