Industrialization and the Gilded Age

Industrialization and the Gilded Age

• The Bessemer process made steel cheaper and more accessible.
• Electricity increased industrial production and extended working hours.
• A monopoly is complete control over an industry.
• John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil achieved its monopoly through trusts and railroad control.
• Laissez-faire economics advocates minimal government intervention.
• The Gilded Age was a period of wealth and rapid industrial growth.
• The Pullman Strike, Haymarket Affair, and Homestead Strike were violent labor conflicts.
• Tenements in slums offered unsanitary living conditions.
• Child labor was common due to families needing extra income.
• Workers formed unions and used strikes to improve conditions.
• Immigration was driven by poverty and the search for jobs (push and pull factors).
• Ellis Island was the main immigration processing center.
• Nativists opposed immigration due to fears of job competition.
• The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited Chinese immigration.
• Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" exposed unsanitary meatpacking practices.
• Industry spurred rapid urbanization, creating job opportunities in factories.
• Political machines controlled local governments through corruption.
• Immigrants often settled in ethnic neighborhoods to preserve culture.
• Grandfather clauses prevented African Americans from voting in the South.
• Child labor laws increased school enrollment.

The Progressive Era

• Progressives aimed to address issues stemming from industrialization.
• African Americans in the South endured segregation.
• Booker T. Washington advocated for education to gain respect and advancement.
• Progressive presidents implemented environmental protection measures, creating parks and enacting legislation.
• President Wilson established the Federal Reserve system to stabilize banking.
• Progressive presidents passed laws to protect workers and consumers, including food safety regulations.
• The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.

Imperialism

• Some Americans supported imperialism to expand U.S. power.
• Diplomacy is the management of international relationships.
• The U.S. expanded its overseas markets through the acquisition of territories and trade deals.
• The Spanish-American War transformed U.S. foreign policy, establishing the U.S. as a global power.
• Yellow journalism used sensationalized stories to influence public opinion.
• The Spanish-American War was fought in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
• The Spanish-American War resulted in the U.S. gaining territories.

World War I

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked World War I.
• Contributing factors to the war included militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.
• The Zimmerman Note pushed the U.S. into World War I.
• The draft system built the U.S. fighting force.
• The Russian Revolution led to Russia's withdrawal from the war.
• Trench warfare resulted in a stalemate due to the static nature of the front.
• The Sedition Act allowed the government to punish war critics.
• War bonds were government-issued certificates used to finance the war effort.
• The War Industries Board controlled war-related industries.
• President Wilson's League of Nations aimed for collective security to maintain peace.
• The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles.
• Allied nations sought punishment of Germany through reparations, military restrictions, and territorial losses.
• World War I boosted the U.S. economy through increased jobs and production.

The 1920s

• The U.S. experienced a booming economy in the 1920s.
• Henry Ford's assembly line reduced automobile prices.
• One-eighth of Americans worked in the automobile industry.
• Advertising drove consumer culture in the 1920s.
• Suburbs grew more rapidly due to automobiles.
• Jazz music was popularized by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
• The Harlem Renaissance was a period of creativity within the African American community.
• Mass media (radio, newspapers) unified culture.
• Social values divided rural traditionalists and urban modernists.
• Traditionalists supported prohibition due to alcohol-related issues.
• Opposition to prohibition arose due to associated crime and enforcement challenges.
• The Scopes Trial highlighted debates about evolution.
• Flappers symbolized modern, tradition-breaking women.
• Black Tuesday marked the stock market crash of 1929.
• Overproduction exceeded consumer demand in the late 1920s.

The Great Depression

• Causes of the Great Depression included the stock market crash, bank failures, and overproduction.
• Bank failures were often caused by bank insolvency.
• The business cycle involves periods of economic expansion, recession and recovery.
• FDR's "First Hundred Days" saw the passing of New Deal legislation.
• Liberals advocated for government intervention in the economy.
• FDR's New Deal aimed to revitalize the economy.
• The Dust Bowl was caused by drought.
• Shantytowns on the edge of cities were called Hoovervilles.
• New Deal programs like the CCC and WPA provided jobs and relief.
• The Social Security Act aimed to provide financial support for the elderly.

Explore the transformative period of the Gilded Age, highlighting key inventions, economic theories, and labor movements. Understand the social challenges faced by immigrants and workers during this era of rapid industrial growth. Test your knowledge on major events and figures that shaped this significant time in American history.