Unit 6 - American Imperialism & Gilded Age Wealth Gap

Political Machines

Corrupt local government in US Cities

The most famous was Tammany Hall in NYC which provided some reforms that benefited immigrants & the poor but also used corruption, kickbacks, embezzlement, and fraudulent government deals to keep the boss and their cronies in power indefinitely

Farmers’ Alliances

While the Grange organized farmers locally, Farmers’ alliances were statewide and regional

Over two million farmers promoted the issues that affected them most (currency reform, regulation of railroads, agriculture department) and eventually became the basis of the Populist Party which would significantly influence US politics

Plains Natives

The final major conflicts between Natives and the US government occurred during the second half of the 1800s

Spurred by increasing western settlement, hunting of buffalo, and gov. pressure to move on to reservations conflicts such as the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Wounded Knee Massacre showcased this tension

Andrew Carnegie

US Steel Magnate

Worth hundreds of millions (billions in todays money)

Advocated for Gospel of Wealth, that wealth should be used for good and donations like libraries

Labor Unions

Workers’ groups that fought for workers rights/conditions w/ strikes, negotiating, & other tools

Knights of Labor=skilled AND unskilled workers, AFL=only skilled workers

“New” Immigrants

A new wave of immigrants, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe who arrived through Ellis Island

Primarily Catholic

Settled in slums in cities

Jacob Rits

A social reformer and photographer

His photobook, How the Other Half Lives, exposed tenement conditions and led to tenements being outlawed & other reforms

Bonanza Farming

Large industrial farms that grew 1 or 2 cash crops efficiently (economies of scale & increased production)

Percentage of Americans working on farms drops from 60% to 37%

The Homestead Act

A government program that made it easy for American families to settle on the frontier

They could pay $10 for 160 acres if they built a farm/improved land

Displaced Natives

Sherman Antitrust Act

1890 law to break up trusts (monopolies) like Standard Oils that restraint trade due vertical or horizontal integration

Eventually strengthened by Clayton Antitrust Act

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law which restricted the entrance of Chinese laborers into the US

Chinese laborers had been crucial as railroad workers on the Transcontinental Railroad and miners in the Gold Rush of 1849

Initially praised, nativist sentiment pushed this law and others like it

Led to legal battles, and the judicial precedent for Birthright citizenship

Spanish-American War (1898)

4 month long war between the US and Spain

Fought in Cuba and the Philippines

US wins and takes Spanish territories of Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines

Labor Strikes

Major strikes that showcased workers’ desires for better pay, hours, and conditions

Also led to formation of Labor Day

The Haymarket Affair was a strike that turned deadly for officers and strikers when an unknown anarchist threw a bomb

The Pullman Strike was nationwide for railroad workers but ended with Pinkerton agent and gov. violence

Assimilation

Idea that Natives should be ‘civilized’ & ‘Americanized’

This included changes in clothing, hair, accessories, skin color, speech & more

Often done at boarding schools.

Imperialism

Stronger territories exerting military, economic, or political control (or influence) over weaker territories

America embraces imperialism after Frontier is ‘closed’

Robber Barons

Industrialists who made their riches selfishly or using unfair business practices

RB faced little regulation in the Gilded Age, and often created grueling working conditions

Second Industrial Revolution

Beginning in the mid 19th century, transformed society w/ mass production, economic growth, urbanization, and factory work spurred global interactions through improved transportation & communication technology

The 2nd Industrial Revolution laid the groundwork for modern industry & consumer culture while also contributing to imperialism

Gilded Age

Late 19th century (1870-1900), a period marked by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and the expansion of railroads in the United States

This era was characterized by significant social changes, the rise of labor movements, political corruption, and stark disparities in wealth

1865

End of Civil War, death of Old farming South, birth of ‘New’ industrial South

1869

Founding of the Knights of Labor (union)

1877

End of the Great Sioux War, Indian Reservations Established

1879

Thomas Edison adds to 2nd Industrial Rev. w/ invention of the light bulb

1882

Chinese Exclusion Act

1890

Sherman Antitrust Act

1894

Pullman Strike

1898

Spanish-American War leads to US Global empire