Issues of the Gilded Age Race, Politics and the Rise of Populism 1877-1900

African Americans Loose Freedoms After Reconstruction African American voting rights taken away in southern states Jim Crow Laws- Poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses to limit voting Black participation in voting drops

New Laws Force Segregation Across south segregation part of everyday life 1870 Supreme Court cases undermine rights of African Americans Plessey v. Ferguson (1896) court upheld constitutionality of Jim Crow Laws As long as facilities “separate but equal”, did not violate 15th amendment Supreme Court rulings kept African-Americans from having equal access in society

African American Oppose Injustices Booker T. Washington- African Americans needed to establish themselves as hardworking citizens, not fight to overturn segregation Founded Tuskegee Institute to provide industrial education

African American Oppose Injustices W.E.B. Du Bois- Did not want to accommodate whites, wanted full equality, Did not think blacks should limit themselves to vocational education

African American Oppose Injustices Ida Wells – established a newspaper in Memphis that criticized mistreatment of African Americans, helped establish NAACP 1909 Many African American newspapers, political and social originations, schools, colleges established to secure freedom

Chinese Immigrants face Discrimination Many Chinese came to the U.S. to work on the RR’s and goldfields Faced racial prejudice on the west coast, blamed for taking “white jobs” during economic downturn 1870’s 1879 Chinese banned from employment in California Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) prohibited Chinese from entering country

Chinese Immigrants face Discrimination Chinese fought discrimination in court 1886 Yik Wo v. Hopkins- Supreme Court ruled Chinese could not be banned from employment 1896 Chinese born in America could not be stripped of citizenship Upheld Chinese Exclusion Act, other discriminatory practices

Mexican Americans Struggle in the West Center of Mexican American struggle was land End of Mexican- American War (1848)property rights guaranteed Had to prove ownership- poor records, idea of communal land ownership made this difficult

Mexican Americans Struggle in the West Anglo Americans used the federal government to control land Mexicans had no representation in Washington, D.C. to challenge power Las Gorras Blancas- Hispanic group that fought for land rights. Cut fences, burned houses Supported by national labor organizations Increased anti- Mexican feelings across the west

Women Make Gains and Suffer Setbacks During Gilded Age women began to fight for the right to vote, own property, education Right to vote for women not included in 14th or 15th Amendment 1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton established National Women's Suffrage Association to gain constitutional amendment that granted women right to vote

Women Make Gains and Suffer Setbacks By 1906 only four western states granted women right to vote Women had success in fields of college attendance, public health and welfare reform