1. Ch 10, Sec 3-4: The Gilded Age and the Age of Reform

2. Gilded Age 1870-1900 Lots of new cities/inventions
Gilded-covered with gold on the outside but made of cheap material on the inside
Poverty, crime, and social class differences hidden by new exciting things
Led Americans to reexamine themselves

3. Individualism
No matter where you start in life, you can rise as far as you talents and commitment will take you
Horatio Alger
author
Wrote rags-to-riches stories
No matter how hard life is,
you can succeed

4. Social Darwinism Modified from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution
Species adapt to the environment or die
Herbert Spencer changed the theory to talk about society
“Survival of the fittest” through competition and natural selection
Society becomes better because only the strong survive
Conflicting support within religion in the U.S.

5. Gospel of Wealth Andrew Carnegie’s belief that the rich should help
the poor
Philanthropy-providing money to support humanitarian or social goals
Carnegie gave away $350 million of his $450 million of his own money towards libraries, museums, colleges, and other public venues ( $9.5 Billion of $12.2 Billion in today’s money)
Bill Gates has donated $28 Billion of $72 Billion

6. Realism Showing people realistically in art and in writing
Showed the true side of people working, playing, hardships, and successes

7. Causes of the Rise of Pop Culture
Standard of living on the rise
Allowed people to spend extra time with family
Allowed people to spend money for entertainment

8. Effects of the Rise of Pop Culture
Saloons were busy
Political centers for party bosses
Gave away free food/toilets to customers
Creation of Amusement Parks
Allowed people to forget their problems temporarily
Cost 5-10 cents
Rise of Modern Sports
Baseball, football, basketball, golf, and tennis
Men needed a way to get physical exercise with non-labor intensive jobs

9. Theater and Music
Vaudeville-various acts like dancing, singing, comedy, and magic shows
Ragtime Music-a type of music with a strong rhythm and lively melody
Symbolized craziness of city life

10. Reform Darwinism Changing Views
Believed that only the gov’t could bring people out of poverty, regulate the economy, and promote education
Hated competition-said it
was wasteful and time
consuming
“Looking Backward” by Edward
Bellamy-ideals for socialism

11. Who’s to Blame?: Conflicting Ideas
Social Darwinists/Realists-believed that people controlled their fate
Naturalism-believed some people failed because of circumstances outside of their control (bad luck)
Led to new groups coming together to help the poor

12. Social Gospel
Wanted to make cities better with charity and justice according to the bible
Churches built gyms, provided daycares, and helping the poor
Salvation Army created in 1878
YMCA-had libraries, gyms, pools, and hotel rooms for those in need

13. Revivalism Started by Dwight Moody
Believed you could only help people change by “redeeming their souls and reforming their character.”

14. Settlement House Movement
Middleclass wanted to improve living conditions for the poor/immigrants
Jane Addams-Hull House in Chicago
Health care, English classes, food
Start of social workers

15. Spread of Schools
From the number of kids in school went from 6.5 million to 17.3 million
Schools Americanized kids with our culture, language, and work ethic
Did not include country areas
Not for African Americans-Booker T. Washington started Tuskegee Institute

17. Rise of Colleges 1870-1900: 50,000 students rose to 157,000 students
Morrill Land Grant Act allowed new colleges to be built
Women could now go to college
Vassar, Wellesley, Smith
Harvard/Columbia Universities built women’s colleges on their campuses