Gilded Age Culture, Literature, Education, Entertainment, and Politics (Lecture Notes)

A set of question-and-answer flashcards spanning literature (genteelism, regionalism, realism, naturalism), key authors, cultural forms, education reforms, mass entertainment, film history, and Gilded Age politics and policy.

What was the most popular form of American literature prior to the Civil War?

Genteelism.

What form of American literature dominated after the Civil War and focused on regional life and the West?

Regionalism.

Name a famous regionalist writer who wrote about the American West.

Bret Harte.

What is the defining feature of realism in American literature?

It depicts American life as it actually happens, rather than an idealized view.

Which author is a well-known realist who could also be placed in regionalism?

Mark Twain.

What is Mark Twain's birth name?

Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

What does the term Mark Twain mean?

A measurement of the depth of water on the Mississippi River.

What is naturalism in literature?

A movement that portrays life as shaped by deterministic forces and natural laws, often with social Darwinism and laissez-faire attitudes.

Name two famous naturalist writers.

Stephen Crane and Jack London.

What concept links naturalism to the belief in a deterministic universe?

Determinism.

Which ideologies are closely associated with naturalism and determinism?

Social Darwinism and laissez-faire.

What were the three most popular mass entertainment forms in the Gilded Age?

Baseball, boxing, and football.

Where were early amusement parks typically located and who did they serve?

On the outskirts of major cities; primarily the working class.

Name two famous amusement parks mentioned.

Coney Island (New York) and White City (Chicago).

What are the three phases of the evolution of the motion picture industry?

Penny arcades, nickelodeons, and talkies.

Why did the motion picture industry move from New England to Southern California?

Better outdoor filming climate and cheaper land.

What were the two major educational developments in the Gilded Age?

Multiplication of high schools and compulsory attendance laws.

Which university started the first PhD program in the United States?

Johns Hopkins University.

What was Chautauqua in Upstate New York?

A lecture series exposing the public to new ideas, later touring major cities.

What reform idea gained prominence at Chautauqua around 1900?

Women’s suffrage.

What were the general political characteristics of the Gilded Age?

Factionalism within both parties, lack of strong leadership, and widespread corruption.

What were the four major national issues the Gilded Age governments needed to address?

Regulation of industry (railroads), mediation of labor disputes, tariffs, and currency reform.

Which party supported high tariffs in the Gilded Age, and which supported low tariffs?

Republicans supported high tariffs; Democrats supported low tariffs.

What currency policy did Republicans favor in the Gilded Age?

Gold standard (gold only).

What currency policy did Democrats support in the Gilded Age?

Gold and silver (bimetallism) and greenbacks.

What was the paper currency issued during the Civil War called?

Greenbacks.

What percent of the population is noted as dying in the Civil War in these notes?

About 2% of the population.