America in Transition Unit 1 American Expansion, Industry and Immigration at the turn of the Century

How did we get here? The task of bringing together the nation and rebuilding the South marked the beginning of “Reconstruction” Reconstruction Amendments: 13: Freed Slaves 14: Made Blacks Citizens 15: Gave Black MEN the right to vote It was a whole race trying to go to school. Few were too young, and none too old, to make the attempt to learn. As fast as any kind of teachers could be secured, not only were day-schools filled, but night-schools as well. The great ambition of the older people was to try to learn to read the Bible before they died. —Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery: An Autobiography, 1901 Charleston; April, 1865

The “Jim Crow” South “Black Codes” were often used in the South to continue to restrict the freedom and opportunities of Black Americans Segregation – Plessy v. Ferguson Jim Crow Laws Sharecropping & Tenant Farming Literacy Tests & Poll Taxes Lynchings Included Hyperlink to a great music style video in the pic on Plessy v Ferguson The Reconstruction Era lasted from [approximately] 1865-1877

Identify the major characteristics of: (1) Industry, (2) Immigration, & (3) The Gilded Age [America in Transition] (US2A) Industry Immigration The Gilded Age New Inventions Expansionism  U.S. leading in industry Global Market Frontier  Factory Poor working conditions and low pay  Labor Unions & better working conditions Political Corruption & Political “machines” Entrepreneurship Philanthropy Labor Unions Laissez Faire

Cultures Clash on the Great Plains Indian Removal Act (1830): forced tribes living east of the Mississippi River to move west to Oklahoma Territory on the Great Plains Assimilation furthered with the Dawes Act of 1887: A tribe no longer owned land – individuals were given land The Homestead Act: provided tracts of land called homesteads to settlers in the West – 160 acres of public land for a small fee to anyone who agreed to work the land and live on it for five years

Frontier Roads & Trails

America’s First Major Industry: The Railroad There was a population explosion in the West. There was a need for better communication and transportation, especially through the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Working the railroad was strenuous and dangerous. 4/5 of the labor force were Chinese workers who were paid lower wages than white workers and were targets of racism.

Economic Issues of Railroads… Industrialization Industries relied on railroads for shipping Increased industrialization Ranching, farming, and mining were dependent Expansionism Expanded western settlement and growth Created a global market Innovations Innovations enabled rapid growth (i.e. steal & communication) Production Boom! Homestead Act!

The Government Takes Action! The Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Ruled that only Congress had the power to regulate interstate commerce which prohibited unfair practices by railroads, such as charging higher rates for shorter routes The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): The first federal law to restrict immigration to the U.S. and banned the immigration of Chinese workers and residents for employment purposes

The Government Takes Action! Homestead Act (1862) : Any citizen could occupy 160 acres of government land. If the settler “improved” the land by making a home and growing crops, after 5 years the homesteader would own the property