There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold gold…THE GILDED AGE OF AMERICAN HISTORYTHE GILDED AGE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

chapter 8chapter 8sections 1 & 2sections 1 & 2

When is the When is the GILDED AGEGILDED AGE??

• End of the Civil War until end of centuryEnd of the Civil War until end of century– 1865-1900 GILDED AGE– 1900-1917 Progressive Era– 1917-1918* WWI– 1920s Roaring ’20s– 1930s Great Depression– 1941-1945* WWII– 1945-1989 Cold War

What is the What is the GILDED AGEGILDED AGE??

• Time of growth in AmericaTime of growth in America– 2nd Industrial Revolution– Cumulative wealth increases

• Visible only on the surface

• Beneath the surfaceBeneath the surface– Unstable economic infrastructure– Immigration issues

• Poverty & crime

– Corruption

GILDED EconomicsGILDED Economics

• Unhindered capitalismUnhindered capitalism– Social Darwinism– Laissez-faire

• Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations• Free marketplace

• Government involvementGovernment involvement– Subsidies for key industries– Corruption

• Credit Mobilier scandal

Credit Mobilier ScandalCredit Mobilier Scandal

• Government loans given to Union Government loans given to Union Pacific for TCRRPacific for TCRR– Union Pac hires out Credit Mobilier company

• CM overcharges Union Pac, then bribes CM overcharges Union Pac, then bribes key congressmen tokey congressmen tokeep funds comingkeep funds coming– Not investigated

until 1872

GILDED PoliticsGILDED Politics

• Spoils systemSpoils system– Rutherford B. Hayes bucks the trend– James A. Garfield gets shot– Pendleton Civil Service Act

• Other reformOther reform– Railroad rebates– Interstate

CommerceCommission

Economic Depression, 1893Economic Depression, 1893

• Part of business cyclePart of business cycle

• Laissez-faireLaissez-faire policies policies

• Coxey’s ArmyCoxey’s Army

IMMIGRANTIMMIGRANTS!S!

chapter 8, section 2chapter 8, section 2

Where did America’s workers Where did America’s workers come from during this time of come from during this time of unusual industrial growth?unusual industrial growth?

• Former Former farmers moving to the cities to moving to the cities to escape the poor working conditions in escape the poor working conditions in rural America, and…rural America, and…

• IMMIGRANTS!

Why did they come?Why did they come?

• PUSHPUSH– Crop failures

– Land shortages

– Unemployment

– Rising taxes

– Political persecution

– Religious persecution

• 1890s pogroms against Russian Jews

• PULLPULL– Free land

• Homestead Act

– Personal freedoms

– Educational opps

– Not forced to serve long years in Army

– Participation in democratic gov’t

Who was coming to America?Who was coming to America?

• 1865-18901865-1890– 10 million from central & NW Europe

• 3 million from Germany• 3 million from British Isles

– Looked white,mostly Protestant,blended well

Who was coming to America?Who was coming to America?

• 1890-19201890-1920– 10 million from southern & eastern Europe

• 4 million Italians• 3 million Jews (mostly Russia)• Greeks, Slavs, Armenians

– Darker skin,different religions,did not blend in as well

Their JourneyTheir Journey

• 1-3 weeks across Atlantic1-3 weeks across Atlantic– Steerage

• 70% came thru NYC70% came thru NYC

• Physical exams upon entrancePhysical exams upon entrance

• Find familiesFind families– Ghettos

• Westward migration

Non-EuropeansNon-Europeans

• ChineseChinese– Mid-1800s recruitment

to railroads– Separate communities– Lowered wages, conflict– Chinese Exclusion Act

• 1882, 1892, 1902,1882, 1892, 1902,permanent until 1943permanent until 1943

• JapaneseJapanese

• MexicanMexican

Non-EuropeansNon-Europeans

• ChineseChinese

• JapaneseJapanese– Later than Chinese– 1894 treaty

granting free entry– 200,000 by 1920

• MexicanMexican

Non-EuropeansNon-Europeans

• ChineseChinese

• JapaneseJapanese

• MexicanMexican– Early 20th century– New irrigation in SW,

labor needed– 1910 Mexican Revolution– Immigration Restriction Act of 1921

• Did not apply to North Americans