The Gilded Age

Flashcards on the Gilded Age lecture.

From what book does the Gilded Age get its name?

A Mark Twain book published in 1873.

What technologies brought the nation together in unprecedented ways during the Gilded Age?

Railroads and telegraphs.

Name three business tycoons of the Gilded Age.

Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan.

What did Mark Twain imply about the Gilded Age despite its apparent glamour?

That it masked a deeper rot at the heart of American society.

What enabled the U.S. to become one of the foremost economic powers in the world by 1900?

Strengths in resources, culture, technology, and public policy decisions facilitated industrialization after 1865.

What is unique about Robert Kohler's 1886 painting, The Strike?

It is relatively sympathetic to the workers themselves.

What was the dominant governing ethos of the Gilded Age when it came to big business?

Laissez faire.

What was the preindustrial United States of 1865 like?

Overwhelmingly rural and local, a nation of island communities.

Which industry was the first to industrialize, and what did subsequent industries model after it?

The railroad industry; subsequent industries modeled their practices on what the railroads did.

What two new ideas was the success of railroad corporations predicated on?

The issuance of stock and standardization.

What is vertical integration, and which Gilded Age tycoon pioneered it?

Where one company controls all the key phases of production from acquiring raw materials to retailing the finished product which was pioneered by Andrew Carnegie.

What is horizontal integration, and which Gilded Age tycoon brought it to an art form?

Where companies buy out other companies producing similar or competing products with the goal of eliminating competition and achieving greater efficiency, pioneered by John D. Rockefeller.

What did American businesses and corporations want the federal government to do to protect investments?

To demand that the federal government protect those investments, sometimes by force.

What were the downsides of the increase in manufacturing during the Gilded Age?

Dangerous working conditions, monotony, and low pay.

What was the purpose of blacklists during the Gilded Age?

To prevent workers deemed dangerous or bad influences from finding employment.

What was the largest strike in world history in the 19th century?

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

What did the rise of corporations during the Gilded Age lead to?

The production of goods on a scale that made everyday items more accessible to more Americans than ever before.

Give a job title and describe 2-3 jobs a woman might hold in the Gilded age.

Teacher, nurse, social worker.

How did Andrew Carnegie view industrial capitalism?

As the best economic system because it contained a profit incentive.

Who can the Knights of Labor be attributed to?

Terrence Powderly.