1. Changes of the Gilded Age
During the Gilded Age ( ), the U.S. industrialized rapidly:
New technology led to a boom in railroads, oil, steel, electricity
Trusts, corporate mergers, & new business leaders led to monopolies
Mass immigration from Southern & Eastern Europe increased the size of American cities
But, problems during the Gilded Age led to demands for change

2. Group Activity: Gilded Age Theme Analysis
Students will examine a series of three primary sources from the Gilded Age:
For each image, provide a one sentence summary of the image
Once all three images are revealed, determine how the images are related—What’s the theme?

3. Theme #1: Image A

4. Theme #1—Image B

5. Theme #1: Image C

6. Theme #1—Political Corruption
The Gilded Age saw the rise of political machines—well-organized groups that controlled a political party in a city
Machines offered services to voters & businesses in exchange for political votes
Were very influential with immigrants; Helped with jobs, housing, & naturalization
NY County Courthouse supposed to cost city $250,000 but ended up costing $13million.

7. Theme #1—Political Corruption
Machines were led by city bosses who used a network of ward bosses & precinct captains to:
Control access to city jobs, business licenses, courts
Arrange building projects & community services

8. Political machines influenced immigrant voters by creating parks near slums, barbeques, giving away Christmas presents to children

9. Theme #1—Political Corruption
Machine politicians were often corrupt:
Use fraud to win elections
Graft—Using their political influence for personal gain
Took kickbacks & bribes
The most notorious machine boss was Boss Tweed of New York’s Tammany Hall who defrauded the city of millions of dollars

10. Boss Tweed
“Tweed Courthouse”—NY County Courthouse was supposed to cost $250,000 but cost $13 million.

11. Theme #1—Political Corruption
National politicians, especially under President Grant’s administration, were seen as corrupt as well:
Crédit Mobilier involved attempts by railroad companies to bribe members of the Republican Party to gain lands grants for profit
Whiskey Ring involved gov’t whiskey distillers bribing gov’t officials to avoid paying taxes

13. Theme #1—Political Corruption
During the Gilded Age, attempts were made to reform government:
Many gov’t positions, such as tax collectors or post office officials, were appointed by patronage— a reward for political loyalty
Calls for civil service (government administration) reform began
In 1883, Congress passed the Pendleton Act, creating merit-based exams for most civil service jobs

14. Theme #2—Image A

15. Theme #2—Image B

16. Theme #2—Image C

17. Theme #2: Labor Unions Industrial work was hard:
12 hour days, 6 days per week
Received low wages; No sick leave or injury compensation
Industrial work was unskilled, dangerous, & monotonous
These bad conditions led to the growth of labor unions—groups that demanded better pay & conditions through collective bargaining
Low wages ($ /year but living cost $600); railroad injury rate 1 in 26, death rate 1 in 399; Composition of work force in 1900: 20% women (in 296 of 303 jobs) 10% of girls & 20% of boys had jobs (“child labor” meant ↓14 yrs)
all children poorly paid, but girls less than boys; Earning comparisons: Adults > Children; Men > Women; Skilled > Unskilled; Protestants > Catholics or Jews; Whites > Blacks & Asians; Blacks worked menial jobs; Chinese worked on Pacific Coast; often discriminated against (Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882)

18. Theme #2: Labor Unions
In 1868, the Knights of Labor formed to help all workers, regardless of race, gender, or skill
The most successful union was the American Federation of Labor (AFL) led by Samuel Gompers:
Made up only of skilled workers
Used collective bargaining & strikes to gain better pay, shorter hours, & better work conditions
Included 1/3 of all U.S. laborers 17

19. Theme #2: Labor Unions
Some people turned to socialism: government control of business and property, equal distribution of wealth
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, called the “Wobblies”) formed in 1905
Socialism seemed appealing to some Americans, but never became a major option for workers
By 1900, only 4% of all workers were unionized

20. Essential Question:
How did workers & the U.S. government respond to the rapid changes of industrialization during the Gilded Age?
Warm-Up Question: 

21. Theme #3—Image A

22. Theme #3—Image B

23. Theme #3—Image C

24. Theme #3: Strikes & Labor Unrest
One of the tactics used by unions to gain better pay was to strike:
Strikes were designed to stop production in order to gain pay
Business leaders resisted strikes by hiring replacement workers or private police to break up strikes
In some cases, violence broke out

25. Theme #3: Strikes & Labor Unrest
During the Chicago Haymarket Strike (1886), unionists demanded an 8-hr day; When violence broke out, public opinion turned against unions, viewing them as violent & “un-American”

26. Theme #3: Strikes & Labor Unrest
Violence erupted during the Homestead Strike (1892) at one of Carnegie’s steel plants; Federal troops were called to re-open the place with replacement workers
Steelworkers did not form a new union for 45 years

27. Theme #3: Strikes & Labor Unrest
In 1894, Eugene Debs led railroad workers on a national strike when the Pullman Palace Car Company cut wages by 50%
President Cleveland sent the army to end the strike; Strikers in 27 states resisted U.S. troops & dozens died

28. Theme #4—Image A

29. Theme #4—Image B

30. Theme #4—Image C

31. Theme #4—Populism
In the 1870s & 1880s, western farmers faced serious problems:
Prices for their crops were falling due to over-production of grains
Banks were charging high interest rates on mortgages & were foreclosing on debtors
Railroads charged high rates for shipping & storing their crops

32. Price Index for Consumer & Farm Goods

33. Theme #4—Populism Government policies hurt farmers:
The gov’t reduced the paper money (greenbacks) & relied on gold-backed currency
This led to deflation making it harder for farmers to pay off debts
When westerners appealed to their politicians, nothing was done

34. Theme #4—Populism
Farmers attempted to organize & fight back through groups like the Grangers & the Farmers’ Alliance:
These groups attacked abusive banks & railroad companies
They called on farmers to form their own co-op stores, banks, & storage silos to avoid exploitation
Both groups failed to gain improvements for farmers

35. Granger Meeting

36. Theme #4—Populism
In 1890, the Populist Party was formed & demand reforms:
Government regulation of railroads in order to lower rates
A national income tax to take the burden of taxation off farmers
Direct-election of Senators to make politicians more responsive
Bimetalism: Using gold & silver to inflate the money supply
Their platform included the Ocala Demands, an 8-hour day, gov’t control of RRs & banks, the breakup of monopolies, & tighter immigration restrictions
Populists emerged as a powerful 3rd party & got numerous state & national politicians elected

37. Bi-Metalism

38. The Rise of the Populist Party
From 1890 to 1896, the Populist Party emerged as an influential 3rd party & began to challenge the Democrats & Republicans
…the state gov’ts of Idaho, Nevada, Kansas, & North Dakota were dominated by Populists
, & dominated the state governments of Idaho, NV, CO, KS, & ND
During this time, 3 governors, 10 congressmen, & 5 senators were elected as Populist candidates…
In 1892, Populist James Weaver made a run at the presidency

39. William Jennings Bryan & the Election of 1896
In the 1896 presidential election, William Jennings Bryan embraced Populist ideas & was nominated by the Democrat & Populist Parties:
Bryan made bimetallism the issue of the campaign as a result of his “Cross of Gold” speech
Republican William McKinley argued for the gold standard

40. Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech

41. Bimetallism: A recipe for prosperity or lunacy?

42. The Election of 1896
McKinley’s defeat of Bryan in the election of 1896 killed the Populist Party…
…but key Populist ideas such as the income tax, direct election of Senators, & regulation of railroads will be enacted by the Progressives from 1890 to 1920

43. Populist Allegory—The Wizard of Oz
“Emerald City”? “Oz”? The Wizard?
The Good Witch of the North? The Bad Witch of the East?
What does each character represent?
What about the “Yellowbrick Road” and the “Ruby Slippers”?