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Questions and Answers
What percentage of the nation's assets did the richest 10% own in 1900?
What percentage of the nation's assets did the richest 10% own in 1900?
Which philosopher is associated with the concept of 'survival of the fittest'?
Which philosopher is associated with the concept of 'survival of the fittest'?
What was one of the main objectives of the American Federation of Labor?
What was one of the main objectives of the American Federation of Labor?
Which event resulted in the destruction of the union at the Carnegie Steel mills?
Which event resulted in the destruction of the union at the Carnegie Steel mills?
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What was the primary reason the Pullman workers went on strike?
What was the primary reason the Pullman workers went on strike?
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Which political party was known for its support of American business during the period described?
Which political party was known for its support of American business during the period described?
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What characterized the labor movement of the time regarding workers' positions?
What characterized the labor movement of the time regarding workers' positions?
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What was a significant outcome of the Haymarket Square bombing?
What was a significant outcome of the Haymarket Square bombing?
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What major event in 1877 highlighted the struggles of laborers and the response of state and federal authorities?
What major event in 1877 highlighted the struggles of laborers and the response of state and federal authorities?
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What was one of the main outcomes of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
What was one of the main outcomes of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?
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Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of working conditions during the Gilded Age?
Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of working conditions during the Gilded Age?
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Which innovation significantly contributed to the efficiency of production during the Gilded Age?
Which innovation significantly contributed to the efficiency of production during the Gilded Age?
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Which of the following individuals is considered an industrial titan associated with the steel industry?
Which of the following individuals is considered an industrial titan associated with the steel industry?
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What was a major consequence of industrial capitalism during the Gilded Age?
What was a major consequence of industrial capitalism during the Gilded Age?
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Which company was noted as the world's first billion-dollar corporation?
Which company was noted as the world's first billion-dollar corporation?
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Which term best describes the practice of eliminating competition through pools, trusts, and price-fixing agreements?
Which term best describes the practice of eliminating competition through pools, trusts, and price-fixing agreements?
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What was William Jennings Bryan's primary advocacy in his political career?
What was William Jennings Bryan's primary advocacy in his political career?
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Which significant speech did William Jennings Bryan deliver that encapsulated his views on monetary policy?
Which significant speech did William Jennings Bryan deliver that encapsulated his views on monetary policy?
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What major issue did the Democratic Party adopt from the Populists?
What major issue did the Democratic Party adopt from the Populists?
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How did socialists view the distribution of wealth in society?
How did socialists view the distribution of wealth in society?
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What was a key characteristic of the Populist Party's foundation?
What was a key characteristic of the Populist Party's foundation?
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What was one of the effects of mechanization on commodity prices?
What was one of the effects of mechanization on commodity prices?
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What did the Farmers' Alliance aim to achieve for its members?
What did the Farmers' Alliance aim to achieve for its members?
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What was one of the key components of the Omaha Platform?
What was one of the key components of the Omaha Platform?
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Who expressed a belief that Wall Street was dominating the government?
Who expressed a belief that Wall Street was dominating the government?
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Which group was formed to address the specific needs of African American farmers?
Which group was formed to address the specific needs of African American farmers?
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What challenge did Southern farmers face as a result of racial division?
What challenge did Southern farmers face as a result of racial division?
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Which of the following was NOT part of the political economy that farmers faced?
Which of the following was NOT part of the political economy that farmers faced?
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What did banks do as a consequence of farmers falling into debt?
What did banks do as a consequence of farmers falling into debt?
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Study Notes
The Gilded Age
- Coined by Mark Twain, a period of immense growth, technological advancements, and wealth accumulation.
- A stark contrast existed between the rapidly growing wealth of the upper classes and the widening income gap with the lower classes.
Labor Unions
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The Great Railroad Strike of 1877: Rail workers faced slashed wages despite increased profits, sparking nationwide strikes that shut down rail traffic.
- Violence erupted as state militias attempted to quell the strikes, with 20 strikers killed in Pittsburgh and the city set ablaze.
- Federal troops were deployed to suppress the strikes.
- The strike highlighted the need for structured labor unions for workers and intensified the demand for greater political influence and government support for businesses.
Capital's Advance
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The Worker:
- Workers were rendered powerless, as their individual skills became less valuable in the face of powerful corporations.
- Laborers endured long hours, hazardous working conditions, and low wages that were insufficient to support families.
- Workers faced serious health risks, such as black lung disease from inhaling coal dust.
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Industry:
- Technological innovations significantly reduced production costs.
- Scientific management ("Taylorism"): This system aimed for greater efficiency through task subdivision, interchangeable parts, and interchangeable workers, accelerating the production process.
- This resulted in mass production of goods like Duke cigarettes, Singer sewing machines, and McCormick reapers.
- By 1900, the United States had become the leading manufacturer in the world.
- Increased production led to substantial profits for businesses.
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The Corporation:
- Corporations amassed vast capital, shielded shareholders from personal liability.
- They eliminated competition through pools, trusts, mergers, and price-fixing agreements, leading to market domination by a few giant firms, such as DuPont and General Electric.
- U.S. Steel: Led by J.P. Morgan, the world's first billion-dollar corporation. It was created by purchasing eight existing steel companies, and aimed for monopoly - complete control of the market.
Growing Inequality
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Industrial capitalism fostered enormous wealth disparities:
- Industrial titans accumulated immense fortunes.
- Urban and rural poor lived in squalid conditions, struggling to survive on meager wages as low as $10 a week.
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Industrial Titans/Robber Barons:
- Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads)
- John D. Rockefeller (oil)
- Andrew Carnegie (steel)
- J.P. Morgan (banking and finance)
- When adjusted for inflation, their wealth was among the largest ever amassed in American history.
- By 1900, the richest 1% owned a staggering 90% of the nation's wealth.
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Social Darwinism:
- Herbert Spencer coined the phrase "survival of the fittest."
- H.L. Mencken in his Synthetic Philosophy argued for the acceptance of inequality, believing all creatures were subject to a relentless struggle for survival.
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Politics:
- Businesses sought and obtained political protection from the federal government.
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The Republican Party emerged as a staunch supporter of American businesses.
- They granted land to railroads and implemented high protective tariffs to shield domestic businesses from foreign competition.
The Labor Movement
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American Workers:
- Faced with widespread mechanization and mass production, workers were often relegated to unskilled positions.
- Toiled for 60 hours a week, endured unemployment for one month out of the year, and received low wages.
- Women and children were forced to join the labor market.
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Strikes:
- Workers engaged in strikes to demand higher wages, improved safety conditions, and shorter work hours.
- However, organized labor remained fleeting.
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Knights of Labor:
- Sought to unify both skilled and unskilled workers through local unions.
- Led strikes against Jay Gould's railroad lines.
- Launched a national strike on May 1, 1886.
- The Haymarket Square bombing and riot in Chicago severely undermined the union's power.
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The Haymarket Strike: A labor protest in Chicago that turned violent, resulting in eight anarchists being wrongly convicted and executed.
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The American Federation of Labor:
- Aimed for higher wages, fewer hours, and safer working conditions with a conservative approach.
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Homestead Strike (1892): A violent strike against the Carnegie Steel mills. Manager Henry Frick called in Pinkerton detectives, who were violently repelled by steelworkers.
- The Pennsylvania state militia, under the governor's orders, broke the strike, allowing the mill to reopen and effectively destroying the union.
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The Pullman Strike:
- The Pullman company slashed wages by 25% while keeping utility costs and rents high in its company town.
- Workers went on strike.
- The American Railway Union launched a sympathy strike, refusing to handle Pullman cars across the country.
- National railroad traffic halted.
- Federal Reaction: President Cleveland deployed soldiers to break the strike. Federal court issued a preemptive injunction against union leadership. Eugene Debs, a labor leader, was imprisoned, further radicalizing him.
The Populist Movement
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Farmers hard hit by industrialization:
- Mechanization led to decreasing commodity prices.
- Farmers accumulated heavy debts and many lost their land to foreclosures.
- They were subjected to a national economic system characterized by price fluctuations, speculation, and limited regulation.
- They vehemently sought a political voice to address their needs.
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The Farmers' Alliance (1877):
- Texas farmers established the first alliance to reclaim economic power, challenging merchants, bankers and railroads.
- They formed cooperatives to share machinery, negotiate prices, and bargain with wholesalers.
- Alliances spread across the nation with the help of pamphlets and newspapers.
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The Populist Party:
- Highlighted deep flaws in the political economy and class inequalities.
- Fought for political reform.
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The Omaha Platform:
- Called for a stronger federal government that would prioritize the interests of the people.
- Advocated for:
- Graduated income tax
- Coinage of silver (bimetallism)
- Secret ballot elections
- Postal savings banks to protect depositors and extend credit
- Government ownership of rail lines
- Federal warehouses for crops
- Mary Elizabeth Lease: (1892 - "The Money Question") Her speech exposed the corruption and power of Wall Street and the inequity it inflicted on the common people.
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Challenges in the South:
- The Populist party was caught in the mire of racial division and mistrust in the South.
- The Colored Farmers' Alliance was formed as they were not allowed to join the Farmers' Alliance.
- Cotton pickers who were sharecroppers went on strike for fair wages, but were violently repressed.
- Thomas Watson of Georgia, a Populist leader, fueled racial segregation and disenfranchisement in the South, aligning with the prevalent racism of the era.
- They utilized race-baiting tactics to attract Democrats to their cause, targeting Republicans who had African Americans as part of their political party.
William Jennings Bryan
- Born into a devout family, Bryan was passionate about law, public speaking, and politics.
- Utilized his exceptional oratory skills while working for the Democratic Party.
- Advocated for bimetallism - the free coinage of silver: He believed this would alleviate farmers' debts.
- He delivered his famous "Cross of Gold" Speech, a powerful condemnation of the gold standard, with the line, "You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."
- Ran for president as the Democratic candidate in 1896 and 1900 but lost both elections to William McKinley, who championed the gold standard.
- The Democratic Party effectively absorbed key Populist issues into its platform:
- Graduated income tax
- Direct election of senators
The Wizard of Oz and Populism
- The popular novel "The Wizard of Oz" is seen by some scholars as a satirical allegory for the Populist movement.
- Dorothy represents the common person.
- The Wicked Witch of the East symbolizes the oppressive Eastern banking interests.
- The Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard.
- The Emerald City symbolizes the allure of wealth and power.
Socialists
- Believed that the concentration of wealth in too few hands, while workers remained impoverished, was a key flaw of capitalism.
- Viewed industrialization as a global class struggle.
- They drew their support from a diverse range of individuals, transcending racial, class, ethnic, and religious divisions.
- Socialism failed to gain widespread acceptance among Americans despite tapping into the deep discontent of the working class.
Conclusion
- Industrial capitalism generated both immense wealth and widespread poverty.
- Workers organized into institutionalized labor unions to advocate for better working conditions.
- The wealthy built substantial empires in steel, oil, railroads, and banking, earning the moniker "robber barons."
- Social Darwinism was applied to societal structures.
- The Populist Party emerged as a champion of farmers, fighting for their economic and political rights.
- The Democratic Party adopted some of the Populists' ideals.
- Socialism provided another critique of capitalism but failed to resonate with the majority of Americans.
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Description
Explore the dynamic era known as The Gilded Age, characterized by rapid industrial growth, technological advancements, and significant income disparity. This quiz also delves into the rise of labor unions and key events like The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, highlighting the struggles of workers against powerful corporations.
