Chapter 18: Late 19th Century Culture Women, Men, Science, Faith Spinrad APUS

I. Commerce and Culture With consumer products becoming cheaper, even working class Americans could afford them Earlier, businesses had focused mostly on men for selling leisure and goods; but now they started to try to attract women and families as well Department stores revolutionized marketing to women (child care, tea rooms, credit)-- middle class only Spread of electricity also increased the purchase of household items like washing machine, telephone Railroads offered luxury cars (Pullman cars). Plessy decision enforced segregation on them. P.T. Barnum: family entertainment as an industry

Macy’s 1903

Electrification Urban and middle class had it early. Poor and rural did not Washing machines, vacuum cleaners, telephones popular Telephone changed business, social arrangements, and dating patterns Operators 1910

II. Masculinity and the Rise of Sports Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) promoted “Muscular Christianity” = evangelism + clean living and healthy lifestyle Working class and middle class mingled and mixed cultures at the Y Baseball: Started 1840s and 1850s, Popular in military camps during Civil War, 1876 – 1st professional league, 1903 – 1st World Series “Negro Leagues” – sports were segregated as well. Popular baseball leagues for blacks were formed up through World War II until the sport was integrated. Baseball was one of the few places where black men could show race pride and skills to audiences

1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords

More sports American Football Came out of college sports Very little padding and protection Spinrad’s grandfather was a semi-pro player, a center in the 1920s All sports diverted from labor activism so were supported by business The Great Outdoors The “strenuous life” and the outdoors were advocated by TR Gibson Girl on the tennis court John Muir and the environmental movement (Sierra Club)

Gibson Girls at the beach

III. Women, Men , Families Children and Education 1800 White women borne 7 children 1900 average 3.6 through (illegal) contraceptives and need to educate children High school graduation rates rose, business and tech schools popular College graduation rose from two percent (post-Civil War) to eight percent (1920s) Private colleges for women Booker T Washington promoted industrial (not book) education for AAs WEB Du Bois promoted the opposite in a “talented tenth” of AAs

Du Bois (left) and Washington

Women’s Rights Groups National American Suffrage Association Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) Framed abused wives, children, (domestic violence) as a part of alcohol abuse Worked against poverty—provided soup kitchens and free libraries— questioned capitalism Encouraged women to be more politically active and women’s voting rights National Association of Colored Women/National Baptist Church Care of orphans, homes for elderly, public health, advocated for suffrage National American Suffrage Association Won state victories for suffrage in Colorado, Idaho, Utah

Ida B. Wells Worked against southern lynching

IV Science and Faith Realism overtakes sentimentalism Darwin’s theory of natural selection becomes more popular Lamarckians reject it Spencer’s and Sumner’s Social Darwinism applied to millionaires Eugenics laws in about half the states Sterilization of unfit—insane or mentally disabled. California major proponent Immigration restriction and segregation of “lower races” Later, Nazis inspired by American eugenics movement Realism overtakes sentimentalism The everyday life of average people became the focus of artists and writers Men wanted to masculinize their art and writing—affecting American culture

Painting by Robert Henri

Religion Catholics and Jews decide how much to assimilate to mainstream Protestant missionaries all over Asia Militant Protestants created the American Protective Association—a nativist group Social gospel: what would Jesus do? Salvation Army Fundamentalism reignited with “Niagara Creed”

Billy Sunday: muscular Protestantism