Gilded Age

Post Civil war growth of Business, Industry and Labor 1865-1920

Review: IndustrializationIndustrialization started in Great Britain, as resources and capital became available. It spread to America following the Civil War, especially in the North. Industrialization brought advanced machinery, new inventions, better transportation and huge factories.

Review: Post Civil War productionThe End of the Civil war saw a return to consumer good production. With money available for investment and a larger labor force, businesses were producing more goods than ever before. New transportation systems were developed in order to transport resources to the factories, and goods to the markets.

The Gilded Age 1865-1920Gilded: covered by a thin layer of gold

The Gilded age was a period of prosperity and growth. However, this prosperity covered the poverty and corruption of the time period.

Changes in Daily life1865--------------------------------------------------------------------------1900

Gas lamps and candles--------------------------------------------------household electricity

Months to receive mail--------------------------------------------telegrams sent in minutes or telephone calls instantly

Expensive ice-----------------------------------------------------------electric powered fridges

Time regulated by individual cities--------------------------------standardized time zones

RailroadsBefore the Civil war trains were not standardized. Each company used their own size tracks, rails and signals. This meant passengers and cargo would frequently need to change trains along their journey. As industry improved, transportation also needed to improve. However, building a rail line all the way to the West was too expensive for one single company. To complete a transcontinental railroad the US government needed to get involved

Pacific Railway Acts 1862 and 1864To encourage the development of rail lines to the West, the government gave huge land grants to two major railroad companies. The Central Pacific Railroad began laying track eastward from Sacramento, CA. The Union Pacific Railroad began laying track westward from Omaha, NE.

“On Time”One problem with the railroads was scheduling. Most towns set their own clocks according to solar time. To ensure passengers could arrive “on time” the railroad lines adopted a standard nationalized time zone system.

Choo Choo workersImmigrants made up most of the railroad workers. Chinese workers worked towards the East from Sacramento, plowing and dynamiting their way through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Irish immigrants dug their way to the West through the Great Plains.

TelegraphsIn 1870, Western Union Telegraph Company had 100,000 miles of wire and transmitted 9 million telegraphs a year. By 1900, the company had 900,000 miles of wire, and transmitted 63 million messages a year. The company used Morse Code, a series of long and short electronic pulses.

TelephoneAlexander Graham Bell, an immigrant from Scotland, patented the “talking telegraph” in 1876. These were the first phones, and 2 years later President Rutherford B Hayes had a telephone installed in the White House, and by 1900 there were over 1.5 million phones in the US.

ElectricityThomas Edison was the first to create an affordable power station to supply power to many houses or businesses at once. Improvements on his design allowed power to light nearly 2 million bulbs across America. The electricity also changed daily life at home and in the factories:Home- refrigerators kept food longer Factories- electric sewing machines increased textile production

Despite its many uses, electricity was mostly isolated to the cities, where people could afford the appliances and conveniences of electricity

Iron to SteelIn the 1850s, most rail lines and machines were made of iron because steel was expensive and tedious to make. However, Henry Bessemer, of England, developed an easier and cheaper way of producing steel. The Bessemer process made the mass production of steel possible, transforming buildings, factories and machines throughout America.

Mass production-Production in great

amounts

Brooklyn BridgeNew York City quickly grew after the Erie Canal and the Civil War. However, many people lived in Brooklyn, taking the ferry to work. The Ferry was unpredictable though, and often cancelled due to severe weather. The Bessemer process and increasing steel production made it possible to build a bridge connecting NYC and Brooklyn. It was completed in 1883 and stood as a symbol of American genius and hard work.

Review: American ResourcesRemember the United States has abundant natural resources throughout the land. These resources made industrialization and the expansion of factories possible.

Workers- southAfter the civil War, the South created many new rail lines and industrial factories. However, the Southern Economy still relied mostly on manual labor in agriculture fields. Two main forms of labor emerged: Share croppers and Tenant Farmers

Workers- NorthIndustrialization resulted in massive urbanization, or the movement to the cities. Poor farmers and rural Americans moved to the cities, lured by the promise of work in the factories. Nearly 9 million Americans moved to the cities in the late 1800s. African Americans were not a large migrating force, kept in the South by Black codes and Jim Crow laws.

Urbanization-Movements from rural areas to the cities for

work

Workers- immigrantsFrom 1860-1900 nearly 14 million immigrants came into the US. Most of these immigrants came to work in the Factories of America’s urban centers. Most of these 14 million immigrants came from Northern and Western Europe. Culturally, these immigrants were like many of the first American settlers.

92% 86% 79% 93% 88%

84% 86%

Factory WorkBy 1860 most states established a 10-hour workday, but did not enforce it. The laborers worked 12 hours, 6 days a week. Often pay was low hourly wages or paid by piecework. Piecework benefited young, able workers. Older workers suffered in piecework factories.

Piecework pay-Workers are paid for each finished item

produced

Women WorkersWomen workers were excluded from working the most skilled and highest paying jobs. Women were given very specific low paying jobs in the factories. Often the women were paid significantly less for the same job performed by a man.

Women WorkersThe number of working women increased drastically. In 1880 about 2 million women worked, in 1910 over 7 million women worked. As new technologies spread women were able to take a variety of jobs. Many still toiled in textile factories, but others worked as switchboard operators, typists or reform movements.

Women SuffrageAs more women joined the workforce they were subject to a number of inequalities including laws barring women from certain jobs, wage caps, and hostility. These inequalities led women to seek legal representation, starting with the vote, or suffrage. As more women worked, more women joined the suffrage movement.

Children WorkersIn the 1880s children made up approximately 5% of all industrial factory workers. Though paid very little the wages of children often meant the difference between a family going hungry or having food on the table. Children were used for tasks such as rethreading looms and fixing small machines parts. Their jobs were especially dangerous.

African American WorkersIn the South African Americans were controlled by Black Codes which restricted the types of work and living areas of the African Americans. In the South African Americans worked mostly as sharecroppers or Tenant Farmers. In the North factory owners frequently discriminated against black workers. Most African Americans were kept in low paying positions, or just not hired.

Working FamiliesThe cost of living in the cities was enormous, and the wages were low. As a result many families were working families. From the youngest children to the oldest family members, everyone worked. The government did not provide assistance because Social Darwinism promoted the idea that poverty was a sign of personal weakness. The strong succeeded, the weak lived in poverty.

Working ConditionsNot only did workers work long hours for little pay, they also were subject to dangerous working conditions. Factory workers were ruled by the clock, the machines were incredibly loud, ventilation was poor, and fires were a common risk. An average of 675 workers died a week!

Triangle Shirtwaist FireThe deadliest industrial accident in NYC was at the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Like many other factories, the owners did not maintain safe exits, emergency exits were locked to avoid theft, and overcrowding in the factory itself allowed the fire to spread quickly.

Division of LaborThe goal of the business owners was not to protect their workers, but rather to make as much profit as possible. Workers were pushed to breaking to produce as much, as quickly as possible. Additionally, the tasks of production were split into separate tasks, with workers specializing in a specific piece. This took the joy out of the work, but proved to be very efficient.

Working for the dollarDespite the terrible conditions, there was no shortage of willing laborers. Factory work offered higher pay than other forms of work, and city life was more exciting than the rural farms. However, the workers themselves became easily replaceable.

Urbanization As more and more Americans migrated to the cities to find work, cities and business grew. However, the shift to urban life had both positive and negative effects.

Positives of city growthNew Technologies

-builders create ways to deal with the huge number of people living together including subways, elevated trains and

streetcars. Also electric lights and sewage systems keep city dwellers safeCultural advances

-new museums, concert halls, theaters and parks were created. Also, printing press allowed the circulation of newspapers, magazines and novels. Community Improvement

-Reformers such as John Dewey improved public schools, Jane Addams created Hull House to support the poor. And many groups tried to direct public funds to creating hospitals and police forces.

Negatives of City GrowthTenements

-the poor lived in overcrowded apartments known as tenements. Most did not have running water or sewage. Health

-urban crowding spread disease. Additionally, the poor could not afford proper diets or health care

Politics -political machines took control of city government leading to widespread corruption. These groups often preyed on the newly arriving immigrants, exchanging help for votes.

Urban MixThe people of the urban cities could often be split into 3 groups:

Workers and poorLargest group living in slums and tenements. Lacked time or money for recreation. Most immigrants were in the poor working class

Middle ClassEducated: Doctors, lawyers, office workers and skilled laborers. Worked hard but enjoyed theaters, movies, museums and other city leisure.

Wealthy/ rich

Entrepreneurs made the city their chief residence, but vacationed frequently. They lived in large mansions or apartments and contributed to the cultural city projects

Review- Colonial ImmigrantsThe Europeans who came to America in the Colonial period (1600 and 1700s) came seeking political and religious freedom. Some sought to improve their economic standing and way of life. Africans came unwillingly as slaves. Most settled along the Eastern coast.

Old Immigrationfrom 1800-1850 most of the immigrants to America came from Northern and Western Europe, especially Germany, Ireland and Scandinavia. The reasons varied greatly. The Irish fled from the Potato Famine. Revolution in Germany caused many Germans to flee to the US. Many more searched for better economic opportunities.

New ImmigrationFrom 1870 to 1924 more immigrants began coming from Southern and Eastern Europe. Immigrants from Italy, Poland and Russia arrived daily, along with Japanese and Chinese immigrants. Most of these immigrants came to the United States seeking employment and economic opportunities.

Immigrant lifeMany immigrants face discrimination when seeking jobs and isolation. Most immigrants lived in Ghettos, or urban areas that are dominated by a single ethnic group. Immigrants often found help from previous immigrants from the same nationality, and from the political machines.

GhettosLiving areas

dominated by a single ethnic group

Political MachinesPolitical party bosses often arranged assistance for newly arrived immigrants. In return, these political bosses expected immigrants to show their gratitude by supporting that political party at election time.

Reaction to immigrantsMany Americans feared the arrival of more immigrants. More immigrants meant more job competition and a larger work force. The influx of additional workers kept wages low and cities crowded. Nativist Political parties formed to limit immigration and support American workers.

Nativist beliefsAmerican born and their way of life are superior to

immigrants

Melting PotAs Millions of immigrants streamed into America, sociologists began studying how the immigrants were absorbed. The Melting Pot theory said that the people from various cultures would together create a new American culture. The individual parts are not easily distinguished.

AssimilationOther Sociologists thought that the immigrants would disappear into the already established American culture. They gave up older languages and customs to become Americanized. This was often seen at Ellis Island when immigrants were given new names upon entrance to the US

Immigrant difficultiesOne of the greatest difficulties felt by the Immigrants was the difference between the young and adult immigrants. Adult immigrants feared losing their culture, while their children often learned English and adopted American customs. This caused conflict within immigrant families and communities.

Gilded AgeThough the advancements of the Gilded age led to urbanization, new technologies and more production, there were many negatives. The working poor lived in crowded ghettos and tenements, factories were unsafe and political parties were corrupt.

Review