Unit 1: Gilded Age

gilded age

went west, urbanization, immigration, overpopulation, poor cities, corruption, growth, of monopolies

tin pan alley

physical location of a new york city neighbourhood. Made up of music publishers and song writers who dominated popular music in the U.S in late 19th and early 20th century. They created a national audience for music.

transcontinental railroad

connected the u.s from east to west, allowed for transportation of goods and people thought the country. developed towns in the west.

klondike gold rush

in 1896 in alaska and yukon. a gold rush the vast landmass and hidden resources appealed to those looking for wealth.

urbanization problems and conditions

inadequate transportation, poor sanitation, inadequate housing, overpopulation, families living in 1 bedroom houses, disease.

monopolies/trusts

complete control of a product/service. taking steps to limit competition with other firms.

electricity

electric light allowed factories to work into the night. improved capabilities of power stations to make home use of electricity more practical. telephone made long distance communication possible.

settlers and conditions of the west

moving west meant getting free/cheap land to those willing to put in the hard work of turning the land into productive farms. Sod homes, tornadoes, drought were constant problems. More than 60% failed at this task.

farmers and mechanization

overproduction from mechanized farming (plow edge, combine harvesters, tractors, plows, ect.). farmers installed windmill-driven pumps and used pumps for irrigation.

labor unions

workers tried to bargain collectively to improve working conditions by forming unions. they used strikes to bargain. they did this because long hours with low wages, child labor, poor working conditions, unhealthy and hazardous working conditions.

political machines

organizations controlling a political party in a city offering services to voters and businesses in exchange for political support.

what are the 3 levels to political machines

top: city boss

middle: ward boss

bottom: local workers

jane addams

founded hull house, a model settlement house in chicago. offered cultural events, classes, childcare, employment assistance, healthcare and clinics. it helped assimilate immigrants.

andrew carnegie

born in scotland and raised in a poor family. built a huge fortune through his company, carnegie steele. very charitable, giving away most of his $350 million fortune (philanthropist)

homestead act

gave 160 acres of free western land to anyone who promised to farm the land for 5 years

chinese exclusion act

prohibited chinese laborers from entering the country. made to preserve jobs for the americas. not repealed until 1943

dawes act

broke up many reservations and turned native americans into private (individual) property owners. ownership was designed to transform their relationship to the land and break up the tribes.

pendleton act

government jobs are awarded on the basis of merit and that government employees as well as selected through competitive exams. Not gifted the job.

sherman antitrust act

federal law designed to stop monoploies from engaging in unfair practices that prevented fair competition. (free-trade)

interstate commerce commision

prohibited unfair business practices. it was the 1st time congress stepped into regulate business in america. regulate railroad charges between states.

reservations

land set aside for native americans. they were forced to move to the reservations of which kept getting smaller and smaller due to americans wanting the land.

buffalo

provided food, clothing, and shelter for the indains nomadic lifestyle. indians were dependent on the buffalo. american hunters were told to kill the buffalo and in the west as many as 3 million a year were killed. this was a tactic to hopefully defeat the indians.

assimilation/americanization for native americans

the bureau of indian affairs began to erase indain culture throigh a program of americanization. (assimilate american indians into culture US culture). Indian students could only speak english, had to change their traditional name, could not wear traditional clothing.

push factors for immigrants

push factors are why people leave their native countries. those include, lack of religious freedom, poverty, political oppression, injustice/violence, and famine

pull factors for immigrants

pull factors are reasons why people were attracted to the US. those include, democracy, freedom of religion, economic opportunity, and the “american dream”

assimilation/americanization for immigrants

government program that sought to assimilate immigrants into american culture

what is assimilation

the process through which individuals and groups of differing heritages acquire the basic habits, attitudes, and mode of life of an embracing culture

nativism

clear favoritism to native born people and opposition to foreigners. afraid of the growing influence of “newcomer” immigrants, asians, catholics, and jews. fear led to the passing of laws restricting immigrants

what was rockefeller’s business

oil = horizontal integration

what was carnegie’s business

Steele = vertical integration