Mr. King Central Cabarrus HS Life in the Gilded Age (Part I)

 Term coined by Mark Twain  Post Reconstruction Era  Gilded means – “covered with a thin layer of gold” thin layer of gold”  Factors that define the Gilded Age 1. Gap between the rich and 1. Gap between the rich and poor poor 2. Enormous display of wealth 2. Enormous display of wealth (Gospel of Wealth) (Gospel of Wealth) 3. Loose political morals 3. Loose political morals 4. Laissez-fair role of government in 4. Laissez-fair role of government in business business

 Growth and expansion of cities - New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, New - New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans Orleans  : 11 million move from farms to cities – Why? - cheaper to live in cities - cheaper to live in cities - farmers struggling due to droughts and falling prices - farmers struggling due to droughts and falling prices  Cities outward expansion - suburbs: communities on the outskirts of cities - suburbs: communities on the outskirts of cities - electric trolley cars and cable cars - electric trolley cars and cable cars - automobile - automobile  Cities upward expansion - before Civil War, no building more than 5 stories high - before Civil War, no building more than 5 stories high - skyscrapers began to appear - skyscrapers began to appear - electric elevator made tall building more practical - electric elevator made tall building more practical

 1 1 1 MILLION IMMIGRANTS CAME TO THE US  B B B Before 1890 most came from Western & Northern Europe (OLD)  E E E Early 1900s, many came from Italy & Eastern Europe (NEW)  C C C Called entrance to America the Golden Door  W W W Why did they come? 1. Wars 2. Famine 3. Religious persecution 4. Overpopulation 5. Promise of a better life

 People leaving their country -Emigrant (exiting) -Emigrant (exiting)  People entering a new country country - Immigrant - Immigrant  Most took a steamship across the ocean across the ocean - 1 week from Europe - 1 week from Europe - 3 weeks from Asia - 3 weeks from Asia - stayed in steerage deck - stayed in steerage deck of ship (bad conditions) of ship (bad conditions) - disease and death - disease and death

 E E E Entry point for European immigrants - 6 million by 1910  I I I Inspection process that was humiliating and dehumanizing 1. Physical exam 2. Literacy test (40 words in English) 3. Disease free 4. $25 fee 5. Inspectors couldn’t spell last names so changed last name

 San Francisco Bay  Entry point for Asian immigrants immigrants - called America the - called America the Golden Mountain Golden Mountain  Worse conditions than Ellis Island Island - harder questions - harder questions - longer wait time - longer wait time - filthy conditions - filthy conditions

 M M M Many Americans thought their country was a melting pot - mixture of all types of people  R R R Rise of Nativists (again)… Why? 1. Preferred Anglo-Saxon (German/English/Scandinavian) 2. Protestant vs. Catholic & Jewish 3. Asian accepting lower wages 4. Xenophobia: extreme fear or hatred of foreigners

 Fear that Chinese will take American’s job American’s job - especially in California - especially in California  1882: Congress passes Chinese Exclusion Act Chinese Exclusion Act - bans Chinese entry - bans Chinese entry except students, teachers, except students, teachers, tourists, and govt. officials tourists, and govt. officials  Act not repealed until 1943

 San Francisco schools put Japanese students put Japanese students in separate schools in separate schools  Japan protested  1908: President Theodore Roosevelt passed the Roosevelt passed the Gentlemen’s Agreement Gentlemen’s Agreement - Japan should limit - Japan should limit unskilled workers unskilled workers coming into the U.S. coming into the U.S. - Japan continued to issue - Japan continued to issue passports to Hawaii passports to Hawaii

Life in the Gilded Age (Part II)

 M M M Majority of immigrants settled in big cities. Why? - factory jobs - cheaper to live in cities - Americanization Movement: govt. sponsored programs to teach English and help them ASSIMILATE - ethnic communities in each city…Example: Little Italy  B B B By 1900, 4 out of every 5 people in NYC were immigrants or children of immigrants

An immigrant himself, Jacob Riis was well known for his photographs documenting the lives of immigrants & the urban poor in his book How the Other Half Lives. An immigrant himself, Jacob Riis was well known for his photographs documenting the lives of immigrants & the urban poor in his book How the Other Half Lives. Blamed alcohol for poverty and corruption in politics Blamed alcohol for poverty and corruption in politics

 Many immigrants lived in crowded tenement buildings crowded tenement buildings  Families shared living space  Poor sanitation & ventilation  Garbage was dumped out the window on a daily basis the window on a daily basis  In NY, 1231 people lived in 120 rooms in one part of city 120 rooms in one part of city  One year in Chicago: 60% of newborns never reached of newborns never reached age 1 age 1 - died of asphyxiation - died of asphyxiation

 C C C Cities had a huge problem supplying safe drinking water  V V V Very few apartments had indoor plumbing  H H H Had to get water in the street  F F F Filtration and chlorination not introduced until 1890s

 Sanitation - Garbage in the street - Garbage in the street - Defecated in the street - Defecated in the street  Crime - most cities only had a - most cities only had a small police force small police force - NYC 1844: first established - NYC 1844: first established police force police force  Nativists blame immigrants for the rise in crime & violence for the rise in crime & violence

 Close living and building conditions created many accidental fires in 1870s & 1880s accidental fires in 1870s & 1880s  Wooden building were hard to get water to  Great Chicago Fire (1871) and San Francisco Earthquake in1906 Earthquake in1906  Concrete & brick were introduced which made it safer to build safer to build

 P P P Political Machines - offered jobs, homes, and services in return for votes  S S S Settlement Homes - Community centers in slum areas that helped people find a place to live, a job, and education - Jane Addams began Hull House in Chicago

 William Marcy Tweed - Boss Tweed - Boss Tweed - Tammany Hall in NYC - Tammany Hall in NYC - uses graft: political influence - uses graft: political influence for personal gain for personal gain  NYC Court House Project - Tweed given $13 million to - Tweed given $13 million to build, pockets $10 million build, pockets $10 million - only spent one year in prison - only spent one year in prison  Thomas Nast - crusading cartoonist and - crusading cartoonist and reporter reporter

 C C C Chris Balga – Hickory Ridge HS, NC  D D D Doc Wells – Hickory Ridge HS, NC  S S S Susan Pojer – Horace Greeley HS, NC