APUSH Gilded Age Exam Review 2025

Reasons for Westward Expansion

• Mechanization of Agriculture

  • Made farming more efficient and profitable, reducing the number of laborers needed.

• Discovery of Minerals in the West

  • Increased migration and investment into western territories.

• Romanticization of the West

  • Represented in literature and art, promoting the idea of western expansion.

• Homestead Act

  • Provided land and monetary support for prospective landowners moving west.

• Expansion/Federal Support of Railroads

  • Facilitated transportation and communication across the country.

• Pacific Railroad Acts

  • Authorized the construction of the railroad, further encouraging westward movement.

Effects of Westward Expansion

• Obsolescence of Small Farms

  • Mechanization favored big agribusinesses and led to the decline of small farms.

• Increased Food Production

  • More food produced in less time at a lower cost, reducing the need for farmers.

• Grange Movement

  • Emerged to provide support and community for isolated settlers in the west.

• Profitable Cattle Drives and Mining Enterprises

  • Booms followed by the rise of boom towns and ghost towns when resources were depleted.

• Barbed Wire and Land Enclosure

  • Led to disputes among cattle ranchers and farmers.

Transcontinental Railroad Impact

• Interconnectedness of the Nation

  • Facilitated the exchange of goods between east and west.

• Interstate Commerce Act

  • Established regulation to combat price hikes by railroads.

• Migration Eased

  • Railroads made it easier and cheaper to migrate westward.

• Cattle Drives Profitable

  • The railroad made cattle transportation more efficient.

Government Actions Toward Natives: Treaties

• Dawes Act

  • Divided reservation land for individual farming; assimilated natives were granted citizenship.

• Reservation Systems

  • Imposed strict boundaries on Native American lands.

• Indian Appropriation Act

  • Nullified previous treaties and abolished federal recognition of Native nations.

• Consequences

  • Led to conflicts such as the Sioux Wars, the Ghost Dance Movement, and the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Government Policies Encouraging Settlement and Railroad Expansion

• Pacific Railroad Acts

  • Supported construction and expansion of railroads to encourage settlement.

• Interstate Commerce Acts

  • Continued regulation of interstate trade and transportation.

Mechanization of Agriculture

• Mechanical Reaper

  • Increased efficiency in harvesting crops.

• Seed Drill

  • Improved the plantation and growth of crops, facilitating larger-scale farming.

Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis

• Final Frontier Concept

  • Proposed that western expansion represented America's last opportunity for growth.

• Concerns on Class Struggles

  • Warned that closing the frontier could lead to the social issues similar to those in Europe.

• 1890 Census Bureau Report

  • Declared that the American frontier was officially closed; thus, manifest destiny was fulfilled.

Causes of Industrialization

• Mechanization of Agriculture

  • Reduced farmers' need, contributing to urbanization.

• Railroads Opened National Market

  • Fostered the growth of the economy and industrialization at large.

• Government Support for Railroads

  • Provided land grants and funding to facilitate expansion.

• Technological Innovations

  • Advanced production processes (e.g., Bessemer process for steel).

  • Introduced assembly lines, vertical integration, and growth of petroleum industry.

  • Enabled communication improvements through telegraphs and telephones.

Government Relationship with Business

• Laissez-Faire Economy

  • Minimal government interference allowed businessmen to operate freely.

• Support for Monopolies

  • Government often backed corporate interests over labor movements.

• Interference Only When Necessary

  • Only intervened in business matters if federal processes were affected (e.g., Pullman strike).

Consumerism and Advertising

• Prominent Entrepreneurs

  • Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan dominated their industries.

• Rockefeller

  • Pioneered horizontal integration within the oil industry.

• Carnegie

  • Known for vertical integration in steel and his philanthropic ventures, promoting the "Gospel of Wealth."

• Vanderbilt

  • Made substantial contributions to railroads and philanthropy.

• Morgan

  • Involved in railroad financing with a reputation for business manipulation.

Criticisms and Praises of Big Businesses

• Criticisms

  • Accusations of monopolistic practices, wealth disparity, exploitation, poor working conditions, and child labor.

• Praises

  • Proponents of Social Darwinism and the success stories of self-made men resonated within society.

Vertical and Horizontal Integration

• Vertical Integration

  • Acquiring all parts of the production process.

• Horizontal Integration

  • Purchasing all competing firms within an industry.

Social Darwinism

• Survival of the Fittest

  • The belief that success was genetically predetermined, justifying wealth gaps.

Gospel of Wealth

• Concept Introduced by Carnegie

  • Emphasized the responsibility of the wealthy to give back to society.

The Gap Between Rich and Poor

• Increasing Inequality

  • Rich became richer, while the poor remained impoverished due to low wages.

• Emergence of a Middle Class

  • White collar jobs grew within the middle class, who became better off economically.

Labor Unions

• Knights of Labor (KOL)

  • Initially inclusive but lost support after the Haymarket Square riot.

• American Federation of Labor (AFL)

  • Focused on skilled workers and advocating for better working conditions and pay.

Major Strikes

• Railroad Strike

  • Triggered by wage cuts, led to government intervention.

• Pullman Strike

  • Sparked by wage reductions and met with federal intervention due to its ties to mail transport.

Chinese Exclusion Act**

• 1882 Legislation

  • Specifically banned Chinese immigration to the U.S., reflecting racist sentiments.

New Immigrants vs. Old Immigrants

• New Immigrants

  • From southern and eastern Europe, including Jews and Italians.

• Old Immigrants

  • From northern and western Europe, including the British Isles and Germans.

Nativism**

• Hostility Toward Immigrants

  • Desire for a singular American identity, dismissing ethnic values.

Causes and Effects of Urbanization

• Mechanization of Agriculture

  • Led to a decrease in agricultural jobs, pushing people to cities.

• Skyscrapers and Tenements

  • Emerged due to overcrowding, reflecting urban challenges.

• Air Pollution

  • Ultiliation of coal and industrial activities led to environmental degradation.

Causes and Effects of Immigration

• Poor Conditions in Europe

  • Driven many to seek better opportunities in the U.S.

Political Machines and Tweed**

• Tweed's Influence

  • Helped immigrants navigate American systems in exchange for votes.

Tenements**

• Housing for the Impoverished

  • High-density, poorly maintained housing for low-income families.

Culture in Cities**

• Leisure and Arts

  • Growth in social and cultural activities as communities formed.

• Ethnic Enclaves

  • Communities based on shared culture (e.g., Little Italy, Chinatown).

Social Gospel Movement**

• Response to Gilded Age Issues

  • Attacked social problems like poverty and labor exploitation.

Temperance Movement**

• Women’s Role in Prohibition

  • Focused on addressing domestic issues fueled by alcohol use.

Jacob Riis**

• Exposing Urban Poverty

  • Wrote to bring awareness to the conditions in tenements.

Political Machines**

• Aid for Immigrants

  • Helped new immigrants find jobs and secure resources in exchange for political loyalty.

Corruption**

• Bribery and Fraud

  • Systemic issues like the Whiskey Ring and Crédit Mobilier scandal demonstrated government corruption.

Problems Farmers Faced**

• Isolation and Monopolistic Pricing

  • Farmers struggled against both isolation and unfair railroad rates.

Reactions Farmers Had**

• Granger Movement

  • Farmers united to challenge monopolistic practices of railroads.

Populists**

• Reform Movements

  • Advocated for monetary reforms like free silver coinage and included various other groups.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act**

• Encouraging Competition

  • Aimed at preventing monopolistic business practices and fostering fair competition.

Pendleton Act**

• Civil Service Reform

  • Ended the spoils system by instituting merit-based government job selections.