Chapter+17+PPT+2024-25 (1)
Page 1: Introduction to the Gilded Age
America experiences a significant industrial transformation
Establishment of new social and economic structures
Page 2: The Gilded Age Overview
Surface Appearance: America appears prosperous and thriving.
Increases in wealth and technology.
Growth of cities and development of the middle class.
Hidden Realities: Beneath the surface lies substantial inequality.
Many impoverished citizens live in poor conditions.
Various injustices faced by marginalized groups.
Page 3: Chain Reaction of Change (1860-1890)
Over 440,000 patents approved during this period.
Technological advancements lead to:
Economic change
Social change
Political change
All changes are interrelated and impact daily life.
Page 4: Disruptions from Change
Change causes destruction of old structures:
New jobs replace obsolete ones.
New elites emerge to replace old elites.
Unchecked corporate power raises concerns among the populace.
Page 5: The Technology Revolution
Key inventions and innovations shaping the period.
Page 6: Communication Advancements
Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone in March 1876.
Growth of telephone service:
1880: 30,000 service users.
1900: 1.3 million users.
1920: 13 million users.
Page 7: Continued Technology Revolution
Ongoing innovations and their importance.
Page 8: Thomas Edison’s Contributions
Edison's achievements include:
Nearly 1,000 patents.
Innovations in telegraphy and the light bulb.
Development of the Menlo Park Research Lab as a model for future research laboratories.
Page 9: Henry Ford and the Assembly Line
Henry Ford invents the assembly line in 1913.
Impact on the automotive industry:
Based on the concept of interchangeable parts.
Production jumps significantly:
1890: 2,500 cars produced.
1916: 1 million cars.
1920: 1.9 million cars.
Assembly line reduces car production time from 12 hours to 1.5 hours.
Major changes in labor dynamics and efficiency.
Page 10: Economic Changes with Corporations and Finance
Shift to industrial capitalism:
Factories replace traditional family businesses.
Need for large sums of capital leads to increased reliance on large banks.
Public skepticism about giant banks post Panic of 1873:
Economic hardship ensues; unemployment rises.
Page 11: Extreme Wealth Disparities
Departure from America’s egalitarian principles leads to inequality:
Rockefeller: Dominates the oil refining market.
Carnegie: Establishes vertical monopoly in steel production.
JP Morgan: Play a significant role in financing and mergers (e.g., United States Steel).
Page 12: Emergence of Corporate Titans
Vanderbilt’s innovations create a modern corporate structure:
Decentralization empowers middle-level management.
Growth of other monopolies in various industries (e.g., meat, grain, lumber).
These elite use wealth to influence government policies, with few anti-monopoly laws.
Page 13: Transitioning Social Classes
As factories grew, a middle class developed among urban managerial positions:
Key aspects of urban life and consumption evolve (e.g., candy stores, travel).
Technological advancements contribute to enhanced lifestyles.
Page 14: Women's Lives in the Gilded Age
Varied experiences for women based on class:
Working-class women increasingly enter labor force (except middle-class).
Middle-class women's domestic roles reinforced by social norms.
Shifts in consumption patterns, moving from handmade to store-bought.
Page 15: Rise of Mass Consumption
Transformation into a mass consumption society:
Need to consume aligns with mass production.
Advertising becomes crucial in creating consumer demand.
oo: Building a sense of middle-class respectability embedded in new consumer goods.
Page 16: Immigration Dynamics
Immigrants fulfill the demand for cheap labor in factories:
Complex social dynamics between native-born citizens and immigrants.
Massive influx of immigrants:
1815-1890: 15 million from Northern Europe.
1890-1914: 15 million predominantly from Southern Europe.
Page 17: Immigration Causes – Push and Pull
Push factors include:
Economic hardship (e.g., Potato Famine in Ireland).
Political persecution and violence (e.g., pogroms against Jews).
Pull factors highlight opportunities in America:
Industrial jobs with better pay than in homelands.
Page 18: Competing Visions of America
Melting Pot vs. Cultural Pluralism
Melting Pot: Promotion of assimilation, where immigrants lose their ethnic identities to become 'Americanized.'
Emphasis on adopting English language and Protestant values.
Cultural Pluralism: Immigrants maintain their unique identities while also forming an American identity:
Analogous to a tossed salad, where diversity adds to cultural richness.
Page 19: Immigrant Culture and Acceptance
Ellis Island becomes the entry point for millions of immigrants:
Majority accepted, but many face changes in identity (e.g., name changes).
Statue of Liberty symbolizes hope and acceptance:
“Give me your tired, your poor...”
Page 20: Immigrant Lifestyle at Ellis Island
Depictions of immigrant life and processing at Ellis Island.
Page 21: Life at Angel Island
Angel Island: Represents the West Coast processing center for immigrants:
Long delays faced by many immigrants, discrimination notable, particularly toward Chinese immigrants due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Page 22: Living Conditions for Immigrants
Extreme overcrowding in tenements:
50% of families live cramped conditions (3-4 in a room).
Shared bathrooms lead to unsanitary living environments.