Gilded Age Politics, Immigration, and Urban Reform

What characterized the political landscape during the Gilded Age?

A balance of power between Democrats and Republicans, high public participation, and corrupt alliances between politicians and businesses.

What was the largest political issue in the Gilded Age?

The tension between agriculture and industry, with farmers feeling betrayed and ignored by corporations.

What did the Election of 1896 symbolize?

The conflict between urban and rural interests.

What were tenements, and what issues did they cause?

Overcrowded urban housing that housed multiple families, leading to the spread of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and yellow fever.

What reforms did advocates push for in urban areas during the Gilded Age?

Modern water and sewage systems and the banning of raising animals within city limits.

How many immigrants arrived in the U.S. annually from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia during this period?

Approximately 9 million a year.

What was the Contract Labor Act?

A law that helped pay for immigrants' journey to America, allowing businesses to import unskilled labor.

Who were the 'New Immigrants' and how were they viewed?

Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia, viewed as different and not native compared to 'old immigrants'.

What did the Dillingham Commission conclude about new immigrants?

They were an imminent social threat due to their lack of literacy, ideals, and appearance.

What is nativism?

The belief that immigrants from non-Anglo-Saxon backgrounds were inferior.

What was the purpose of the Page Act?

To restrict 'undesirable immigration,' particularly targeting East Asian laborers and women.

What did the Chinese Exclusion Act accomplish?

It barred all Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for ten years and denied them citizenship.

What was the significance of U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark?

It declared that Asian children born in America were citizens.

What were the American Protective Association and the Immigration Restriction League's goals?

To 'save' the Anglo-Saxon race from being contaminated by alien immigrants.

What role did the Bureau of Immigration play?

It established federal laws on immigration, overriding state laws.

What is Ellis Island known for?

It is referred to as the 'Island of Hope' and the 'Island of Tears' for immigrants.

What does Darwinism refer to in this context?

The concept of 'survival of the fittest' and the struggle for existence.

What is Social Darwinism, and who created it?

A theory by Herbert Spencer that argued human society and institutions developed through evolutionary patterns.

What was Reform Darwinism, and who proposed it?

A theory by Lester Frank Ward that emphasized social cooperation to promote progress, advocating for government intervention to alleviate poverty and promote education.

How did society's views shift post-Civil War?

Society embraced realism and rejected idealism and romanticism.

What was the role of political rings during the Gilded Age?

Small groups of powerful insiders who controlled local politics through nominations and elections.

What is patronage in the context of Gilded Age politics?

The distribution of government jobs and contracts to loyal followers and corporate donors.

What were some examples of third-party politics during this era?

Greenbackers, populists, and prohibitionists, each appealing to specific political issues.

What was the Women's Christian Temperance Union's stance?

They supported the banning of alcohol, with members like Carrie Nation famously attacking saloons.