Interpretation: Gilded Age 1875-1895 Flashcards
What happened in wages for TU’s during the Gilded Age
Wages (for skilled workers particularly) dramatically increased, by roughly 60%, despite an increase in available workforce due to immigration.
Was there demand for workers in the Gilded Age?
Yes- the increase in transport and heavy industry created a demand for labour
Which trade union grew in the Gilded Age?
KOL- (1881: 20,000 members, 1886: 700,000) Including some women and AA’s
When was the AFL established and what was it?
1886- First successful national labour federation. Wanted to link all unions. Some businesses were willing to work with it and establish mechanisms for negotiation.
What were sickness clubs?
Gave income when contributors were ill.
What was the impact of the economic slump?
Unemployment, job insecurity and reduction in wages
What was the laissez faire policy?
Policy of minimum government interference, supported big businesses, added to lack of protection for workers
How many rail workers died due to poor conditions in 1889?
2,000 rail workers
Who were the remaining divisions between?
Skilled/ unskilled, white/AA, white A’s/ immigrants.
These divisions could be exploited by employers
Mini conclusion of TU’s during the Gilded Age
Any gains made during the period of growth were short-lived. Worker’s position was weakened by division and attitudes of govt+employers towards the workforce.
What was passed in 1887 and how did it impact NA’s?
The Dawes Severalty Act - gave NA’s the oppurtunity to become landowners. Mean’t that they became full American citizens but was not what they wanted. More concerned about preserving their own culture.
What impact did Reservations have on NA’s?
Gave them the oppurtunity to establish farming communities. Provided the oppurtunity got better health care.
What did the Reservations allow NA’s to do?
To preserve NA tribal customs and life to survive.
What was established which gave NA’ s the oppurtunity to find better jobs?
Two boarding schools far away from the reservations. Eg. Indian Agency Officers. But, quality of education was limited and didn’t teach NA culture.
What happened at the Battle of Littl Bighorn in 1876?
NA victory against Custer. Convinved some that their position needed to improve, conflict was the result of their poor treatment. Major breakthrough.
What did the policy of assimilation do?
Attempted to westernise NA’s, removing their independence.
What was the negative impact of reservations?
Land gradually reduced, NA’s lost their freedom and life was hard on reservations.
Did government subsidies support NA’s?
No, they became dependent on the govt and these subidies were insufficient and cut further.
Who was land given to in the family and how did this affect tribal culture?
Given to the male head. Which, in matriarchal tribes, removed the status of women.
What was education like on the reservations?
Education was poor. Those who went to schools away from reservations were unable to get jobs. They were forced back onto reservations and viewed a untrustworthy by tribes.
What happended at Wounded Knee?
The massacre of the Sioux tribe 1890. It broke resistance to reservation life and assimilation to white American culture.
What did the Plessy vs Ferguson decision mean for AA’s?
Thw 1896 judgment enforced ‘separate but equal’ ideas and allowed segregated facilities.
What did Booker T. Washington believe about segregation?
He favoured segregation believing that if AA’s took full advantage of the Gilded Age’s economic oppurtunities then priviledges would follow.
What did Tennesse initiate in 1881?
Segregated transport, a segregated railway law. Every Southern state followed suit.
What restricted black voting?
Registration laws: Granfather clauses and literacy tests.
Mean’t black voters had a powerless minority by 1895.
What were the ‘granfather clauses?’
Allowed only people whose ancestors had voted or could vote before 1867 (when the First Reconstruction Act was passed) to skip the taxes and tests to vote.
What were the govt reactions to violence and lynchings?
Punished as minor offences. Created a system where law was deliberately ignored in much of the South.
What were the careers available for AA’s?
Most remained as sharecroppers. AA’s lacked the capital or expertise to travel westwards to create new homes.
How did literacy change for AA’s?
Improved. In 1865 1/20 AA’s could read but by 1895 this had risen to 1/2.
How many AA professionals were there by 1900?
47,000- including doctors, lawyers, teachers and artists. However this was out of an AA population of 8 million.
What AA organisations was there a rise in?
Religious organisations, banks, insurace schemes and societies/ companies run by AA’s.
What movement saw greater female involvement?
The Temperance Movement.
Some 60,000 women took part, often those who supported temperance also supported suffrage organisations.
What were religiously involved women able to become a part of?
Women’s Christian Temperance founded in 1872.
But, the majority of members were white and middle class.
How did the number of women in work change?
More women began working due to industrial growth.
By the 1880’s 26% of Philadelphia’s workers were woman.
In some urban areas women amounted to 1/3 of the workforce.
What did economic expansion produce?
More oppurtunities for white-collar work.
By the 1880’s clerical work had opened up oppurtunities for women, especially with the development of the typewriter.
But, female wages were considerably lower than male wages for similar work.
What was the role of unions for women?
Women were able to join them but often faced hostility.
How did education change for women?
More oppurtunities.
New colleges for women in the east.
Co-educational oppurtunities in the west.
First training school for nurses- 1873 and by 1890 there were 35.
What organisation cared for the welfare of younger urban women?
Young Women’s Christian Association established in 1867.
What factors hindered the progress of women’s rights?
Divisions in the campaign, the impact of immigration and the issue of equal pay.
What were the weaknesses of women’s organisations?
There were divisions between rival suffrage organisations which weakened the movement.
A lot of resentment, among male opponents, but also among some women eg Phyllis Schaffly.
What did the influx of immigrants in the 80’s and 90’s do to women?
Led to many women from Southern and Eastern Europe working from poor homes in crowded cities, taking in lodgers and working in sweatshops, maids, cleaners and prostitutes.
Domestic work became associated with immigrants and lost status.
What were the work oppurtunities for married women?
Hard for married women to work, often commen among AA’s also.
But single young women often ended up in low-skilled jobs instead of learning a trade.
What were the attitudes towards women?
Distinct double standards. Men did not generally expect to play a part in domestic chores and wages were still unequal.
