The Gilded AgeCh 15 Skeleton Notes

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15.1 Gilded Age

Thin glittering layer of prosperity covering poverty and corruption of society Mark Twain

Golden period for America’s industrialists Wealth helped hide the problems of the

immigrants, laborers, and farmers and the widespread abuse of power in business and government

Ex: Jay Gould and corruption with the railroads

Remember laissez-faire?

Adam Smith’s ideas in The Wealth of Nations How US gov ran things in late 1800s Most people supported but also agreed on

gov aid when it helped them Ex: high tariff helped American manuf. goods,

land grants, subsidies (payments to encourage industry)

To ensure gov aid, business giants gave political gifts of money to the gov leaders

Credit Mobilier Scandal

Congress hired the Union Pacific Railroad Co to build the 1st transcontinental RR

Union Pacific hired Credit Mobilier to build the tracks Credit Mobilier overcharged Union Pacific, who

overcharged Congress Extra money pocketed and used to bribe gov

officials Congress didn’t investigate until 1872, 3 yrs after

RR opened

Spoils System/Patronage System

Led to corruption and bribery for government jobs, and corruption when used by dishonest appointees for personal profits

Republicans

Industrialists, bankers, eastern farmers Strongest in North and upper Midwest,

almost non-existent in South Favored tight money supply, gold standards,

high tariffs, generous pensions for Union soldiers, government aid to RR, strict limits on immigration, enforcement of blue laws

Democrats

Less privileged, Northern urban immigrants, laborers, southern planters, and western farmers

Claimed to represent the interests of ordinary people

Favored increased money supply, lower tariffs, higher farm prices, less government aid to big business, and fewer blue laws

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Presidential Candidates and Parties Parties were almost equal in size so presidential

candidate needed almost all the votes from their party to win Avoided well-defined stands on issues (cost them votes) Most states had strong ties to one party so most

candidates came from swing states 7 of 8 presidents who followed Johnson came from OH or NY

Republicans stirred up Civil War and won votes (blamed on the Democrats)

Democrats stirred up Reconstruction

1877: Hayes Elected

Didn’t use the spoils system Appointed qualified gov officials and fired those

not needed Began to reform the civil service: gov’s

nonelected workers Angered his party by doing so

And more when removed Arthur and replaced him with a Democrat

Strengthened the gov but weakened the Republicans

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1880 election

Republicans split 3 ways Stalwarts (defended the spoils system) Senator

Conkling Half-Breeds (wanted reform but to stay loyal to the

party) Senator Blaine Independents (opposed the spoils system

altogether) James Garfield won nomination (friend of

Half-Breeds) Chester A. Arthur (Stalwart) won VP nomination

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Democrats: General Winfield S. Hancock Results: slim win by Garfield

Assassinated over expected job through the spoils system that didn’t happen (7/2/1881)

Arthur became the next president Fought for patronage in NY but encouraged

reform in Congress

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Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) Created Civil Service Commission: classified

gov jobs and tested applicants’ fitness for them

Federal employees couldn’t be required to contribute to campaign funds and couldn’t be fired for political reasons

1884 Election Republican Candidate: Blaine Democratic Candidate: Grover Cleveland

Scandals ran that election campaign not the many issues

Cleveland became first Democratic president since 1856

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Cleveland’s Presidency

Favored tight $ policies, business interests supported him

Not all policies were pro-business Opposed high tariffs, took back 80 million acres of

federal land given to RRs and other interests Supported more gov regulation of RRs

Regulating Railroads

By 1880 about 14 states had RR commissions that looked into complaints charging more for short hauls than long hauls Rebates Keeping rates secret & charging different rates to

different people for the same service

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Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders including RRs (intrastate commerce)

Problem: many RRs crossed state borders Only fed gov had power to regulate (interstate

commerce) 1886: Wabash Case

RRs continued to be unregulated

Interstate Commerce Act (1887) Congress responded by passing this Required that rates be set in proportion to

distance traveled and that rates be made public

Outlawed special rates to powerful customers Set up Interstate Commerce Commission

(ICC) to enforce the act

ICC’s Abilities

Could not set RR rates Had to take the RRs to court

Usually lost Of 16 cases that came before Supreme Court

between 1887 and 1905, the Court ruled against the ICC 15 times

Economy of the 1890s

American business grew But 1893 a depression struck and lasted for

up to 7 years Ups and downs in economy made it the “hot

topic” of politics in this time

1888 Election Republican candidate: Benjamin Harrison

Increase the tariff Give more money to war soldiers Won business support

Democratic candidate: Grover Cleveland Reduce tariff

Cleveland lost

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Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) Law passed by Congress to stop companies

from getting a monopoly Another act was later passed to enforce this

act

Election of 1892

Harrison vs. Cleveland Cleveland was re-elected

Campaigned to lower tariffs

Cleveland’s Presidency

1893: depression 1894: repealed Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1894: used troops to end the Pullman Strike

which upset the unions

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1896 Election Republican candidate: William McKinley Democrat and Populist candidate: William

Jennings Bryan Cross of Gold Speech

McKinley won

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McKinley’s Administration

New tariff Stronger gold standard Ran again against Bryan in 1900 Depression ended September 6, 1901: McKinley assassinated

Shot by a mentally ill individual, died a few days later

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15.2 Immigration

In the late 1800s people were moving from country to country and many came to US

Why? Crop failures Famine Political persecution Religious persecution Wanted to fulfill the American dream Russian pogroms of 1880s Shortage of jobs and land Rising taxes

Getting Here

By ship 1st and 2nd class: pretty comfy Steerage: most immigrants traveled this way

Limited toilet facilities, no privacy, poor food, but cheap tickets

Not sure on exact # of immigrants or countries of origin 1/3 were “birds of passage”

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Immigration

1865-1890: 10 million immigrants mostly from NW and central European countries Until 1880 the states decided who was allowed in 1882: Fed gov began to control it by excluding certain

categories of people 1891: Office of the Superintendent of Immigration was

formed 1890s: shift happened and most came from central,

southern, and eastern Europe and the Middle East 1890-1920 10 mill immigrants came

Entering the US Entered through port cities

NYC, Boston, & Philadelphia on east coast San Francisco and Seattle on the west coast

These would be Asian immigrants

More than 70% of all immigrants came through NYC which was called the “Golden Door”

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Immigrants From Europe

1892: Ellis Island immigration station opened Physical exam was required

Could deport or quarantine Show papers, collect baggage Find a home

Ghettos developed in cities and towns Find a job (many employers took advantage of

them) Faced discrimination like restricted covenants

Agreements among homeowners not to sell property to certain groups in better neighborhoods

Immigrants from Asia

Largest groups were Chinese and Japanese Many worked for RR companies Faced racist attitudes

Labor unions worked hard to exclude Chinese immigrants

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act: stopped Chinese laborers from entering the US If you were already here you were allowed to return

through Angel Island, San Francisco, CA

Japanese Immigration

1st settled in Hawaii Some came to CA as farmers

Did not compete with union laborers like Chinese did Still discriminated against by unions and politicians

1907 Gentlemen’s Agreement: President Theodore Roosevelt San Francisco stopped school policy and Japan stopped

issuing laborers passports Webb Alien Land Law 1913: (CA) Alien Asians

could not own land

Mexican Immigrants

1902: Newlands National Reclamation Act More irrigation in southwestern lands Millions of acres of farm land coming from the

desert (TX-CA) More jobs available Mexicans immigrated

Pull factor: new work opportunities Push factor: revolution and civil war in Mexico

1921: Immigration Restriction Act Limited immigration from Europe and Asia

15.3 High Populations of Cities Immigrants and Americans moving into the

cities Americans:

Left hardships of farms for factory work in cities New products are putting people out of work

African Americans: Went to cities to look for work

How Cities Changed Horse-drawn carriages that ran on rails

introduced in the 1850s Allowed people to live farther away from work

Suburbs: people moved to residential communities outside cities

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Motorized Transportation 1868: 1st elevated trains in NY 1873: cable cars intro in San Francisco 1887: subway in Boston 1888: electric trolleys in Richmond, VA 1890s: automobile invented 1910s: automobile mass produced

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Upward Change Too

Skyscrapers (before Civil War, no building more than 5 stories high) 1852: Otis invented a

safety device for elevators

1885: Chicago’s Home Insurance Company Building appeared (1st skyscraper of 10 stories)

Cities Become Specialized

Specialized areas emerged in cities Banks, financial offices, law firms, and gov offices

located in one area in center Retail shops and department stores located in

another in center Industrial, wholesale, and warehouse districts

formed a ring around the center of the city

Urban Living Conditions

Tenements: low-cost apartment buildings Groups of run-down tenements turned an area

into a slum Slums

Cities declined Grass and trees disappeared People crammed into small areas Dirty and unhealthy (diseases spread fast) Fire was a constant danger

Dumbbell Tenements 1879 NY laws required outside window in

every room so new shape of building was created

Results of City Growth

Middle and upper class began to move to suburbs widening the gap b/w rich and poor

Some wealthy kept houses in the city and in the country

Governing Cities

Pressure to improve police, protection, transportation systems, sewage disposal, electrical and water service, and health care Cities raised taxes and set up offices to deal with

people’s needs New income made city gov more powerful

Competition for control rose Some groups represented the middle and upper

classes, others represented the majority of the population (workers and immigrants)

Political Machines and Bosses Political Machine: unofficial city organization

designed to keep a particular party or group in power and usually headed by a single powerful “boss” Sometimes he held public office Often picked those who would hold office Worked through exchange of favors Used ward leaders to help people in exchange for their

votes If you wanted a gov job, you had to pay the machine 1st

Political Machines and Graft Using one’s job to make a profit (bribery)

Major source of income for the machines Many blamed immigrants for power of

political machines Said the immigrants were taken advantage of

because they didn’t understand democracy Immigrants supported them because they helped

them with jobs and housing

Examples of “Bosses” George B. Cox: Cincinnati’s “boss”

Actually fairly honest William “Boss” Tweed: most infamous boss

Controlled Tammany Hall: club that ran NYC’s Democratic Party

Used city’s treasury for his own Padded bills for construction projects, used fake

expenses, kept extra money for themselves Gained millions of dollars

Eventually brought down and jailed Other leaders took his place though

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15.4 Helping the Needy

Charity Organization Movement: charity becomes scientific enterprise (1882)

Social Gospel Movement (1880s and 90s) Treat problems that drove people to drinking and gambling Apply the gospel to society – charity and justice, especially

labor reforms Settlement Movement: settlement houses

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr: Hull House in Chicago

Henry St. Settlement – Lillian Wald in NYC’s Lower East Side

Development of Sociology

Study of how people interact with one another in society

Scientific counterpart to settlement houses’ practical experience

Studied effects of industrialization and urbanization on establishing communities

Controlling Immigration and Behavior Many blamed new problems in cities on

immigrants

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Nativism

Favoring native-born Americans over immigrants (reappeared)Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882American Protective Association (1887) founded to target immigrants and Catholic Church1885 Congress repealed the Contract Labor Act (1864) which allowed employers to recruit foreign laborers to replace strikersImmigrant Restriction League (1894) by Harvard grads hoping to exclude immigrants considered unfit by requiring literacy tests

Prohibition

Ban on manufacturing and sale of alcoholic beverages (from Temperance Movement)

Prohibition Party (1869) Woman’s Christian

Temperance Union (1874) Anti-Saloon League (1893) By 1890 only 3 states were

“dry”

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Purity Crusaders

Vice (immoral/corrupt behavior) was highly visible and profitable in society

NY Society for the Suppression of Vice founded by Anthony Comstock 1873 Comstock Law: prohibited mailing obscene materials

through US mail Slowed distribution of information on birth control

Others focused on urban political machines Sometimes they ran for office, sometimes got the

pol machine out but usually regained control

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