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Gilded Age

Gilded Age. Freedmen in the Gilded Age. Jim Crow. Term given to systematic, state sponsored era of discrimination against Freedmen Both official and unofficial discrimination Rules and customs designed to prohibit the political and economic power of African Americans Methods used:

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Gilded Age

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  1. Gilded Age

  2. Freedmen in the Gilded Age

  3. Jim Crow • Term given to systematic, state sponsored era of discrimination against Freedmen • Both official and unofficial discrimination • Rules and customs designed to prohibit the political and economic power of African Americans • Methods used: • lynchings/violence http://freedmensbureau.com/alabama/alaoutrages.htm • Poll Tax • Literacy Tests • Grandfather Clause

  4. http://freedmensbureau.com/alabama/alaoutrages.htm

  5. But I thought the 14th Amendment protected equal rights? • Cruikshank v. United States (1876) • Colfax, Louisiana murders • men charged with prohibiting 1st, 2nd, 14th Amendments under Enforcement Act 1870 • However, Bill of Rights applies ONLY to Congress • “Congress shall not…” • infringe on freedom of speech, association • interfere with right to bear arms • discriminate based on race • Does not apply to states or private parties!

  6. Politics in the Gilded Age

  7. Credit-Mobilier • Union Pacific Railroad operated under government subsidies • Owner Thomas Durant of UP creates Credit-Mobilier construction company to build railroad • charges extremely high rates to UP • As owner of UP and C-M, he is paying himself with government subsidy • Durant lines pockets of Congressmen with C-M stock to ensure a friendly Congress • President U.S. Grant’s name is seen on a private letter from Durant • Anti-Grant press charge the Presidency was “bought”

  8. Following the Credit Mobilier Scandal, the political corruption will reach its pinnacle • President James A. Garfield (20th President, 1881) assassinated by Charles Guiteau • March 1881 - September 1881 • Shot at Washington Train Depot as he was leaving to meet his wife in Long Island

  9. Garfield takes office 1881, over 100,000 federal government positions • Spoilsmen:Job seekers out of “fear and greed” • Spoils System • Guiteau believes Garfield owes him a job after writing him a “letter of recommendation” • Or was it for Grant?

  10. I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts!

  11. Aftermath of Guiteau and Garfield “I am the Stalwarts of the Stalwarts! I did it and I want to be arrested! Arthur is President now!” • There is some good that came from this: 1883, Chester A. Arthur (21st President 1881-1885) passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act -Federal employees cannot be hired or fired on the basis of political ideology -Officially abolishes the Spoils System

  12. How corrupt are we today?

  13. Rise of Industry in the Gilded Age

  14. Technological Revolution • Energy • Communication • Transportation • Steel processing

  15. 1860-1900: 500,000 patents (12x more than previous 70 years!) • Inventions developed increase the productivity of business • Electricity • Oil • Steel production • Rapidly growing industry provided thousands of jobs • Move from farm to factory • Immigrants

  16. Thomas Edison: Why is he famous? Edison: “Inventor” of Light Bulb (kind of, but really plagiarised) • Direct Current vs. Alternating Current • About Edison: “ Why they even had a professor named Harold Brown who went around talking to audiences... and electrocuting dogs and old horses right on stage, to show how dangerous alternating current was.”

  17. Steel Revolution • Bessemer Process: simplified making steel • removed impurities of Iron • Allowed mass production of steel • Building of modern cities • Bridges, skyscrapers • Brooklyn Bridge • Chicago Reliance Building

  18. Growth of Big Business • Growth of industry required large amounts of capital • Required new practices to acquire capital • New practices to develop business • Examples: Carnegie Steel (Vertical Integration)& Standard Oil (Horizontal Integration) • Vertical Integration: Control all phases of production of one product • Horizontal: buy up all competitors in their field

  19. Andrew Carnegie John D. Rockefeller

  20. Economic and Social Effects of Industry

  21. Labor Unions: Knights of Labor • Knights of Labor • Originally secret, opened doors for all: skilled or unskilled, men and women, black and white • Reach 750,000 members by 1885 • Did not involve in politics • Main goal was 8 hour work day

  22. Knights of Labor & Haymarket Square • Haymarket Square Riots: Knights of Labor downfall • Growing number of anarchists had influenced union • Chicago: May 4, 1886: Pipebomb thrown into police during strike • 8 arrested, but damage done to Knights • Publics mind associates Knights with anarchy • “Arm Yourselves and Appear in Full Force!”

  23. American Federation of Labor (AFL) • Organized by Samuel Gompers • Stay out of politics, but urged members to support friendly candidates • Seek better wages, hours, and conditions • “Closed Shop” workforce: All union workers only • Skilled craftsmen only, unlike Knights of Labor • Did not allow women or blacks

  24. Growth of the Cities Push/Pull Factors 1. Immigration (Southern & Eastern Europe, Asia) • Italians, Jewish, Polish, Czech, Mexicans, China, Japan 2. Migration from farms • 11 million move from farms to cities • Transportation improvements in cities 3. Industrial Job Opportunities/Construction of skyscrapers 4. Black Southerners escaping post-Reconstruction South

  25. The Challenge of the Cities 240,000 people living per square mile • Housing projects become divided into Tenements • Not until 1879 were windows required! • Dumbbell Tenements

  26. Reform Movements of the Gilded Age

  27. Prohibition of Alcohol • Popularity of alcohol blamed for ills of society • an immoral evil and temptation of the poor • kept men and families poor • caused unemployment • immigrants encouraged through customs of Old World • Anti-Saloon League

  28. Immigration Challenges • “New Immigrants” posed threats to American society in several ways • Economic: viewed as labor competition for unskilled jobs • challenged by labor unions • Nativists: saw threat to American culture • Political: Immigrants seen as threat to political stability • “Boss Tweed” of New York: Political Machine • Exchange votes for jobs

  29. Narrowing the Welcome Mat • Immigrants often seen as culturally inferior • high birth rates, illiteracy (English), low skilled • become blamed for urban degradation • blamed for driving down wages • 1882: Congress passed restrictive immigration laws • Prohibit immigration of insane, diseased, anarchists, prostitutes • Chinese Exclusion Act • Prohibit immigration of Chinese laborers

  30. Social Gospel Movement • Apply teachings of Christ to society • created Settlement Houses • Jane Addams: Hull House in Chicago • provide food, comfort, bed, education, child care for poor and immigrants

  31. Education Reform • Booker T. Washington • African Americans need to learn skills necessary to be economically independent • vocational skills • W.E.B. DuBois • teach skills to create leaders in the black community • liberal arts

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