The Conservative Era1877-1898

• The Conservative Era is a period of time in the Gilded Age. What was the Gilded Age?

• The Gilded Age was a period when people cared more about making money than about helping people.

• Many new inventions came about at this time: telephone, phonograph, light bulb, air brakes, etc.

Growth of cities

• From 1865-1900 the population of the US doubled due to the Industrial Revolution.

• More Americans lived in cities by this time because of economic opportunities

• The cities began to change as people moved into them. Steel construction methods and elevators made tall buildings possible. Trains and streetcars made it possible for middle class people to live outside of the city in the suburbs and commute into the city to work.

Growth of cities• Factory workers were crowded into tenement

buildings, or slum housing. The growth of slum housing caused a growth in crime.

• Water and public sewage still did not exist.• The difference between rich and poor was

striking.• Some cities that grew in SC at this time were:

Anderson, Camden, Darlington, Florence, Marion, Rock Hill, Sumter.

• New amenities in these places included: police station and force, fire station and fire fighters, banks, opera houses, school districts with graded schools (as opposed to 1 room school houses) and by the 1890’s the electric light and trolleys

Rich vs. Poor

Jane Addams

• Opened Hull House in Chicago in 1889 to help the factory workers that lived in the slums.

• Hull House was known as a settlement house, similar to the Manna House or House of Hope

• Hull House provided care for children, recreation for working people and adult education

Other reform to help the poor

• More high schools were opened• YMCA and YWCA were opened (founded by

George Williams)• Work continued to assist women gain equal

rights; women’s clubs formed, missionary societies in churches, etc.

• The Roman Catholic Church also grew at this time due to large amounts of Catholic Immigrants (Irish, Italians, etc.)

• The Salvation Army also makes it first appearance in the US to assist the poor. (founded by William & Catherine Booth)

Literature

• This was a great period in American History for Literature. Many writers were writing about the REAL people in the US. They wanted to give the reader a real picture of the people and not lead them to believe that everything was perfect. Some famous writers from this period are: – Samuel Clemens/ Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer and Huck

Finn– Jack London: Call of the Wild and White Fang– Stephen Crane: The Red Badge of Courage

A growth in Science

• Before the growth in science in the late 1800’s, the Bible ruled people’s lives.

• Scientific theories grew at this time because of the growth in inventions at this time.

• Many people became interested in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which was based on the theory of natural selection. As the Earth changed, plants and animals had to change or die. (Survival of the Fittest)

Darwinism

• Darwin’s theory of natural selection influenced two men: Herbert Spencer and Lester Frank Ward.

• Herbert Spencer believed in Social Darwinism: in order for people to be successful, they must adapt to change. The rest would live in poverty. He did not believe the government should invest in welfare programs.

• Of course, many of the owners of big businesses supported this idea.

• Lester Frank Ward on the other hand believed human beings shaped society, by working together and not against each other.

• The government could aid society by helping to end poverty through welfare programs, and by opening schools for all ages.

Reform Darwinism• Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish

immigrant who quickly rose through the ranks of American society with the help of his own determination. He founded the Carnegie Steel Company, which later became US Steel where he made his great fortune. In 1889, Carnegie wrote “The Gospel of Wealth” an essay preaching that it was necessary for the new upper class of self-made rich to practice philanthropy so that their fortunes were put to good use and not wasted on frivolity.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism

Equals

Monopolies/ Trusts

• Many Big Businesses began to pop-up at this time. A Big Business is a huge corporation like business owned by one person/ family. They buy out all the competition so they can make the most money. Some examples of Big Business were Standard Oil, Transcontinental Railroad and US Steel.

• Today, trusts/ monopolies are illegal in the US.• They are bad because they cause people to pay

more for a product. They also drive small businesses out.

Video on monopolies

Big Business

Monopolies

• Andrew Carnegie: – U.S. Steel

• John D. Rockefeller:– Standard Oil

• Cornelius Vanderbilt:– Transcontinental Railroad

Immigration

• Immigration grew in the US at this time. Europe was over crowded, so many people needed a chance at a new life.

• Immigrants came from places like Poland, Italy, Greece, Russia and Austria.

• In order to cut down in the large numbers of immigrants entering the US, the government began to exclude Asians. They also passed a law that required immigrants over the age of 16 to pass a reading test.

Homestead Act

• To lessen the population in the East, Congress passed the Homestead Act…

• The Homestead Act was a law passed to increase farming in the newly formed West. Settlers could receive up to 160 acres of land, farm it for 5 years and not owe a dime to the government. However, if, after 6 months, they wanted to move, they had to pay $1.25 an acre for the land.

Assassination in 1881

• In 1881, President Garfield was assassinated. His vice-President, Chester Arthur replaced him. Arthur was a stalwart, meaning he was a Republican who supported monopolies. He wanted to make as much personal profit as possible, he also saw it was a way to make money for the government due to taxes.

• This will lead to a continual growth in monopolies..

The Conservative Era in SC: Ben Tillman

Benjamin Ryan Tillman

• August 11, 1847 near Trenton, SC (Edgefield)-July 3, 1918 in Washington, DC

• Political Party: Democrat (white man’s party)

• Fought in the Civil War after leaving school at 17 years of age

• Was a farmer by profession

• In 1885, he became a champion of rights for farmers in SC. Since more than 60% of SC residents were involved in agricultural jobs, he was very popular.

• He blamed USC and the Citadel for their problems because they didn’t offer agricultural education to farmers.

• In 1888, Thomas Green Clemson, a friend of Tillman and the son-in-law of John C. Calhoun, died. He left Calhoun’s plantation and $80,000 to the state to be used to open an agricultural college.

• In 1889, Clemson Agricultural and Mechanical College opened with Tillman as one of the trustees.

• Tillman opened Winthrop University to train women to be teachers.

Clemson University Winthrop University

• In 1890, Tillman ran for governor. Tillman asked for a series of public debates to held between he and his opponent. These debates became known as stump meeting, because many times they took place on tree stumps.

• Tillman was viewed as a hero in the eyes of many farmers because of the changes he wanted to make. He won the election by a landslide, becoming Governor in 1890.

Acts as Governor

• Served two terms• His supportes were called Tillmanites• Replaced state officers with men loyal to

him (spoils system)• Urged a law against lynching, but never

did much to get it passed, or to stop the crime

Views on Race

• He did not believe that Jefferson was correct when he said all men are created equal. Blacks were not equal and needed to be taught their place.

• He was a major supporter of Jim Crow Laws and makde sure they are in the Constitution of 1895.

High Education

• Designed new buildings for Clemson

• Punished USC by changing the name back to SC College and cutting the number of faculty members

• Opened

Dispensary Act

• Many in the state wanted to completely prohibit alcohol

• Tillman knew this would cause problems. He decided that the state would buy large quantities of alcohol and monitor the sale of it.

• The businesses chose to sell it got a certain amount at certain times. When it ran out they had to wait for more.

• Causes the Darlington Riot

Dispensary Bottles

Darlington Riot

• Citizens in Darlington and Florence Counties were angry about the Dispensary Act.

• They opened their saloons anyway. When Tillman heard, he sent a group of State Constables to investigate.

• There were arguments and several people were killed.

• Tillman declared Darlington and Florence Counties to be in a state of insurrection (uprising). He sent in militia and put the towns under martial (military) rule.

Senator

• Elected Senator in 1894 in the first election the general population could vote in (17th Amendment).

• Remained a Senator until his death in 1918.

• Helped write the Constitution of 1895 while he was a Senator. Used the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court to justify segregation laws. The case said ‘separate but equal’ was legal.