Economic Change & the Crisis of the 1890s Chapter 19

Economic Growth in US (1890s) Alexis de Tocqueville visits U.S. (1831) - What did Tocqueville notice? Importance of Railroad - most important agent of economic growth - transportation & employment - increase from 72k in 1893 to 220k miles of track by 1900 Conflicting state laws / creation of ICC (1880) - time zones (1883)

1876! The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 US celebrates 100 th anniversary Over 30,000 exhibits on 300 acres of land Bell’s telephone & Sholes Typewriter on display 10 million visit fair

Exposition of 1876 Displays: Generator, Elevators, linoleum floors First timers foods: canned food, popcorn, bananas

Growth of U.S. Cities Rural to Urban movement doubled in 1880s & 1890s - Chicago- 30k in 1850 / 500k in 1880 / 1.7 million by streetcars & urban noise (p 485) Department Store established (1876) - mail-order catalogs / advertisement Natural History Museums

Rise of African American Middle-Class Racial tensions forced African Americans to cater to their own race (plessy) - rise in middle class infrastructure: banks, barbers, magazines etc

Women at Work Traditional roles of women in workforce Women at work A. department store employees B. need for education (corporate America) - telephone operators / office jobs C. rise of female high school graduates - 9k to 57k from 1870 to 1900 D. economic freedom

Chicago’s World Fair million attend / 700 acres Futuristic model homes on display 1 st Ferris Wheel (246 ft high) What did Francis J. Bellamy introduce at this Fair?

Gilded American Life Hard-working Americans Rise of Inequality millionaires in 1860 / over 4k in monopolies & “robber barons” - What did these robber baron do to competitors? Robber barons created wealth, just poorly distributed

Industrial Power of U.S. By 1913, Industrial strength surpassed next 3 nations combined A. Labor accidents at all time high 1. Bureau of Labor (1884) / Labor Day B. Knights of Labor (1880s) 1. increase in strikes 2. membership ceased by new labor organizations (AFL) - million members by 1900

Election of 1896 Depression (mid-1890s) - voter registration increased 15% Democrats nominate William Jennings Bryan / “whistle-stop campaign” (p 501) Republicans nominate William McKinley - “front-porch campaign” / “wild man” Americans believed fate of the nation was at risk

Election of 1896

Conclusion Election of McKinley spurs Republican dominance of presidency for next 20 yrs - economy out of depression Strikes & protests hit home & many Americans support a bigger gov’t & reforms Century of change