The Gilded Age The Gilded Age 1877-1900 1877-1900

Technological Advances Technological Advances

Telephone Telephone Bicycle Bicycle Typewriter Typewriter Elevator Elevator Root Beer Root Beer Linoleum “floor covering of the future”Linoleum “floor covering of the future”Steel (skyscrapers, bridges) Steel (skyscrapers, bridges)

Industrialization and The Rise of Industrialization and The Rise of Big Business Big Business

During the Gilded Age, huge corporations During the Gilded Age, huge corporations were formed that employed thousands and were formed that employed thousands and produced enormous amounts of goodsproduced enormous amounts of goods

The founders of these companies The founders of these companies amassed great wealth while their workers amassed great wealth while their workers were poorly paidwere poorly paid

Captains of IndustryCaptains of Industry

Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie: bought : bought out his suppliers and his out his suppliers and his competitors until he competitors until he controlled the steel controlled the steel industry.industry.

John D. RockefellerJohn D. Rockefeller: : turned his company into a turned his company into a “trust” by buying stock in “trust” by buying stock in his competitors companies his competitors companies until he controlled them. until he controlled them.

Sherman Anti-Trust ActSherman Anti-Trust Act

Passed in 1890 to make trusts illegalPassed in 1890 to make trusts illegalCompanies found many ways to get Companies found many ways to get

around this lawaround this law1906-, the government brought suit 1906-, the government brought suit

against Standard Oil and in 1911 the trust against Standard Oil and in 1911 the trust was finally ordered to dissolvewas finally ordered to dissolve

The Problems of the Industrial The Problems of the Industrial WorkersWorkers

There was almost no federal government There was almost no federal government regulation of businesses at this time, therefore regulation of businesses at this time, therefore there was: there was: nono minimum wage,minimum wage, nono maximum maximum number of hours per week,number of hours per week, nono higher pay for higher pay for overtime,overtime, nono regulation of unhealthy or unsafe regulation of unhealthy or unsafe working conditions, andworking conditions, and nono health insurance or health insurance or other employee benefits.other employee benefits.

Industrialization created low-wage, low-skilled Industrialization created low-wage, low-skilled jobs that made employees easy to replace. This jobs that made employees easy to replace. This led to the growth of labor unions.led to the growth of labor unions.

Communication ImprovesCommunication Improves

1866- Transatlantic telegraph cable 1866- Transatlantic telegraph cable 1876- telephone- by 1900- 1.5 million 1876- telephone- by 1900- 1.5 million

phones installedphones installed Improvements in printing- wide circulation Improvements in printing- wide circulation

of newspapers- mass advertising of newspapers- mass advertising

Mass Production Mass Production

From small shops to large factoriesFrom small shops to large factoriesWorkers perform 1 task over and over Workers perform 1 task over and over

againagainLong hoursLong hours

10-15 hours per day 10-15 hours per day 6-7 days per week 6-7 days per week

Child LaborChild Labor

The Early Labor Union MovementThe Early Labor Union Movement

Labor Unions tried to improve wages and Labor Unions tried to improve wages and working conditions by collective bargaining working conditions by collective bargaining and threatening strikesand threatening strikes

Between 1877 and 1893 there were Between 1877 and 1893 there were several huge strikes several huge strikes

Union popularity declined because the Union popularity declined because the public associated labor unions with public associated labor unions with violenceviolence

The Problems of Farmers The Problems of Farmers

Westward expansion led to overproduction Westward expansion led to overproduction of crops – farm prices drop of crops – farm prices drop

Railroad rates going up- more expensive Railroad rates going up- more expensive to transport crops to transport crops

Farmers became deeply in debt Farmers became deeply in debt Farmers began the Populist MovementFarmers began the Populist Movement

Asking for rr regulation and monetary reform Asking for rr regulation and monetary reform to releive their indebtednessto releive their indebtedness

Problems of ImmigrantsProblems of Immigrants

The thousands of immigrants that came The thousands of immigrants that came from Southern and Eastern Europe from Southern and Eastern Europe between 1890-1915 were often poor and between 1890-1915 were often poor and illiterateilliterate

They accepted unskilled jobs in factories They accepted unskilled jobs in factories and had to move in to overly crowded and had to move in to overly crowded citiescities

Ellis Island, N.Y., Angel Island, CA.Ellis Island, N.Y., Angel Island, CA.

Problems of Immigrants (Con’t)Problems of Immigrants (Con’t)

Triple Hardship: low wages, pooe housing Triple Hardship: low wages, pooe housing conditions, and nativism (prejudice against conditions, and nativism (prejudice against immigrants)immigrants)

Nativists encouraged the government to Nativists encouraged the government to pass immigration restriction lawspass immigration restriction laws

Problems of MinoritiesProblems of Minorities

The right to vote promised by the The right to vote promised by the Fifteenth Fifteenth AmendmentAmendment was undermined by the use was undermined by the use of poll taxes, literacy tests, and of poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clausesgrandfather clauses

Asians: The Chinese Exclusion Act Asians: The Chinese Exclusion Act banned further immigration from Chinabanned further immigration from China

Big Cities Big Cities

Tightly knit ethnic communities begin to Tightly knit ethnic communities begin to shape the big citiesshape the big cities

Urban ProblemsUrban Problems

Industrial cities grew rapidly ad poor Industrial cities grew rapidly ad poor workers lived in slumsworkers lived in slums

Police and fire departments were Police and fire departments were understaffedunderstaffed

Clean water and sewer systems were Clean water and sewer systems were inadequateinadequate

Tenement houses were were crowded and Tenement houses were were crowded and unsafeunsafe

Urban Problems (Con’t)Urban Problems (Con’t)

City governments were often corrupt City governments were often corrupt “political macines” stayed in power by “political macines” stayed in power by winning the votes of the immigrants, but winning the votes of the immigrants, but often abused their poweroften abused their power

Graft is when a public official uses his Graft is when a public official uses his office to make himself rich through bribery office to make himself rich through bribery or stealing public fundsor stealing public funds