Cultural Issues Domestic
More leisure time due to: Chain stores: A&P 1870’s, Woolworths, Sears Catalogue Chain stores: A&P 1870’s, Woolworths, Sears Catalogue Department Stores: Macys, Marshall Field Department Stores: Macys, Marshall Field New: Canned goods, refrigeration, Ready-to- wear clothing New: Canned goods, refrigeration, Ready-to- wear clothing More Leisure time for women More Leisure time for women More variety in diets More variety in diets
Entertainment Work hours declined Work hours declined Baseball: Baseball: 1892 first salaried team: Cincinnati Red Stockings Soon other cities 1892 first salaried team: Cincinnati Red Stockings Soon other cities 1896 National League 1896 National League College Football: Big College Football: Big Very dangerous By injured, 19 killed = NCAA revised rules for safety Very dangerous By injured, 19 killed = NCAA revised rules for safety
Also Boxing: 1882 Sullivan was heavyweight champion of the world Boxing: 1882 Sullivan was heavyweight champion of the world Golf, tennis, biking, croquet and basketball Golf, tennis, biking, croquet and basketball Musicals, Vaudeville, neighborhood theater Musicals, Vaudeville, neighborhood theater 1880’s Motion Pictures (no plot) Niagara Falls 1880’s Motion Pictures (no plot) Niagara Falls 1915 Silent movies Birth of a Nation (Griffiths) 1915 Silent movies Birth of a Nation (Griffiths) 1927 First talkie The Jazz Singer (Al Jolson) 1927 First talkie The Jazz Singer (Al Jolson)
Literature Dime Novels: Westerns, Romance, Detective: Zane Grey Dime Novels: Westerns, Romance, Detective: Zane Grey Popular Literature: Ben Hur (Lew Wallace) Popular Literature: Ben Hur (Lew Wallace) Little Women Louisa May Alcott Little Women Louisa May Alcott The Virginian Oliver Wister The Virginian Oliver Wister Horatio Alger stories Horatio Alger stories
Realism in Literature 1893 Crane: Maggie, A Girl of the Streets 1893 Crane: Maggie, A Girl of the Streets 1895 Crane: Red Badge of Courage 1895 Crane: Red Badge of Courage 1901 Norris The Octopus 1901 Norris The Octopus 1906 Upton Sinclair The Jungle 1906 Upton Sinclair The Jungle 1925 Drieser Sister Carrie 1925 Drieser Sister Carrie An American Tragedy An American Tragedy
Art Hudson River Group: Nature in natural form…Landscapes Hudson River Group: Nature in natural form…Landscapes Audubon: Birds Audubon: Birds Winslow Homer: New England Maritime life Winslow Homer: New England Maritime life Whistler: Oriental concepts Whistler: Oriental concepts Sargent: Portraits Sargent: Portraits Naturalism: Bellows…prize fights Naturalism: Bellows…prize fights Hopper…uglilness of cities Hopper…uglilness of cities
Education Morrill Land Grant Act (1862) Public Institutions Morrill Land Grant Act (1862) Public Institutions Philanthropists (Carnegie) Philanthropists (Carnegie) Growth of Women’s colleges Growth of Women’s colleges Public education up to the state Public education up to the state South disadvantage: Twice as many children to adult ratio as North but only ½ per capita wealth South disadvantage: Twice as many children to adult ratio as North but only ½ per capita wealth
Literacy By 1900 average adult had only 5 years of formal education By 1900 average adult had only 5 years of formal education BUT illiteracy only 11% by 1900 BUT illiteracy only 11% by 1900 Chautauqua Movement: 1874 Methodists…adult education Chautauqua Movement: 1874 Methodists…adult education Libraries everywhere Libraries everywhere By 1900 U.S. had ½ of the world’s newspapers: Hearst and Pulitzer By 1900 U.S. had ½ of the world’s newspapers: Hearst and Pulitzer
Popular Journalism Newspapers increased ninefold between Newspapers increased ninefold between Sensational press: Spanish American War Sensational press: Spanish American War “You supply the pictures. I’ll supply the war.” “You supply the pictures. I’ll supply the war.” “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!” “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!”