The Gilded Age – phrase coined by Mark Twain. 1870 – 1900

1. The Gilded Age – phrase coined by Mark Twain. • 1870 – 1900 • Gold on the outside, but underneath full of corruption, poverty, crime, disparity of wealth.

3. Individualism: • This was a time when some people believed that a person could go as high as his talent would let them. • Work hard – be rich • Lazy – be poor Horatio Alger – “rages to riches” stories

4. Social Darwinism • Herbert Spencer • Society progresses and became better because only the fittest people survived.

5. Gospel of Wealth Wealth Americans bore the responsibility of engaging philanthropy. • Andrew Carnegie – gave money for libraries across America. • Other Industrialists followed Carnegie’s example.

6. Realism in Literature • The movement in literature just as in art. • Art – show it like it is. • Literature – Tell it like it was. Realist literature – Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

7. Popular Culture • With people making more money, they had more money to spend on some of the more “fun” things in life. • Saloons – bars • Sports – baseball, football, basketball • Vaudeville • gymnastics • Music – Ragtime.

8. The Re-Birth of Reform Things were so bad, groups rose up to advocate and fight for change. People began to call on government to get involved and begin to pass regulations on big business, and to legislate morality.

9. Social Criticism Authors and journalists began writing on the social issues of the day, to call attention to all the problems. • Henry George – Progress and Poverty – criticism of Industrial societies • Stephen Crane • Frank Norris • Jack London • Upton Sinclair – The Jungle – Immigrant workers in the meat packing industry

11. The Social Gospel The idea of improving society through application of Biblical principles of justice and charity (love). • Billy Sunday – Evils of alcoholism. • Gladden • Dwight Moody – The YMCA • Jane Addams – Hull House in Chicago

12. Americanization - through - Education • The movement to help immigrants from other countries to assimilate into American culture and society by educating the youth. • The teaching of: • History • English • Citizenship Morrill Land Grants for colleges – Cal Berkeley was from Morrill land grant money

13. Education for African Americans: Booker T. Washington – 1881 - established the Tuskegee Institute, a college for African Americans. Would very influential over the years educating African American males.

14. Politics and Reform Chapter 3, section 5 • Political Reform: Cleaning up government • The Pendleton Act – • Correct the practice of the spoils system • Required Civil Service exams for high ranking government jobs There would be many more reforms in politics to come.

15. Business Reforms • Interstate Commerce • Act: • Government regulations on trade between the states • Provide an equal playing field • The Sherman Anti – Trust Act: • Busting up monopolies • Busting up large Trust companies

16. Populism • A new political movement that met the needs of farmers. • Economic crisis for farmers – inflation and deflation • Increased political power for farmers. • The Grange: • A co-op among farmers to get higher prices and better shipping rates. • Too small, not much power, eventually failed.

17. Farmer’s Alliance • Replaces the Grange. • Larger co-op called “exchanges” • Led to the People’s Party Populism, as it was called, became very politically powerful and influenced many elections and politicians to listen to the needs of the farmers, who were still a large segment of the population.

18. Example of some of the changes they tried to implement into American society. • A graduated income tax - the more you make, the more taxes you pay. • Fair to the rich and poor

19. Crisis of 1893 • One of the first Depressions in America • Caused by a too rapid growth of industry. • Many railroads went bust. • Stock Market crashed • Money crisis – bonds exchanged for gold led to a shortage of gold. • Led to the Silverites and Goldbugs.

20. The Rise of Segregation: Segregation – separation of the races. • African Americans are still poor • - Share croppers and Tenant Farmers • - Always in debt • Exodusters - African Americans who moved to the cities and out West to find a better life.

21. Disfranchisement of African Americans - Keeping African Americans from voting, in spite of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. • Poll tax - $2 fee people had to pay to vote • Grandfather Clause – people had to prove that their grandfathers were on a previous voting registry in order to vote. • Jim Crow laws

22. Jim Crow Laws • Laws barring African Americans from using the same public services as the whites. • Led to the Supreme Court ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson - 1892

23. Plessy v. Ferguson – “Separate but Equal” • the U.S Supreme Court upholds the practice of allowing separate facilities and services for African Americans. • “Separate but Equal” – meant that as long as separate but equal facilities were provided for African Americans, then segregation could continue. Lasted more than 50 years What was the impact on public schools?

25. African American Response to Plessy v. Ferguson: • Ida B. Wells • fiery public speaker • Anti-lynching message • Booker T. Washington • Equality through education and vocation. • Work to equality eventually

26. W.E.B. DuBois • Equality through political action • Demanding equal rights – NOW • Disagreed with Booker T. Washington • Future founder of the NAACP