DCUSH Exam #1, Semester 2

  1. How did the nature of work and the composition of the workforce change during the Gilded Age?

People moved away from farm jobs to industrial sector, working manufacturing jobs, work became specialized and repetitive (assembly lines) - tech such as Bessemer stell process improved production - harsh working conditions and low wages → big income gap between poor and rich - factories were dangerous, workers began to organize labor unions - migration to urban centers - increase in child and female labor - formation of labor unions that planned strikes and advocated for better hours, wages, and conditions (Haymarket Affair)

  1. What were the goals of the Populist Party? Why were they considered radical in their day? 

Founded to represent farmers - advocated for political and economic reform - advocated for bimetallism leading to inflation that would help small farmers pay off their debts, government ownership of railroads to prevent monopolies, income tax so that more wealthy people paid more taxes than poor people to reduce economic disparity - advocated for limits on workday - wanted to improve standard of living for farmers - The Populist Party's calls for government intervention in the economy, especially the nationalization of key industries like railroads and utilities, were seen as a direct challenge to the laissez-faire capitalism that dominated the Gilded Age - Their attacks on the concentration of power and wealth were seen as a radical challenge to the entrenched interests of big business, which had a powerful influence on government policy - coinage of silver prioritized the interests of farmers and workers over those of industrialists, was considered a radical departure from mainstream economic thought - beliefs alarmed conservatives - The Populist Party was considered radical in its day because it directly challenged the dominant political and economic systems

  1. Changes railroads brought to American society during the Gilded Age

  • it was the key to opening the West

  • Aided the development of other industries -  provided public lands to railroad companies in different building locations 

  1. Horizontal v. vertical integration 

Horizontal Integration : when a company buys or merges with another company in the same business to get bigger.

  • ex: two pizza places in town. One pizza place buys the other. Now, they’re the only pizza place in town and control more of the market.

Vertical Integration: when a company buys other companies that are either before or go after them in the process of making their product

  • ex: a shoe company makes shoes, but it doesn’t make its own leather (they buy it from a supplier). If that shoe company buys a leather factory, they now control the leather supply too (from selling shoes to making leather).

  1. Social Darwinist beliefs

  • Darwin’s concept of survival of the fittest → applied to competition among nations

    • American dream - “up by your bootstraps”

    • Inequality is Natural: Social and racial hierarchies are justified as part of natural selection.

    • Justification for Imperialism: Strong nations have a right to dominate weaker ones

  • Advocates argued against welfare programs, labor rights, or any interventions that might "help" the weaker members of society, as it was seen as interfering with natural selection

  1. Big Stick Policy - 

  1. Describe politics during the Gilded Age

  • Political and corporate corruption and laissez-faire/hands off approach to government involvement

  • Political Machines

    • Headed by a single boss, it commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city, county, or state

    • They could speak to immigrants in their own language and understood the challenges that newcomers faced

    • provided immigrants with support that city governments and private businesses did not provide

    • Could be greedy and vindictive (seeking revenge against disloyal voters) and often stole millions from the taxpayers in the form of graft

    • also involved in voting fraud

  1. Describe working conditions for many Americans

  1. Describe the term “gilded age.” 

  • Named by Mark Twain; he means that the period was getting glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.

  • It was an age dominated by big business values, political corruption, and extremes of wealth and poverty.

  • During the gilded age, the US changed from a predominantly rural agrarian nation to an urban industrial one

  1. Gospel of Wealth - During the Progressive Era: Main goal: fix the problems of the Gilded Age!! (monopolies, discriminations - nativism, slums - low wages

  • Key takeaways:

    • Carnegies & other industrialists believe poor should be supported an diaded ina way that the wealthy saw fit → rather than giving handouts to the poor, the wealthy would fund institutions that would uplift the poor (like schools)

  • Social Darwinists often opposed the ideas of the Gospel of wealth as they believed any form of philanthropy or helping the poor interfered with the natural process of "survival of the fittest,"

  1. Impact of How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis

  • Muckraking: investigative journalists trying to bring public attention to societal problems that needed to be fixed

  • Jacob Riis - “How the Other Half Lives”

    • Work of photojournalism documenting the squalid living conditions in New York City. 

    • Enlightened New York City’s upper and middle class to the poor’s living conditions!!

  • Increased awareness: The book raised awareness of the city's poor conditions 

  • Improved living conditions: The book led to legislation to improve housing conditions for the poor 

  • Social reform: The book inspired social reform and "muckraking" journalism 

  • Housing policy reform: The book led to city officials reforming and enforcing housing policies 

  1. “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”

  • says the frontier's influence was so significant that it was inseparably linked to America's identity. Turner also claims that westward expansion allowed Americans to cast aside European influence and take on a uniquely American identity.

  1. Homestead Act - a law that gave citizens the opportunity to claim 160 acres of free government land

  • act intended to encourage economic growth in the American West

  • also intended to help develop the western territories

  1. Dawes Act -  designed to promote assimilation: dissolved tribes as legal entities & eliminated tribal ownership of land 

  • conflicts between Native and the US

  1. Tweed, Tammany Hall, and political machines

  • The Infamous Boss Tweed - American Politician 

    • Led Tammany Hall , a political machine in  NYC in favor of the Democratic Party (played a major role in politics)

    • Political machine: Headed by a single boss, it commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city, county, or state

    • Made over $200 million by securing bribes and manipulating the government through embezzlement, fake leases, padded bills, ect.

    • Schemes uncovered by cartoonist Thomas Nast of the New York Times

    • Boss Tweed sent to prison!!

  1. What was their relationship with immigrant populations?

    1. they served and influenced immigrants; it was like a public welfare system for them. Tweed challenged labor unions when no one wanted to.

      1. In exchange for their votes he provided them with food, fuel, etc.

  1. Assimilation of Natives/ Carlisle School

  • Carlisle Indian School

    • Students who were stripped off their language, forced to cut their hair, and converted to christianity 

    • Lost significant connection to their tribe and their culture 

    • While some students left boarding schools and returned home, many others did not and thus forever lost their culture identity

  1. Events of Haymarket Affair

  • A labor protest at Haymarket Square; a bomb exploded during a police attempt to disperse the crow, many police officers were killed, lead to the arrest and trial of 8 anarchist leaders 

  1. Changes to immigration in the Gilded Age – what group increased the most?

  • The majority of immigrants came from South and Eastern Europe

    • Many settled in industrial centers on the east coast

    • These immigrants were often unskilled, illiterate, and primarily Catholic, orthodox or jewishThey faced hospitality from new americans and were often stereotyped and discriminated against

  • Asia: The majority of immigrants from Asia settled on the west coast, where they worked on railroads. The majority of these immigrants came from China

  • The influx of immigrants led to the creation of ethnic neighborhoods in cities such as NYC, Pittsburgh, and Chicago

    • However,  not everyone was welcoming to the immigrants 

      • Nativist campaigned to protect the rights of native citizens and felt that the immigrants threatened american society

  1. Homestead Act - a law that gave citizens the opportunity to claim 160 acres of free government land

  • act intended to encourage economic growth in the American West

  • also intended to help develop the western territories

  1. Chinese Exclusion Act: prohibited immigration from Che policy of protecting - Anti-Chinese sentiment

  • Nativism: the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or against those of immigrants 

  1. Meaning of “progressivism” 

  •  political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. 

    • Sought to address issues they associated with rapid industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and political corruption, as well as the concentration of industrial  ownership in monopolies

    • Some progressives were interested in:

      • Cleaning up corrupt city governments

      • Fighting for a more democratic government 

      • Improving working conditions in factories

      • Improving living conditions for those who lived in the slums 

      • Aiding environment and conservation of resources

  1. Effects of Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - a reform for workers

doors were locked and windows were too high for them to get to the ground

  1. Dramatized the poor working conditions and led to federal government to protect workers and safety standards (stricter fire regulations) 

    1. additionally improved working conditions for women and children

  1. Settlement houses: centers or the community that provided social, educational, and healthcare services to the urban poor individuals and immigrants ← in response to industrialization and urbanization

  • women (like Janes Addams & Hull House) lived among immigrant poor and educated/Americanized them, provided childcare, etc.

  1. Muckrakers

What are they? investigative journalists trying to bring public attention to societal problems that needed to be fixed

Examples: 

  • Jacob Riis - “How the Other Half Lives”

    • Work of photojournalism documenting the squalid living conditions in NYC; he enlightened NYC’s upper and middle class to the poor’s living conditions

  • Lincoln Steffens - “The Shame of the Cities,”

  • Ida Tarbell exposed corrupt tactics of Standard Oil Company

  • Upton Sinclair - “The Jungle”

    • Story about a fictional immigrant working in the meatpacking industry

    • Hoped his novel would help the industrial conditions for workers while advancing socialism in the U.S.

  1. Matching: Addams, Du Bois, Riis, Sinclair, Stanton, LaFollette

  •  Sinclair - “The Jungle”

  • Story about a fictional immigrant working in the meatpacking industry

  • Hoped his novel would help the industrial conditions for workers while advancing socialism in the U.S

  • Riis - “How the Other Half Lives”

  • Work of photojournalism documenting the squalid living conditions in NYC; he enlightened NYC’s upper and middle class to the poor’s living conditions

  • Stanton (Elizabeth Cady) 

  • Woman apart of the Progressive Era:

  • NAWSA

  • Janes Addams 

    • Addams created settlement houses; she lived among the immigrant poor and educated/Americanized them, provided childcare, etc.

  • LaFollete

    • came with idea that people fo the states would be able to elect their own senator (apart of the Wisconsin legislature)

    • compiled a progressive record that implemented primary elections and tax reforms (+ railroads?)

  • Du Bois

    • one of the foremost Black intellectuals of his era

    • one of the founders of the National association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ← used to respond to racists incidents, but first targeted inequality in education

  1. Define: Laissez-Faire

  • Laissez-Faire government does not interfere in the workings of the free market/business; it let things take their own course

    • Gov policies led to immense wealth for business owners but poor conditions for workers