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American History Unit 2: The Gilded Age. Mr. Chortanoff Overview and Insights for Chapters 17 and 18. Reconstruction Abandoned. Reconstruction Efforts: 1865-1877 Freedmen’s Bureau, $, Federal troops to protect blacks and enforce civil rights
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American HistoryUnit 2: The Gilded Age Mr. Chortanoff Overview and Insights for Chapters 17 and 18
Reconstruction Abandoned • Reconstruction Efforts: 1865-1877 • Freedmen’s Bureau, $, Federal troops to protect blacks and enforce civil rights • Many whites were angered about black equality, government protection, gov’t programs and $ • Ku Klux Klan terrorizes blacks and supportive whites in the South. Lynching and Jim Crow Laws = aka Black Codes segregate races (P v. F, 1896) • Democrats and Republicans: Corrupt Bargain • Hayes is President, but he must end Reconstruction
CHANGES AFTER THE CIVIL WAR • Immigration and Cities • American urbanizes, quickly • New immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia • Reformers work to improve life of urban poor • Western Frontier • Indians lose lands • Homestead Act • Transcontinental Railroad • Cattle boom (and Meatpacking Industry) • Mining boom • Business and Labor (capitalists/owners VS laborers/workers) • Corporations formed, soon monopolize the market on various goods and services • Union membership grows, mixed results
The Immigration Process • The immigrant decides (or is forced) to leave home. • Goal(s): seek pol. or rel. freedom, $, join family/friends Immigrant adapts to life in America Difficult Ocean Crossing Ship is overcrowded Disease spreads rapidly Finds a job Settles in a neighborhood of immigrants from the same native country Learns American ways while keeping older traditions (lang., food, customs) at home Immigrant is processed and inspected upon arrival
Growing Cities: Urbanization Helping the Poor: Settlement house movement Government reforms Religious/Ethnic Organizations • Reasons for Growth • Immigration • Job opportunities • Growing population Urban Problems: Garbage Pollution Crime Hazardous tenements (poorly constructed row homes and apartment complexes) Settlement Patterns: $ Based Living Poor people crowd into tenements Middle class live in houses outside slums Rich live in mansions on city outskirts
Gilded Age Reforms Government: President Hayes fires corrupt officials Civil Service Commission created to conduct exams for federal jobs Big Business: Few Gov’t Regulations Interstate Commerce Act forbids RR pools and rebates Interstate Commerce Commission oversees railroads business deals Sherman Antitrust Act prohibits businesses from limiting competition
Age of Railroads • Knitting the nation together: • Standardized track width creates a national network that speeds travel and transport • Improvements make rail travel safer and more comfortable • More transcontinental rail lines built • Consolidation makes rail travel more efficient and sometimes cheaper Eliminating Competition: Monopolizing or “Cornering the Market” Pools Rebates Fueling the Economy: Many jobs created in steel, lumber, and mining Thousands hired to build and maintain railroads lines and stations New areas opened to American settlement and growth
Steel Industry Thrives • “Bessemer” process enables strong steel at low cost • Carnegie builds huge empire • Corporations develop and dominant • Mills spring up throughout the Midwest and Steelton (first mill designed to make steel) • Pittsburgh becomes steel-making capital! • Jobs and prosperity created (immigrants) • Air and water pollution produced
The Rise of Organized Labor • New Workplace • Corporations/Factories/Mass Production, Vast Wealth • Children, women at work • Hazards of work • The Rise of Organized Labor (unions) is a response • Knights of Labor (Haymarket Square, Chicago) • American Federation of Labor • Samuel Gompers organizes union for skilled workers • Becomes most powerful union • Hard Times for Organized Labor • Strikes, violence • Government sides with owners/capitalists • Slow progress toward “fair share”
National Grange and Farmers’ Alliance • NG and FA are special interest groups • NG: • Organized in 1867 to boost farm profits and reduce RR shipping rates • Voted for candidates who supported their aims • Met in grange halls • FA: • Organized in 1870s • Popular in the South and Great Plain States • Tried to join forces with miners and factory workers • Women took an active role • NG and FA both supported the Populist Party