During the Gilded Age, the United States experienced an industrial revolution The Civil War stimulated mass-production techniques that were used after the war to make industrial goods Stacked cannon balls, possibly a view of an arsenal yard in Washington, D.C.(NARA) Grounds of the destroyed arsenal with scattered shot and shell in Richmond, Virginia, in 1865
The Civil War stimulated mass-production techniques that were used after the war to make industrial goods Industrial goods like iron, steel, and railroads were needed to rebuild the nation after the war and build Americas new cities Americas industrial revolution began asa wave of inventions
Cash registers, typewriters adding machines, made businesses more efficient Marconis wireless transmitter andBells telephone revolutionized communication U.S. Patents Issued ( ) The Bessemer process created a cheap way to transform iron into stronger, lighter steel New inventions allowed for improved industrialization His most influential invention was the 1st electric light bulb
Thomas Edison (the Wizard of Menlo Park)was the greatest inventor of the 1800s In his New York research lab,he invented the 1st phonograph, audio recorder, and battery ? ? ? His most influential invention was the 1st electric light bulb Americas industrial revolution was fueled by 4 major industries (R. O
Americas industrial revolution wasfueled by 4 major industries (R.O.S.E.)Railroads, Oil, Steel, Electricity The railroad was Americas first big business
Railroad construction grew in the years before the Civil War But, tracks were ownedby different companiesand were not standardized Cornelius Vanderbilt (3.47)
During the Gilded Age, railroad construction boomed, led by tycoons like Cornelius Vanderbilt Large companiesbought small railroads, standardized gauges and schedules, and pooled cars Cornelius Vanderbilt (3.47) Railroad expansion led to a boom in the economy
Railroads connected the East, South, and West andallowed for national trade and regional specialization The 1st transcontinentalrailroad was finished in 1869 Eastern railroads were connected to the West by 4 great trunk lines Railroads stimulated demandfor coal, oil, iron, and steel Industrialization led to a demand for iron and steel Steel led to skyscrapers, longer bridges,stronger railroads, and heavier machinery The iron and steel industries were dominated by Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie converted his mills to the Bessemer process and made the highest quality steel at the lowest price Carnegie Steel Company produced more steel thanall the steel factories inGreat Britain combined Carnegie best represented the American dream by rising from poor a immigrant to richest man in the world Carnegie did not pay his employees very much and did not allow unions in his factories
but he was a philanthropist who gave money to New York City libraries, colleges,and performing arts institutions Henry Bessemer (& William Kelly) turned iron into steel in 1850sprocess allowed for mass production of steel 9 Rockefeller used ruthless tactics to buy out competing companies
Industrialization ledto a demand for oilfor lubrication and kerosene lighting The oil industry during the Gilded Age was dominated John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil Company Rockefeller used ruthless tactics to buy outcompeting companies Standard Oil lowered costs and improved the qualityof its oil products By 1879, Standard Oil sold 90% of the oil in America 3 Rockefeller took advantage of his workers and used his fortune to influencethe national govt
but Rockefeller gave away $500 millionto charities, created the Rockefeller Foundation, and founded the University of Chicago American finance was dominated by JP Morgan
Industrialization led to a demand for financing so banking became a significant part of the Gilded Age American finance was dominated by JP Morgan He was so influential that he bailed out the railroad industry when companies were in trouble He helped ease an economic depression during the Panic of 1907 JP Morgan (3.08) Corporations became a more common business structure
Industrialists like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller changed the way businesses were organized Businesses hired professional managers to oversee employees, improve efficiency, and manage finances Corporations became a more common business structure Corporations used boardsof trustees (trusts) to manage the company HoldingCompany CompanyA CompanyD CompanyE CompanyB CompanyF CompanyC CompanyG CompanyH Board ofTrustees CompanyManager Employees and holding companies to manage other subsidiary companies Corporations used mergers to increase profits Companies like Standard Oil used horizontal integration to buy similar companies to reduce competition Companies like Carnegie Steel used vertical integrationto buy companies in order to gain materialsneeded to make or deliver their products Corporate mergers led to giant companies called monopolies that controlled the majority of an industry Because most monopolies were run by boards of trustees, monopolies became known as trusts Monopolists justified their wealth in a variety of ways
The Gospel of Wealth argued that it is God's will for some men to gain great wealth so theycould serve the public Social Darwinismtaught that natural competition weeds out the weak and allowsthe strong to survive The government used laissez faire policies toward big business the lack of regulation allowed businesses to become very powerful and exploitive Conclusions America was changed by the Industrial Revolution:
The United States led the worldin industry,innovation, and wealth Laissez-faire govt policies and new business tacticsled to monopolies But the gap between the wealthymonopolists andtheir poor immigrant workers grew wider Robber Barons of the Gilded Age
Were the industrial capitalists of the Gilded Agerobber barons or captains of industry?Weigh their positive and negative effects The Robber Barons of the Past Key Concepts Immigration moving to live permanentlyin a foreign country Urbanization a population shift from ruralto urban areas that leads to a growth in cities Crash Course Video on Immigration and Urbanization What was immigration like during the Gilded Age? From 1880 to 1921, a record 23 million immigrants arrived in the U. S
From 1880 to 1921,a record 23 million immigrants arrivedin the U.S. looking for jobs and opportunities The USA did not have quotas (limits) on how many immigrants froma particular country could enter the country From the colonial era to 1880, most immigrants came from England, Ireland, or Germanyin Northern Europe Between 1880 and 1921, 70% of all immigrantsto the USA came from southern and eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Austria-Hungary, Russia) The new immigrantswere typically young,male, either Catholic or Jewish, and spokelittle or no English The majority wereunskilled agriculturallaborers with littlemoney or education 75% of all immigrants entered the USA throughthe immigration center at Ellis Island, in New York
Immigrants had to pass a health examination and anyone with a serious health problem or disease was not let in Inspectors questioned immigrants to made sure that they were not criminals, could work, and had some money ($25) Many Americans expressed nativism and viewedimmigrants with a sense of fear, suspicion, and hostility Nativists had deep- seated prejudices aboutimmigrants based onethnicity, religion,political and social beliefs Many Americans accusedimmigrants of taking jobsaway from realAmericans and called forquotas that would limitthe number ofimmigrants Immigrants Not Welcome What were cities like in the Gilded Age? The Gilded Age experienced massive urbanization
In 1850, only 15% of Americans lived in cities City growth was due torural Americans movingto cities and immigrantsentering the USA By 1900, 40% of Americans lived in cities Engineering innovations,such as expansive bridgesand skyscrapers, led tomodern American cities
Cities expanded outwardfrom industrial centersin the central businessdistricts to a ring ofouter suburbs As cities grew larger andbeyond walkingdistance, trolley lines,elevated rail lines, andsubways were created Most American citieswere not prepared for such rapid population growth
Many urban poor developed lung disease or tuberculosis; About 60% of immigrant babies died before their first birthday Most urban immigrants lived in tenements: low rent apartments built the poorest parts of town called slums About 2/3 of immigrants settled in cities, such asNew York, Chicago, Boston, or Philadelphia and lived in ethnic neighborhoods called enclaves Enclaves providednew immigrantswith a sense ofcommunity andsecurity, as theimmigrants weresurrounded by thefamiliar customs,food and languageof their homeland Impact of Urbanization and Immigration What were working conditions like in the Gilded Age? The majority of immigrants worked in industrial jobs
Industries were rapidly growing and in need of cheap workers Most immigrants were unskilled and were willing to accept almost any kind of job, no matter how un-attractive or low paying What problems did workers face in the Gilded Age?
3 images In response to the low wages, long hours, and dangerous working conditions, many workers joined labor unions to collectively bargain for improvements Among the first labor unions in America was the Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was open to all workers regardless of race, gender, or skill Most workers were unskilled and ineligible to join the AFL
The most successful union was the American Federation of Labor (AFL) led by Samuel Gompers The AFL only included skilled workers, but it used collective bargaining to gain better pay, shorter hours, and better working conditionsfor its union members Most workers were unskilled and ineligible to join the AFL By the end of the Gilded Age, only 4%of all American workers were unionized During some strikes, violence broke out
One of the tactics used by unions was to strike: Strikes were designed to stop production in orderto force management to accept union demands Business leaders resisted strikes by hiring replacement workers or private police to break up strikes During some strikes, violence broke out 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 and un-American Violence erupted in the Homestead Strike (1892) at Carnegies steel plant; Federal troops were called to re-open the factory with replacement workers Railroad workers led a national strike when the Pullman Palace Company cut wages by 50%...
President Cleveland sent the army to end the strike; Strikers in 27 states resisted & dozens died