The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age Overview

  • Period: 1877-1896

Features of the Gilded Age

  • Represented a shift away from past troubles; hoped for progress.

  • Industrialization and railroads created an illusion of prosperity.

  • Referred to as a "Golden Age" by many; Mark Twain coined the term "Gilded Age".

  • might look shiny and nice, but right under the surface, it wasn’t so nice

Economic Developments

Railroads

  • Railroads generated massive profits and facilitated large industries.

  • Technological advancements, including oil applications and the Bessemer process, enhanced steel production.

  • New industries drew inspiration from railroad corporate structures.

Rise of the Robber Barons

  • Significant increase in mining activities to gather the necessary industry resources.

  • JP Morgan

  • so much wealth that they had so much power

  • John D. Rockefeller, 1.5% of the entire American economy, he could very easily tank the economy, buy the president

    • government officials sure as shit listen to them

  • Cornelius Vanderbilt

Social Darwinism

  • Concept originated by Herbert Spencer applying Darwin’s theories to business.

  • Advocated for "survival of the fittest" among businesses, justifying capitalism scientifically.

  • Suggested that the unsuccessful were unworthy and contributed to societal problems.

Key Figures: Oil and Steel Industries

Andrew Carnegie

  • Self-made millionaire; made his fortune in steel.

  • Advocated for vertical integration, seeking control over all production elements.

  • goes to work for a railroad company, works his way up to being the president of the company

  • vertical integration- the strategy of controlling every stage of production, from raw materials to finished products, allowing for greater efficiency and reduced costs.

  • works his men to death

John D. Rockefeller

  • Became wealthy in the oil industry.

  • Practiced horizontal integration, forming monopolies; created Standard Oil and modern trusts by buying out competitors.

  • created a type of kerosene, so it is safer and more efficient, revolutionizing the way oil was refined and distributed across the nation.

  • end of 19th century, own 97% percent of oil production refineries

  • has no problem sitting down refineries to make more money

Innovations and Inventions

  • “right person right time “

  • The 1890s witnessed around 200,000 patents issued.

  • Notable inventions:

    • Kodak cameras promoted home photography.

    • Refrigerated railroad cars facilitated meat shipments.

    • Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876.

    • Thomas Edison created the phonograph in 1877 and the light bulb in 1879.

Rise of Commercialism

  • Advertising boom: from $50 million in 1867 to over $500 million by 1900.

  • Emergence of department stores, mail-order catalogs, and newspaper advertising.

  • Technology and railroads enabled the proliferation of chain stores.

  • Decline of small businesses due to the rise of commercialism.

Labor Conditions

  • Workers labored 10 hours a day, six days a week.

  • Skilled laborers earned approximately 20 cents hourly (about $400 annually).

  • Unsafe work environments; common workplace accidents.

  • In 1900, only 5% of married women worked, and 1 in 5 boys worked outside the home.

  • Growth of labor movements:

    • 1870s: Rise of the Knights of Labor.

    • 1886: American Federation of Labor (AFL) succeeded the Knights.

Labor Unrest

  • Employers favored linking wages to market demands; unions advocated for wage ties to workers.

  • Widespread union repression: employers fired union participants and used legal means to suppress strikes.

  • Notable strikes:

    • 23,000 strikes were reported between 1880 and 1900.

    • Haymarket Square incident in 1886; unrest escalated with police intervention.

    • Homestead Strike (1892) required military force to disband.

  • railroad strikes affect everything

A New Wave of Immigration

  • The 1880s saw significant immigration from Eastern Europe; 8.4 million came between 1880 and 1910.

  • By 1900, 80% of Chicago’s population was foreign-born, often poor, uneducated, and Catholic.

  • Immigrants retained their native cultures despite pressures to assimilate; "melting pot" narrative is misleading.

Legalizing Segregation

  • Segregation was prevalent; the Supreme Court in 1883 ruled that state segregation was unconstitutional but allowed private institutions to segregate.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established the doctrine of "separate but equal," formalizing educational segregation.

A Desire for Reform

  • Many reform movements arose during the era, including the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement (WCTU).

  • Social Darwinism influenced economic outlooks, asserting that economic success equated to fitness.

  • Emergence of settlement houses; Jane Addams established Hull House to support the underprivileged.

Rise of Socialism

  • Economic conditions, including the 1894 Pullman strike led by Eugene V. Debs, animated socialist movements.

  • The U.S. Army intervened to break strikes, leading to Debs founding the American Socialist Party.

Political Reform

  • James Garfield was elected president in 1880 and sought civil service reform; assassinated in 1881 by Charles Guiteau.

  • Chester Arthur facilitated the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 in response to Garfield's assassination.

  • The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 aimed at regulating monopolistic businesses.

Economic Crises

  • Bimetallism advocates struggled against a gold-based economy.

  • The Sherman Silver Purchasing Act of 1890 aimed to increase silver coinage.

  • The Panic of 1893 followed railroad overbuilding, marking the worst economic depression until the Great Depression.

Rise of the Populist Party

  • The Populist Party attempted to address economic discontent and championed direct senatorial elections, monetary reform, and racial unity.

  • Became influential but faced obstacles, especially in the South during elections.

The Election of 1896

  • Key candidates:

    • William McKinley (Republicans) vs. William Jennings Bryan (Democrats).

    • Both sides represented differing monetary policies (Gold vs. Silver).

    • Bryan’s “Cross of Gold" speech gained significant attention; he campaigned actively.

  • McKinley won decisively (271 electoral votes to 176) and led the U.S. toward imperial power.