Middle Class in the Gilded Age

Middle Class in the Gilded Age New level of comfort and social respectability Store owners, professionals, managers Traveled, celebrated holidays with feasts/parties, bought consumer goods

Expectations Cities became more beautiful, more livable Planners found ways to bring in clean water Cholera City life improved, but many middle class wanted distance from cities Railroads built shorter lines

Gilded Age Religion Most middle class were white Protestant Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians tripled membership 1860-1900

Electoral Politics 1876-1896, politics reflected dominant middle class interests Republican & Democrat “Stalwarts”- keep things the same “Half-breeds” - wanted change, reform “Mugwumps” - liberal reformers focused on honest government

Global Connections American influence around the world grew Sent missionaries since early 1800s, many more went during Gilded Age Brought W. values, human rights (especially women’s), commercialism Growing importance in global markets Needed foreign markets Debtor  creditor nation

Global Connections Wanted Cuba Interests in Mexico 1868, rebellion against Spain US merchants took advantage, bought sugar plantations, mines, ranches US was dominant economic force in Cuba Interests in Mexico Napoleon III, Sec. of State Seward warned France it was “act of hostility”, US left weapons at border, would look the other way if they disappeared Revolutionaries overthrew Dictator Porfirio Diaz, expanded US investment in Mexico

Global Connections Africa King Leopold II, 1870s President Arthur recognized legitimacy, Cleveland reduced involvement due to violence

Europe Bad harvests, growing dependence on US Almost a trade war

Global Connections Asia 1882, Korea opened itself to US markets Similar to Japan, 1853 US emerged from Gilded Age as trading partner to major and also relatively unknown countries

Immigration 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US Majority from?

Immigration 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US “Old Immigrants” 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US Majority from northern Europe Britain, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland

Immigration 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US “Old Immigrants” 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US Majority from northern Europe Britain, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland 1890-1914,15 million more come From???

Immigration 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US “Old Immigrants” 1815-1890, 15 million immigrated to US Majority from northern Europe Britain, Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Holland 1890-1914,15 million more come From 80% from Italy, Greece, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Rumania, Turkey, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, Latin America “New Immigrants”

OLD IMMIGRANTS NEW IMMIGRANTS

OLD IMMIGRANTS NEW IMMIGRANTS 1815-1890 From Western Europe From Northern Europe Protestant Literate & skilled Quick to assimilate Came from countries with democracy Often arrived as families Settled in cities and rural areas 1890-1914 Eastern Europe From Japan, China, Korea, Mexico Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish Illiterate & unskilled Reluctant to assimilate Came from undemocratic countries Mostly arrived poor Often single men Settled in cities

Poverty

Poverty

Persecution

Poverty Persecution

Poverty & Persecution Nowhere was push greater than Russia & its dominated areas Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland Pogroms Gov’t ordered attacks on Jews Scape goats to save throne from revolutionaries Italians, no persecution but violence & poverty 1882, Chinese Exclusion Act Suspended Chinese immigration, limited their civil rights, & forbade their naturalization Seen as a threat Alexander II

Opportunity

Poverty Persecution Opportunity

Opportunity