Gilded Age

Question 1

Tech and Business Innovation

Answer 1

new farms of efficient business organization to save money
inventors produced many new technologies

Question 2

Immigration

Answer 2

20 million immigrants from 1880-1920
enabled rapid expansion of industry and agriculture
However… citizens worried that immigrants were taking jobs
100s of 1000s out of skilled work
into unskilled factory labor

Question 3

Agriculture

Answer 3

The Homestead Act encouraged mass plains settlement
US agricultural output skyrocketed
However… more crops = lower prices = less farmer $, many going bankrupt

Question 4

Industrialization

Answer 4

Major industries: railroads, steel, oil, money (banking)
Advertising created a national consumer market
However…
Super-rich tycoons = great political influence, but no accountability to the people
Ruthless, putting profit over morality
used child labor, lowest pay possible (not a living wage), used mercenaries (Pinkertons), and military against striking workers
No controls on product safety either
No provisions for workers’ safety
created monopolies that prevented good capitalist competition
Nickname: Robber Barons

Question 5

Urbanization

Answer 5

Cities multiplied and grew rapidly
Factories = cities to get workers, which made more workers move to cities
However…
Cities were overcrowded, governments corrupt, political “machines” bought poor people’s votes

Question 6

Society

Answer 6

Super-rich business tycoons
flaunted their wealth
Middle class
new “white-collar jobs”
However, the super-rich are self-indulgent in the face of extreme poverty

Question 7

Steel Industry

Answer 7

Andrew Carnegie
Vertical Integration - making all materials needed to produce the primary product

Question 8

Oil Industry

Answer 8

John D. Rockefeller
Standard Oil
Horizontal Integration - buying all competing companies
create a monopoly

Question 9

Bottom Line: Increasing anxiety

Answer 9

Mark Twain labeled the era “Gilded Age”
Many began to agree serious problems existed

Question 10

Progressive Era

Answer 10

American public opinion demanded that government addresses problems stemming from Gilded Age
Investigative Journalists = “Muckrakers” fired up public opinion
Politica leaders responded with powerful initiatives

Question 11

Major reforms

Answer 11

Industry: monopolies broken up
Labor = some support
States began passing laws to limit children in workplace
government sometimes acted for striking workeres rather than against them

Business Regulated: Health and safety codes
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911) - impelled government to make workplace safety laws – killed 150 employees

Question 12

Progressive Presidents

Answer 12

New leaders gave legal justifications for increased government action
Theodore Roosevelt, President 1901-1909
Woodrow Wilson, President 1912-1921: need to adjust laws to new circumstances

Question 13

Major Progressive Reforms

Answer 13

Immigration – congress limited it
education expanded to Americanized newcomers

Industry – worst monopolies broken up (trust-busting)

Tariffs reduced – res
ult: first income tax (not only rich)

Labor: some support (progressives afraid of socialist revolution)
states passed laws against children working
government sometimes acted for striking workers rather than against them

Health Codes:
Upton Sinclair, The Jungle
described unhealthy meat production
results the same year:
meat inspection act: government inspectors could do surprise checks
Pure food and drug act

Urbanization:
city sanitation policies implemented
street cleaning, housing regulations
promoted nature
Roosevelt formed U.S. forest service and created numerous national parks/wildlife reserves
political machines curtailed
city commissions/managers
experts hired to run cities

Question 14

Roosevelt’s Extra: Imperialism

Answer 14

Roosevelt supported Progressive nation of aggressive government action outward imperialist foreign policy
imperialism: taking or dominating someone else’s territory for commerce/resources
Spanish-American War 1898, Panama Canal (started 1903)

Question 15

Wilson’s Extra: Finance

Answer 15

Established Federal Reserve – government managed “central bank”

Question 16

Final Touches

Answer 16

1919, 18th amendment instituted prohibition
1920, 19th amendment gave women “suffrage” (the vote)