Unit 6 Review_ Gilded Age CH 16-18

Overview of Unit 7
- Chapters 16 through 18 focus on the evolution of modern American industrial society.
- Key topics: Industry and Big Business, Growth of Cities, Labor Movement, Politics in the Gilded Age, Culture, and Farming.

Government Revenue
- Primarily derived from customs duties (taxes on imports).
- Shift to income tax with the 16th Amendment discussed in the next unit.
Captains of Industry vs. Robber Barons
- Captain of Industry: Viewed positively for creating jobs, philanthropy, and societal benefits.
- Robber Baron: Negative portrayal for exploiting workers and poor working conditions.

Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth
- Advocated Social Darwinism; success due to individual hard work and traits.
- Philanthropic efforts: libraries, schools, Carnegie Hall.
- Social Gospel: Opposed Social Darwinism, emphasized obligation to assist the less fortunate.
Sherman Antitrust Act
- Initially ineffective; vague wording used against labor unions, equating them to monopolies.
- First governmental attempt to regulate big business.

AFL (American Federation of Labor)
- Focus on “bread and butter” goals: higher wages, shorter hours, better working conditions.
Decline of the Knights of Labor
- Impacted by the Haymarket Square Riot; perceived as too radical.
- Violence during strikes common in this era. (EX. PULLMAN STRIKE, A COMPANY TOWN THAT MADE PULLMAN CARS, CUT WAGES WITHOUT CUTTING RENT)

Government Response to Labor
- Frequently sided with big business over labor in disputes.
- Labor unions viewed as radical due to violent strikes.
Cultural Contributions
- Social Darwinism justified the wealth of big business leaders.
- Cultural advancement through the Social Gospel philosophy.

Major event leading to the decline of the Knights of Labor.
Bomb thrown during protest resulted in fatalities, reinforcing negative perceptions of unions.

Problems: overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, influx of new immigrants from Europe and Asia.
Jacob Riis and "How the Other Half Lives"
- Documented poor conditions of tenement housing leading to reforms in building codes.
Municipal Corruption
- Example: Boss Tweed’s manipulations in New York politics, bolstered by cartoonist Thomas Nast.

Formation due to cultural commonality; examples include Chinatown, Little Italy, and Spanish Harlem.
New inventions like the sewing machine enabled mass production, altering commerce.

Standardization of clothing manufacturing emerged due to innovations like the sewing machine.
Improved sanitation led to declining death rates in cities.

Hull House, established by Jane Addams, provided services to immigrants, including English classes and childcare.
Rise of middle-class women advocating for social reforms in response to social issues.

Railroads subsidized by the government led to increased settlement and corporate farming.
Credit Mobilier Scandal: Government bribery by railroad companies.
Barbed wire and overgrazing restricted open-range cattle ranching, marking its decline.

Emphasized the significance of the West in shaping American identity and culture.
No more frontier led to discussions about America's next imperialistic ventures.

Overproduction reduced crop prices and limited currency circulation.
Farmers in debt from investments in new technologies; high interest rates worsened conditions.

Advocated for free silver via his famous speech, linking farmers with the Populist movement.
Farmers sought government regulation of railroads to combat exploitative practices.

Aiming for changes like currency inflation, cooperatives, and a graduated income tax.
Infighting and racial divisions caused a decline in the movement's momentum despite some legislative successes.

Reservation System A policy established in the mid-19th century aimed at forcibly relocating Native Americans to designated areas (reservations) to control and restrict their movements and land rights.

Constitution’s failure to define government-native interactions led to fluctuating policies.

Dawes Act aimed at assimilating Native Americans; resulted in loss of tribal identity and large land appropriation by the government.

Efforts to strip Native identities through schools like Carlisle failed to integrate them into society.

Laissez faire beliefs allowed corporations to flourish while workers suffered.
Significant acts aimed at regulating businesses included the Interstate Commerce Act and revisions of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Distinct architectural styles emerged, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan.
Literature transitioned from romanticism to realism; Mark Twain played a crucial role in defining the era.
Cultural shifts included jazz and blues music development, showing urban influences.

Focus Areas: Cultural aspects, farmer challenges, labor unions, and key distinctions (e.g., Captain of Industry vs. Robber Baron).
Review the dynamics of social gospel versus social Darwinism for nuanced understanding.
Be prepared for specific short answer questions regarding unions and their impacts.