Early Reforms in the Gilded Age Gilded Age

Early Reforms in the Gilded Age

Gilded Age (1870 -1900) • Mark Twain and Charles Warner’s novel “The Gilded Age”(1873) • Novel talked about American politics and society. • Gilded = something covered with gold on the outside but made of cheaper metal on the inside • Gilded Age= Beneath benefits of Industrialization and Urbanization (increased life expectancy) was poverty, corruption, crime, and great disparities in wealth between the rich and poor.

Individualism • Idea that no matter how humble a person’s origins, they could rise in society (based on talent and commitment) Horatio Alger wrote over 100 “rags to riches” novels that inspired Americans to believe that success was not impossible

Social Darwinism • Herbert Spencer proposed idea. • Inspired by Charles Darwin who believed that life evolved over the years through natural selection. • Believed that human society evolved and improved over the years because only the fittest survived. • catchphrase was “Survival of the fittest”

Social Darwinism • Reinforced idea of individualism • Supported the idea of laissez-faire • William Graham Sumner (political scientist) = if govt interfere with business, competition would not root out those that couldn’t adapt. • John D. Rockefeller supported SD a lot (industrial giant of oil)

Opposition to SD • Some people believed in Bible’s account of Creation • Henry Ward of Plymouth Church accepted Spencer’s ideas of SD • Andrew Carnegie combine SD with Gospel of Wealth. • Believed rich should engage in philanthropy –donate fortunes to help the poor and further social progress

Realism • Movement in art and literature that portrayed people realistically instead of idealizing them like in romanticism • Mark Twain “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” view of pre-Civil War era •

Popular Culture/Entertainment • Industrialization improved standard of living for people, had more leisure time • Saloons, playing or watching basketball, baseball, football because job less strenuous physically. • Ragtime music (African American) • Vaudeville=animal acts, dancers, acrobats

Criticism • Henry George “Progress and Poverty” raised questions about great gap between rich/poor. • Lester Frank “Dynamic Sociology” = Reform Darwinism. People survive because of ability to cooperate, therefore govt should be involved (poverty, education, economy) • Edward Bellamy “Looking Backward” want socialism • Naturalism=style of writing that criticized indust. Society.

Helping the Urban Poor • Social Gospel Movement (1870 -1920) • Improve city conditions based on biblical ideas (day care, helping the poor) • Washington Gladden (minister from Columbus, Ohio) try apply “Christian Law” to social problems. • Coal strike (1884) Gladden= right and necessity of labor organizations” • Billy Sunday =protect trad. society denounce alcohol, women’s rights, labor unions

Helping the Urban Poor • Christian Mission aka Salvation Army(1878) • Dwight L. Moody. President of Chicago YMCA, Bible studies, prayers, wanted to redeem souls and reform character of people. reject SD and SG

Public Education • Idust. and urbanization=need more educated workers. • 1870= 6, 500, 000 children in school, • 1900= 17, 300, 000 • At schools knowledge about American culture (Americanization). Helped immigrants assimilate but immigrants might forget own cultural traditions

Settlement Houses • middle–class residents in poor neighborhoods lived with and helped poor residents (mostly immigrants) • Hot lunches, English lessons, medical care • Jane Addams’ Hull House in Chicago

Education • Morrill Land Grand Act: federal land given to state for purpose of making agricultural and mechanical colleges. • Private colleges gave women edu. • Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama (1881) because Africans did not have equal edu opportunities

Education • Public libraries made edu. available but like schools hard for rural people to have access • Andrew Carnegie donated millions to construct libraries • LAST SLIDE!!! Whoot!!

Homework • Read the Profiles in History section on Page 269 and explain which man ( Booker T. Washington or George Washington Carver) made a bigger impact in society. • Minimum 3 sentences.

Politics and Reform Rachel Miller & Angie Ng

Spoils System (Patronage) • Gov. jobs were given to supporters of the winning party • Americans thought it corrupted the gov. & stopped lawmakers from addressing nation’s issues • Repub. Pres. Hayes fights patronage • Appoints “Halfbreeds” to replace “Stalwarts” • Halfbreeds = Republican reformers • Stalwarts = local bosses of republican political machines • Despite arguments, Republicans nominate James A. Garfield (Halfbreed) for president & Chester A. Arthur (Stalwart) for vice-president.

Assassination of Pres. J. A. G. • Killed by Charles Guiteau, a Stalwart • Believed that w/ Garfield dead, he would unite the Republican Party • Congress responds with Pendleton Act • Civil service system where candidates are appointed based on examinations • 14, 000 jobs (1/10 of total) resulted • Started to end the spoils system.

Political Deadlock • Republican advantages • New England, Midwest, big businesses • Senate • Democrat advantages • South w/ large Catholic & immigration populations • House of Reps • Twice during 1877 -1896, a candidate lost popular vote, but won election b/c still received all electoral votes in states • Republicans & Democrats can’t agree on issues= can’t pass laws that helped economy

Election of 1884 • (Dem) NY Gov. Grover Cleveland vs. (Rep) James G. Blaine, former House of Reps. Speaker • Blaine = Credit Mobilizer Scandal • Cleveland = Bachelor, but fathered a child 10 yrs. earlier • Because Cleveland admitted the rumor was true, he earned RESPECT. • Blaine lost several votes due to: • “Muguwumps” that liked Cleveland’s honesty • Not defending the Irish Catholics • The Prohibition Party Candidate promised to ban alcohol sales

Commerce, Trusts, and Tariffs • Greater industrialization + growth labor movement = strikes + worried Americans • Standard Oil negotiates rebates (partial refund) and lower rates b/c of volume of goods they shipped • Gov. believed they shouldn’t meddle with the problem • Public pressure= Interstate Commerce Act • 1 st federal law designed regulate interstate commerce • House of reps (democrats) want pass more tariffs but Senate (republicans) reject proposal

Republicans Regain Power • Election of 1888: Cleveland vs. Benjamin Harrison(repub) • Harrison lost popular vote but got electoral votes • Republican control + both houses Congress + White House • Mc. Kinley Tariff passed (covered fed. Revenue & transformed nation’s budget supplies into budget deficit)

Unrest in Rural America • Farmers produced more crops, but prices lowered • High tariffs increased cost of manufactured goods that farmers needed • Farmers struggle to sell crops overseas • Had no hope in both parties to help • Embrace populism: increasing farmers’ political power

Currency • To help Union War, US Treasury issued millions of dollars in greenbacks (can’t exchange for gold and silver) • More currency + no rise in goods for sale= inflation • Post-civil war currency: greenbacks, gold, silver, national bank notes • Fed. Gov. stopped printing greenbacks to pay off bonds • 1885: stopped making silver coins • Deflation: increase in value and decrease of prices • Farmers didn’t like this

Patron of Husbanding (Grange) • • 1 st national farm organization Formed b/c farers wanted greenbacks back Created cooperatives (marketing organization for their crops) Western States pass “Granger Laws” • Railroads fight this by cutting their service • Wabash vs. Illinois (1886): Supreme Court says that states can’t regulate commerce that crosses state lines

Farmer’s Alliance • Replaces Grange • Believes they can est. large cooperatives (exchanges), force farm prices up, make loans to farmers @ low interest rates • Succeeded at first, then failed b/c wholesalers, manufacturers, railroads discriminated against them • Also failed b/c they’re still too small!

Populism • 1890: Power struggle within the Farmer’s Alliance b/c problems still not fixed • Leaders in western states wanted new party for political reforms • Kansas Alliance creates People’s Party (Populists) • Endorsed democratic candidates that support their demands • Candidates to Congress or state legislatures

Ocala Demands • 1890: Farmer’s Alliance met in Ocala, Florida • Wanted free coinage of silver, end to protective tariffs, national banks, tighter regulation of railroads, direct election of senators by votes. • Sherman’s Silver Purchase Act of 1890 • • Led by Senator John Sherman Made to stop farmers from voting for Populists Allowed exchange of gold for silver US Treasury purchases 4. 5 mil oz. of silver per month • Didn’t help farmers, but it reduced deflation slightly

A Populist for President? ! • July 1892: James B. Weaver nominated • Omaha Platform • return unl. coinage of silver, make graduated income tax (tax higher earnings heavily) • Workdays = 8 hrs. • Restrict immigration • Strikebreaking is wrong • Competition: Grover Cleveland (he’s back, folks!) + Repub. Benjamin Harrison • Grover Cleveland won … again.

Panic of 1893 • March: Philadelphia & Reading Railroads declared bankruptcy b/c they expanded too fast and couldn’t repay loans • Stock market on Wall Street crashed • 1894: economy in depression; 18% workforce unemployed • US Treasury in trouble • American & European investors cashed their US gov bonds for gold – which left gov gold reserves extremely low • June 1893: Grover Cleveland repeals Sherman Silver Purchase Act • Led to split of Democratic Party into “goldbugs” and “silverites”

Election of 1896: • Populist’s strategy: endorse silver so pro-silver democrats would vote for them • FAILED b/c democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan • Populists give in and vote for Bryan • Bryan is super hyper-active, traveling thousands of miles, making 600 speeches in 14 weeks • Candidate William Mc. Kinley did a “Front-Porch Campaign” • Literally. The man talked to people at his home in Canton, Ohio. • (psst wasn’t as effective)

Mc. Kinley’s Success Factors • Cleveland had bad rep for depression and losing silver • Mc. Kinley promised to provide “full dinner pail” • Esp imp for famers • Americans believed unl silver coinage would ruin country • He had a rep for moderation on labor issues and tolerated different ethnic groups • Urban workers and immigrants ♥ Mc. Kinley • While in office, the depression ended • Gold found in Canada (1896), Alaska (1898), South Africa • 1900: US adopted gold-based currency

The Rise of Segregation • Resistance and Repression • African Americans want jobs in Southern towns & homesteads • 1879: former slave, Benjamin “Pap” Singleton (70 yrs. Old) organized migration of thousands of African Americans from rural south to Kansas • Known as “Exodusts” • 1886: Colored Farmers National Alliance • 1891: hoped poor blacks + whites team up to challenge Democratic Party’s power in South

Disfranchising African Americans • Democrats want to win back poor whites by using racism • 1890: Mississippi required all citizens to… • pay poll tax of $2 to vote (which African American’s can’t afford) • Literacy test (had to read/understand constitution) • Pass the grandfather clause

Legalizing Segregation • Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibits forcing people out of public places b/c of race & discriminates when choosing jurors • 1883: Supreme Court overturns this • Hotels, theaters, and railroads free to practice segregation • Ex: Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) • Separate but equal

Lynching • 1890 -1899: mob violence increased (187 lynchings occurred w/o proper court proceedings EVERY year) • 80% of lynching happened in the South; 70% of the victims were African Americans

African Americans Respond • Ida B. Wells • Thought that greed & racism contributed to lynching • Congress rejected anti-lynching bill • Lynching decreased in 1900 s b/c of her & others’ contribution • Booker T. Washington • 1895: Atlanta Compromise • Speech that said to postpone fighting for civil rights; focus more on preparing themselves educationally and vocationally for equality

African Americans Respond • W. E. B. Du Bois • Leader of new generation of African American activists born after Civil War • Challenged Atlanta Compromise • White southerners still took civil rights away from African Americans • “Color discrimination is barbarianism” • Could regain lost ground & get equality by demanding the right to vote

HOMEWORK: • Do you agree with the Atlanta Compromise? Why or why not? Write at least 3 sentences.