The Gilded Age

1. The Gilded Age

2. The Gilded Age • Mark Twain coined this phrase to describe this period for its ugly worthless inside and beautiful gold covered exterior • Grant’s administration, Political Machine, robber barons

3. Immigrants After 1870 • After 1870, the immigrants came form Eastern Europe primarily: Czechoslovakia, Russia, Hungary, Italy, and Poland • Brought different cultures, languages, religions, and lifestyles • Clashed with Native-born Americans and earlier immigrants • Tended to settle in communities of common culture; marring and educating within their own ethnic area

4. Newcomers arrived in New York, Ellis Island (opened in 1890), or Boston Subjected to medical exams and possibly quarantined. About 1% were sent back.

5. Nativists Nativists were Native Born Americans Began to call for legislation to set quotas on immigrants

8. Victorian Society influences America (1840-1900) • Rules for the Sexes: • Unmarried men and women were to be chaperoned • A man ask a woman permission before he wrote to her • A kiss meant engagement or social disgrace • You are married for life • Mourn death of spouse for at least a year, some would never remarry • Wives were to tame men’s animalistic nature

9. Men worked • Children were required to show respect for their elders • Families observed the Sabbath for church and rest • Sports emerge as entertainment: Football, Boxing, and Bicycling  women could participate

11. Reform Movements • Social Gospel • Organized of ministers who went into the slums to preach the Gospel • Women’s Christian Temperance Union • Pursued missions to the poor, prison reform; protested against male dominated politics and sought an end to the use of alcohol

12. Strong force in improving city life • Jane Addams • She and other volunteers organized settlement houses • Hull House • Held citizenship classes, provided training in cultural issues and offered sports to youth • Goal of the houses- to bridge European and American experiences

13. Political Machines A political party group who traded services for votes Headed by a strong influential leader known as the boss

14. Tammany Hall • The political machine of New York • Democratic Party organization • 1850s-1930s • Their most famous leader was William M. Tweed • Also known as Boss Tweed • He served as city alderman, a member of Congress, and a New York State assembly man

15. Tweed Ring Worked to help immigrants gain citizenship, find jobs and housing in exchange for votes for Democratic Candidates City contracts went to those in the city who supported Democratic Candidates as well

16. The House that Tweed Built NY County Courthouse Was designed to cost $250,000 Plaster work was $500,000 Had 1 million dollars in repairs needed Total cost was more than 13 million dollars

17. Broken Ring • Disgruntled member turned over accounting books to a reporter in 1871 • Tweed was indicted • Escaped conviction in first trial • Found guilty of 204 counts in second • Fled to Spain • Was arrested and returned after an official recognized him from a political cartoon • Died in 1878

18. Thomas Nast Political Cartoonist Harper’s Weekly Worked to expose the political corruption of Tweed in New York City’s Tammany Hall

20. Other Bosses • Christopher A. Buckley • San Francisco • Kept tax rates low • “Honest” John Kelly • New York, Tammany Hall • Kept a watchful eye on NYC’s treasury

21. Why?? • Immigrants made up most of the constituency • Had little experience with democratic governments • Were easy prey • Bosses paid attention to the needs of the least privileged • Offered services which government and business neglected

22. Cities

23. Structure of a City Before 1880 Central Business District Working Class Wealthy Agriculture

24. Structure of a City After 1880 Central Business District Middle Class Peasants & Immigrants Wealthy Working Class Agriculture

25. Cities • Architects create skyscrapers as a practical solutions to space problems • Made possible by improvements in steel and the development of elevators • 1st skyscraper was made in Chicago in 1885 • “Home Insurance Building” • 10 stories tall

26. The poor live in tenements • 6-7 story houses built on narrow lots • 25 feet wide x 100 feet long • Windows were only in the front and back

27. Multi-generations of families lived together • Crowded • Sanitation poor • Disease rampant • Bad smells • Reformers got laws passed to improve conditions • Required improved ventilation • Architects designed dumbbell tenements

28. Dumbbell Tenements Windows Tenements Dumbbell Tenements Dumbbell tenements had recessed sides to allow more windows to be installed

29. Jacob Riis published a book called How the Other Half Lives discussing the terrible conditions of city life. Included photos

30. Race for White House • Election of 1876 • Democrats – Samuel Tilden • Republicans – Rutherford B. Hayes • Electoral College • Tilden- 184 (needed 185) • Hayes- 165 • Congress had to appoint • They ruled that Hayes would be president • It was rumored that Hayes “won” because he agreed to pull the military out of the South

31. Government and Industry • The Government had to give land grants for construction of railroads • Owners: • Vanderbilt, Huntington, and Gould • Asked for protection from competition • They claimed it would weaken the industry

32. Robber Barons A term used for business owners because they got very wealthy from business and were perceived to be thieves

33. Other Businesses • Standard Oil • John D. Rockefeller • Leading example of monopoly power • The company had sole control of the industry and can set price and supply • Carnegie Steel • Andrew Carnegie • Through the Bessemer Process, he improved the steel making process • He preached the “Gospel of Wealth”: philanthropist • Make all the money you can – but then give it away

37. Monopolies • Vertical integration • Owning all of the steps in producing a good • Carnegie Steel • Horizontal integration • Buying all the Competition • Rockefeller – Standard Oil • Monopolies = higher costs for consumers because of a lack of competition to keep the prices low

39. Monopolies Continued… • Consumers wanted the Government to stop monopoly power • But big businesses retaliated with trusts • Companies didn’t buy all of the stock from the competition, and instead managed the stock for the other company • Were joined but not owned, meaning they weren’t breaking the law

40. New Inventions • Telephone, phonograph, typewriter, Kodak camera, light bulb (Thomas Edison). • Electricity to homes and businesses • George Westinghouse discovered how to transmit electric current • Electric street cars developed

41. Unions

42. Workers, Unions, & Strikes • Work Day • 12 to 16 hour days • 6 days a week • Extremely dangerous conditions • No protection or security • Child labor at peak • Began working at 6

43. Had to accept whatever wages and conditions you were offered • To try to improve conditions workers formed labor unions • Unions were organizations of workers fighting for improved pay, better hours, improved conditions, and more benefits. • The National Labor Union • Craftsmen • They wanted an 8 hour day and improved conditions • Railroad workers also began joining the union

44. Railroad Strike of 1877 • Eastern Railroads announced a 10% wage cut • A year later, they threatened a second cut • Angry workers walked out • Army sent in • Strike got violent • Hundreds died and more were injured • Vandals pulled up tracks and ties • The overwhelming force of the government caused the unrest to die out

45. Knights of Labor • Coal Miners Union • Soon embraced skilled labor from any profession • Included blacks and women • They won success against Gould and grew in popularity • Their second walkout against Gould was met with military force and violence • Afterwards, the Knights began to decline

46. Haymarket Affair • Chicago • Haymarket Square • Workmen gathered to protest police conduct during a strike • Bomb exploded  Police killed • Other officers began firing • 7 officers and 2 civilians killed • 70 injured

47. American Federation of Labor • Alliance craft and skilled workers • Opposed immigrant labor especially Chinese • Achieved many benefits for members through strikes and negotiations

48. Social Darwinism • A philosophy based on Darwin’s On the Origin of Species • Capitalists and wealthy represented “fittest” • Interfering with nature would only produce the “unfittest” • Argued man of energy and determination could triumph in corruptive systems even against great odds • The opposition said the gap between wealthy and poor was the monopoly of land by the rich and the rents charged by land owners • Proposed single tax on raising land values making other forms of taxation unnecessary

49. Railroad

50. Railroad • Travel in improving, more comfortable, faster, and safer • George Pullman invents a sleeper car • Refrigerated cars also invented • Terminals were built to move passengers and freight • Railroads were the first big business • New management systems developed of executives, management and labor • A chain of authority established