The Gilded Age

1. The Gilded Age Circa 1870-1900

2. Monopoly • Sit in groups with at least one person who knows how to play the game. • Class rules: start playing first time around free parking, monopolies, houses • Noise and clean up • Money and bank • Deeds

3. Cash Distribution by Banker • $1—5 • $5—5 • $10—5 • $20—6 • $50—2 • $100—2 • $500--2

5. See Quiz • Count cash—see #12 • Count property values (houses and hotels + properties’ mortgage prices) • List properties—see #4 • Clean up!

6. Atlantic City– “America’s Playground”

8. First Miss America Contest, 1921

9. Miss America

10. “America’s Playground” • Longest Boardwalk in U.S. (7 miles) • First Ferris Wheel • Salt Water Taffy • Rooming Houses, summer houses, hotels, • Crime, corruption (“Get out of jail free”) • Miss America Contests • Show business (Frank Sinatra and others) • Economic troubles—1960s and 1970s • Gambling and casinos started in 1976 • Donald Trump developments—1980s

11. The Gilded Age Circa 1870-1900 Industrialization, Monopolization, Immigration, Urbanization, Unionization (and Political Corruption!)

12. I. Background • What does “gilded” mean? • Who referred to this time period as “The Gilded Age”? • Why is this period called this?

13. “ISMs” • Capitalism—economic practice of private ownership of goods, resources and services—U.S. has this • Socialism—economic practice of private ownership of most goods and services and state ownership of major resources and services—Canada has this • Communism—economic practice of state ownership of all goods, resources and services—Cuba has this

14. So… • The Gilded Age was a time when American capitalism was illustrated in extreme ways • “Gilded Age” implies pretty but cheap—it has a negative connotation (“superficial glitter”) • Our Gilded Age corresponds with England’s Victorian Age circa 1840-1900

15. II. Consider: Appearance vs. Reality • Economic success • Industrialization • Social conscience • Political involvement • Patriotism • “The New American” • Urbanization • Globalization Note: realism in literature and art is a response to the phoniness in politics and society

16. Industrialization

17. Film: Industrialization and Urbanization • What part of the country saw the rise of large cities? (North, South, North East, Southwest?) • List three technological advances (new inventions). • By 1900, the U.S. produced ___ of the world’s goods (half, one-third, one tenth). • The new “captains of industry” exploited what or whom? (exploited means used for own purposes) 5. How did the rise of industries in the U.S. lead to a rise of European immigration?

18. III. Industrialization and Mass Production • 35% of world’s goods were U.S. made • Factories had: Standardization of parts, assembly line, labor-saving machinery, division of labor, piecework • Growth of major eastern cities • As cities became crowded, some middle class people fled to suburbs and commuted to cities by streetcars and trains

19. IV. New Inventions—showcased at the Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia • Oil well, drill, pump • Electric power • Light bulb • Alternating current and transformers • Telegraphy and transatlantic cable • Telephone • Bessemer Process (steel) • Plumbing systems • Phonograph • Bicycle • Typewriter • Adding machine • Steam engine • Linoleum • Cameras • Elevator

20. Inventors • Bell—telephone • Westinghouse—alternating electrical currents • Edison—phonograph, movie camera, electric light bulb, and many more! • Firestone--tires

21. V. Retailing Techniques • Specialty shops • Chain stores • Department stores • Mail Order • Advertising and packaging • (A &P, Woolworth) • (Marshall Fields) • (Sears and Roebuck, Montgomery Ward)

22. VI. Law of Supply and Demand • High supply + low demand = low price • Low supply + high demand = high price

23. VII. Rise of Millionaires: Captains of Industry or Robber Barons? (Old money) (New money) Heinz Kennedy Hunt Buffet Gates Perot Walton Jobs Winfrey Bush Trump • Astor • Rockefeller • Carnegie • Vanderbilt • Harriman • Mellon • Morgan • Swift • Armour • Dupont • Duke • Forbes • Getty

24. VIII. Philosophies Gilded Age Response to Gilded Age Exploitation? Regulation? Populism? Progressivism? Unionization? • Social Darwinism • Gospel of Wealth • Protestant work Ethic • Market economy • Philanthropy • Monopoly • Trusts • Stock market • Laissez-faire

25. “Taylorism” • System of scientific management developed by Frederick W. Taylor • Development of a disciplined labor force by eliminating wasted motion • Time management techniques used in factories (with assembly line etc.)

26. Vertical Integration • When a company controls both the production and distribution of its product • Used by Carnegie to gain control over U.S. steel industry • Led to monopoly by eliminating the “middle man”

27. Horizontal Integration • When one company gains control over other companies that produce the same product • Used by Rockefeller in the oil refining business • Led to monopoly by eliminating competition

28. Laissez-faire Economics • Philosophy stating that economic activities should be largely free of governmental interference, regulations and restraint. • Laissez-faire economics was supported by leaders who, ironically, also supported protective tariffs

29. Horatio Alger • Wrote “rags to riches” stories • Very popular books on the idealization of the “self-made man”

30. World’s Fair of 1893—Columbian Exposition • Showcased American industrial development and architectural style

31. President Grover Cleveland Hosted the Openingof The World’s Fair New Products Ideas Walt Disney’s dad worked there and was impressed by the Giant Ferris Wheel The Pledge of Allegiance was written for the fair Columbus Day started in honor of 400th anniversary in 1892 Fair was besieged by bad luck including fatal accidents, storms, fire, and a serial killer in the city of Chicago • Cream of Wheatand Shredded Wheat cereals • Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer • Aunt Jemima Syrup • Juicy Fruit Gum • Cracker Jacks • Carbonated Sodas • Hamburgers • The Electric Chair

32. IndustrializationLed to Immigration

33. IX. Immigration • Push Factors: poverty, pogroms, political corruption • Pull Factors: factories, opportunities in West, ideals of freedom • 6 million from S. and E. Europe • 23 million total • Most were Roman Catholic, Jewish, Greek/Russian Orthodox • Most lived and worked in NE cities

34. X. Ellis Island • New York--Immigration Welcome Center—many were quarantined or had a name change • Note: Chinese and other immigrants who entered on the west coast came through Angel Island in San Francisco.

35. XI. Statue of Liberty • New York Harbor • Gift from France, 1886 • Poem, “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

36. “Give me your tired… …your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse from your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

37. Memorize the poem. A quiz will follow. It will be fill-in-the-blank. “Give me your ____, your ____, your huddled masses yearning to ________ free. The wretched ______from your teeming shore. Send these, the _____, tempest tossed to ______. I lift my ______ beside the golden _______.” • HOMELESS • REFUSE • TIRED • ME • LAMP • POOR • BREATHE • DOOR

38. XII. Immigrant Life • Ghetto (ethnic neighborhood) • Tenements (apartments) • Assimilation (more name changes!)

39. Nativism • Ethnocentrism • Xenophobia (fear of foreigners) (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882) • “Melting Pot” vs. “Tossed Salad” (assimilation vs. cultural autonomy)

40. Naturalization—process of becoming a U.S. citizen To apply, file Form N-400

41. A Tenement in New York

42. Industrialization and Immigration Led to Urbanization(growth of cities)New York, Chicago, Philadelphia,Pittsburgh, Boston, Baltimore,Detroit, etc.Railroads connected the Cities!

43. See Film: Filthy Cities, New York http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZxVDioNbs

44. Industrialization and Immigration also led to Unionization.Why?

45. XIII. Labor—Key Trends • Labor force was much larger due to immigrants, women, children… • Machines increasingly replaced skilled artisans • Large bureaucratic corporations dominated the American economy • National and international markets

46. What is a labor union? • A labor union is an organization of workers who can negotiate with employers over wages, hours, and benefits. • Unions who are unhappy with the terms of a contract can go on strike, which means to stop work, and form a picket line with signs.

47. XIV. Knights of Labor • Led by Terence Powderly—750,000 members by 1886 • Open membership (including women, African-Americans, immigrants) • Semi-skilled and unskilled workers • Idealistic—believed in cooperation between labor and management • Wanted eventual ownership of companies by labor

48. XV. Major Labor Unions(skilled vs. unskilled) • Knights of Labor • American Federation of Labor • Industrial Workers of the World • American Railway Union (led by Eugene Debs) • United Mine Workers • International Ladies Garment Workers Union (later)

49. IWW— “Wobblies” • Led by “Mother Jones” • Inclusive (anybody could join) • “An injury to one is an injury to all” • Wanted one big union • Encouraged class conflict and violence • Pegged as socialist and anarchist

50. American Federation of Labor (AF of L) • Replaced Knights of Labor • Led by Samuel Gompers, leader of Cigar Makers Union • Alliance of skilled workers in craft unions • Focused on “bread and butter” issues: higher wages, shorter hours, better working conditions