Study guide US history, Gilded Age, Progressives, Imperialism

The Gilded Age (1870s-1900s)

Why was this era called the Gilded Age?

• Coined by Mark Twain to describe the period as glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.

• Characterized by rapid industrialization, economic growth, political corruption, and stark social inequalities.

Reasons for Rapid Industrialization

1. Abundant natural resources – coal, oil, and iron fueled industrial growth.

2. Technological advancements – inventions like the telephone and electric light increased productivity.

3. Growing workforce – due to immigration and rural-to-urban migration.

4. Expansion of railroads – connected markets and enabled mass production.

5. Laissez-faire policies – minimal government intervention encouraged business growth.

Types of Technology that Led to Industrialization

• Bessemer Process (steel production)

• Electricity (Thomas Edison’s light bulb)

• Telephone (Alexander Graham Bell)

• Assembly line (early versions by meatpacking plants, later perfected by Henry Ford)

• Railroads and steam engines

Laissez-Faire Economics

• Government took a hands-off approach to business regulation.

• Encouraged monopolies and trusts.

• Led to exploitation of workers and unsafe working conditions.

Social Darwinism

• Applied Darwin’s theory of evolution to society.

• Justified the success of big businesses as "survival of the fittest."

• Used to oppose social welfare and labor reforms.

Gospel of Wealth

• Idea promoted by Andrew Carnegie.

• Argued that the wealthy had a duty to give back to society through philanthropy.

• Led to funding of libraries, universities, and charities.

Key Industrialists

• John D. Rockefeller – Founded Standard Oil; controlled much of the oil industry through horizontal integration (monopoly).

• Andrew Carnegie – Steel industry leader; used vertical integration (owning all aspects of production).

The Haves and Have-Nots

Labor Unions

• Organized to demand better wages, hours, and working conditions.

• Examples: Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor (AFL).

Strike, Picket Line

• Strike: Workers refuse to work to demand changes.

• Picket line: Workers protest outside a workplace to discourage strikebreakers.

Collective Bargaining, Leverage

• Collective bargaining: Negotiation between workers and employers.

• Leverage: Power used to gain an advantage in negotiations (e.g., threats of strikes).

The Immigrant Experience

Immigrant vs. Migrant vs. Nativist

• Immigrant – Someone who moves from one country to another permanently.

• Migrant – Someone who moves within a country for work or better living conditions.

• Nativist – Someone who opposes immigration and favors native-born citizens.

Push/Pull Factors

• Push Factors: Poverty, war, religious persecution, lack of jobs.

• Pull Factors: Economic opportunities, religious freedom, political stability.

Ethnic Neighborhoods

• Immigrants often settled in communities with people of the same nationality (e.g., Little Italy, Chinatown).

The Great Migration

• Movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities for better job opportunities and to escape racial discrimination.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

• First U.S. law to restrict immigration based on nationality.

• Banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S.

Progressive Era (1890s-1920s)

Which Parts of Society Needed Reform?

• Poor working conditions, child labor, political corruption, women’s rights, food safety, monopolies.

Reformers & Their Contributions

1. Jane Addams – Social reformer; founded Hull House (settlement house) to help immigrants.

2. Upton Sinclair – Wrote The Jungle, exposing the meatpacking industry’s unsanitary conditions; led to food safety laws.

Muckrakers

• Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices.

• Examples: Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell (exposed Standard Oil’s corruption).

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

• Deadly factory fire in NYC; led to new workplace safety laws.

Teddy Roosevelt and the Square Deal

• Roosevelt’s Background: Former NY governor, Spanish-American War hero, became president after McKinley’s assassination.

• Square Deal: 3 parts – Conservation, Consumer Protection, Controlling Corporations.

• Roosevelt’s Attitude Toward Business: Wanted to regulate big businesses, not eliminate them; known as a "trust-buster."

Coal Strike of 1902

• First time the federal government (Roosevelt) intervened in a labor dispute in favor of workers.

American Imperialism (Late 1800s-early 1900s)

Reasons for Imperialism

1. Economic – New markets and raw materials.

2. Military – Naval bases, global power.

3. Ideological – Spread democracy and "civilize" other nations.

Yellow Journalism

• Sensationalized and exaggerated news to provoke public emotions and influence war.

• Example: Contributed to the start of the Spanish-American War.

“White Man’s Burden”

• Justification for imperialism; belief that white Americans had a duty to civilize non-Western societies.

Spanish-American War (1898)

• Causes: Cuban independence movement, U.S.S. Maine explosion, yellow journalism.

• Outcome: U.S. defeated Spain, gained control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.