THE MACHINE AGE (1877-1900)CHAPTERS 23 AND 24

APUSH STUDY SESSION #7

The Age of Invention and Economic Growth

Thomas Edison revolutionized industry with the light bulb and with the development of power plants

Technological advances in the Age of Invention generated mass production and economic growth

Captains of industry (aka “robber barons”) amassed wealth and power Justified their standing through Social Darwinism Some leaders, like Andrew Carnegie, preached the

Gospel of Wealth

Industrialization and Corporate Consolidation

Economies of scale dictated that with new, faster machines running at capacity, the lower the cost of the product The lower the cost to produce, the lower the cost to

sell, and the more products sold Relied on assembly line production

Businesses grew rapidly, with very few government restrictions, and became larger all the time Supreme Court was also very pro-business

Holding companies were created as one type of business organization Company owned enough stock in various companies to

influence all aspects of production and sale Eventually led to monopolies, or complete control of an

entire industryHorizontal and vertical integration were the

most common forms of business consolidation Horizontal integration created monopolies within a

particular industry (e.g. Standard Oil under John D. Rockefeller)

Vertical integration allows other companies in the same industry to survive and compete (e.g. Swift Premium)

Problems were created by this consolidation of power: Rapid growth required money which businessmen

borrowed Sometimes led to panics

Monopolies created a class of titans of industry, whose interests clashed with those of society, at large Public resentment increased and the government

responded with laws to restrict monopolies Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 forbid combinations or

conspiracies in the restraint of trade

Factories and City Life

Manufacturers focused on cutting costs and maximizing profits Hired women, children, and immigrants Factories were dangerous

Cities were filled with crime and disease and dealt with substandard housing and an expanding population Poverty rose as higher classes moved out of the city

(largely due to improvements in mass transportation) Most residents were blacks, Latinos, and immigrants

who settled in ethnic neighborhoods “New Immigrants” were from southern and eastern

Europe

City governments did not address the needs of the poor Corrupt political bosses provided services in exchange

for votes (e.g. Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall in NYC)

Labor unions were formed to counter poor treatment of workers Had little support outside of the workers themselves Hired thugs and federal troops often broke strikes

Included: Knights of Labor, who organized skilled and unskilled

workers from a variety of crafts into one union Became increasingly violent as strikes failed Haymarket Square Riot reinforced the view of unions as

subversive forces Later American Federation of Labor organized skilled

workers ONLY within a confederation of trade unions, or workers within a certain trade Remained apolitical and focused on “practical” labor

issues Led by Samuel Gompers

No early unions accepted blacks, immigrants, or women

Charitable middle-class organizations also promoted urban reform Often led by women Created settlement houses (e.g. Jane Addams and Hull

House) Community centers in poor neighborhoods that provided

schooling, childcare, and cultural activities Lobbied for building-safety codes, better sanitation, and

public schools

Life improved for the upper and middle classes Had more money for luxuries and more leisure time Sports, high theater, and movies became popular

Newspaper industry grew under Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst Used “yellow journalism” to sell papers

Jim Crow Laws and the South

Most Machine Age advancements affected the North Agriculture was still the main economic activity in the

South Reconstruction did help industrialize the South

Created textile mills and tobacco processing plants

Post-war southern economy forced many small farmers to sell their land to wealthy planters Landless farmers were forced into sharecropping using

the crop lien system Landlords kept the poor in a state of virtual slavery

Southern states and cities began passing Jim Crow laws, which discriminated against blacks Supreme Court helped promote discrimination in

several rulings: 14th Amendment did not protect blacks from

discrimination by privately owned businesses and blacks would have to seek equality from states, not the federal government

Reversed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which opened the door to legal segregation

Said that “separate but equal” facilities for blacks and whites were legal in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Southern blacks became involved in the quest for equal rights Booker T. Washington promoted economic

independence through training and education as a path to equality He founded the Tuskegee Institute People criticized him for being accommodationist

W.E.B. DuBois was Washington’s more aggressive rival who demanded equal rights and political representation Helped found the NAACP

Railroads and Developments in the West

Ranching and mining were growing industries in the West

Railroads caused huge changes in the West They were privately owned but were built at public

expense Federal and state governments provided substantial

assistance Although the railroads were paid for with public money,

individual proprietors rejected any government control It took years for railroad rates to come under

regulation, so monopolies formed and gouged consumers (especially farmers)

Buffalo were hunted to near extinction, which created more tension between Native Americans and white settlers Federal troops were sent into the region and fighting

broke out Although Native Americans won some battles like Little

Big Horn, the federal army overpowered them Depot towns became vital cities Spread culture and technology across the country Developments in railroad technology accelerated the

industrial revolution US created standardized time zones to help people

follow the rail schedules

American frontier disappeared as new territories and states were created Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the American

frontier was gone in his Frontier Thesis, but that it had been important because it: Shaped the American character Defined the American spirit Fostered democracy Allowed people to flee from urban problems

Farming and ranching were the primary occupations in the Great Plains Government realized they had to entice more settlers

to relocate to this region and passed two significant pieces of legislation: Homestead Act (1962) gave 160 acres to anyone who

would develop that land for five years Morrill Land Grant (1962) set aside land and provided

money for agricultural colleges

Native Americans lost their land and their way of life Initially, treaties were made with Native Americans as

settlers treated them like sovereign nations When war broke out, the government tried to force Native

Americans onto reservations This system failed

Helen Hunt Jackson brought attention to this abuse in A Century of Dishonor

Dawes Severalty Act (1887) broke up reservations and distributed 160 acres of Native American heads of families Settlers had to live on it for 25 years to own it and to become

American citizens Sought to assimilate Native Americans, who resisted

The Gilded Age (1869-1896)

Looked good on the surface, but masked corruption and patronage beneath

Political machines and bosses ran citiesBig business bought votes in Congress and

fleeced consumersWorkers had little protection from their

employers

US was led by a series of weak (and not necessarily corrupt) presidentsand Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison

The popular outcry against corruption forced the government to regulate itself and business Many states imposed railroad regulations

Railroads challenged these and often won in court Interstate Commerce Act (1887) set up the ICC to

supervise railroad activities and regulate unfair and unethical practices This was the first federal regulatory law in US history

Pendleton Act created the Civil Service Commission to oversee exams for potential employees

Susan B. Anthony helped lead the women’s suffrage movement

The Silver Issue and Populism

Industrial and agricultural productivity increased This led to a drop in prices, which locked farmers into

long-term debts with fixed payments Farmers began supporting a more generous money

supply This would make payments easier and would cause

inflation, which would make farmers’ debts worth less Wanted to use silver coins because silver was plentiful

and mined in the West This issue had regional and class divisions Banks opposed this

Farmers organized around the silver vs. gold issue Grange Movement started as cooperatives, but eventually

endorsed political candidates and lobbied for legislation Farmers’ Alliance was more successful and grew into a

political party called the People’s Party This was the political arm of the Populist movement

The Populist party eventually forced Washington to listen to the farmers Supported coinage of silver, government ownership of

railroads and telegraphs, graduated income tax, direct election of senators, and shorter workdays

The US entered a four-year economic crisis in 1893 Populists became more popular with their call for easy money Progressive parties like the Socialists, under Eugene V. Debs,

drew followersPopulists backed Democrat William Jennings Bryan

against William McKinley in the Election of 1896 Bryan ran on a Populist platform Based his campaign on the call for free silver Gave the “Cross of Gold” speech His loss, along with an improving economy, destroyed the

Populist party This election marked the starting point of the Republican

party’s support of big business The Wizard of Oz is an allegory of Populism

Foreign Policy—Tariffs and Imperialism

As America transitioned from farming to industry, the tariff issue became more important Dominated politics as industrialists competed in an

international market Democrats supported lower tariffs while Republicans

supported high protective tariffs McKinley Tariff (1890) raised tariffs by almost 50% Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894) lowered tariffs slightly

but imposed a 2% income tax

Americans embarked on a policy of expansionism Looked overseas to find new markets for their goods William Seward had set the precedent for increased

American participation in the Western Hemisphere Purchased Alaska and invoked the Monroe Doctrine to keep

France out of Mexico America practiced expansionism as it spread outward

economically, which most Americans supported America transitioned to imperialism as it took control of

other countries, which was more controversial Based on ideas of Alfred Thayer Mahan, who believed that a

strong navy was crucial to a country’s economic strength US focused on creating a strong navy and then turned

outward