Period 6: 1865-1898
#55 - 6.1 Contextualizing Period 6
This historical period saw rapid economic expansion driven by technological innovations, leading to the rise of powerful industrialists. Labor unions and political parties debated economic policies, while urbanization grew due to immigration and rural migration. Westward expansion fueled conflicts with Native Americans, while intellectual and cultural movements flourished. Reform efforts targeted segregation, women’s suffrage, temperance, and government corruption.
#56 - 6.2 Westward Expansion: Economic Development
Westward expansion from 1877 to 1898 was driven by technological advancements, government policies, and economic incentives. Improved mechanization and the expansion of railroads increased agricultural production, causing a drop in food prices. Farmers formed organizations like the Grange and the Farmers’ Alliance to combat railroad monopolies. Government subsidies boosted transportation and communication, while mineral discoveries spurred economic growth and conflicts with Native Americans.
#57 - 6.3 Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural Development
Westward expansion in the late 19th century brought economic opportunities but also violent conflicts and cultural suppression. Settlers, railroad workers, miners, and ranchers moved west in search of land and jobs. Native American resistance was met with military force, treaty violations, and assimilation policies like Indian schools. Despite hardships, Indigenous communities preserved their cultures, demonstrating resilience into the 20th century.
#58 - 6.4 The “New South”
The "New South" movement aimed to industrialize the Southern economy but largely failed, as sharecropping and tenant farming remained dominant. The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) upheld segregation under "separate but equal," reinforcing racial discrimination. African American reformers like Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington advocated for equality, though they differed in their approaches.
#59 - 6.5 Technological Innovation
Technological innovations like the telephone, Bessemer steel process, electricity, and consumer cameras transformed the U.S. economy in the late 19th century. Increased production led to a growing consumer culture, with department stores and mail-order catalogs like Sears Roebuck expanding access to goods nationwide.
#60 - 6.6 The Rise of Industrial Capitalism
The rise of industrial capitalism from 1865 to 1898 saw rapid economic growth driven by technological advancements, business consolidation, and pro-growth policies. Key industrialists like Andrew Carnegie (steel), John D. Rockefeller (oil), and J.P. Morgan (finance) employed monopolistic tactics, raising debates over "captains of industry" vs. "robber barons." The U.S. also expanded its economic influence abroad, notably in Hawaii and Latin America.
#61 - 6.7 Labor in the Gilded Age
Industrial capitalism led to increased production and rising wages, but also dangerous working conditions and economic disparity. Workers formed unions like the Knights of Labor and the AFL, using strikes and collective bargaining, but faced opposition from businesses and the government. Child labor increased, and reform efforts, like Lewis Hine’s photography, later contributed to restrictions on child labor.
#62 - 6.8 Immigration and Migration in the Gilded Age
During the Gilded Age, a second wave of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe and Asia contributed to urban and industrial growth. Many migrants sought economic opportunities or fled religious persecution. They settled in ethnic neighborhoods, retaining cultural traditions while facing nativist backlash. African Americans also migrated to cities, escaping Jim Crow laws. Urban expansion led to both economic mobility and overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.
#63 - 6.9 Responses to Immigration in the Gilded Age
During the Gilded Age, immigration sparked debates over assimilation and Americanization, leading to restrictive policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Ethnic neighborhoods formed, preserving cultural traditions while political machines aided immigrants in exchange for votes. Settlement houses, such as Jane Addams' Hull House, helped immigrants adjust. Social Darwinism justified economic and racial hierarchies, reinforcing nativist sentiment.
#64 - 6.10 Development of the Middle Class
The Gilded Age saw the rise of a middle class due to managerial jobs, increased education, and urban expansion. Women entered clerical fields, while suburban living grew with improved transportation. Leisure activities like sports, circuses, and vaudeville flourished. The Gospel of Wealth, promoted by Andrew Carnegie, encouraged philanthropy to improve society, funding libraries, universities, and public institutions.
#65 - 6.11 Reform in the Gilded Age
Farmers, burdened by debt and low crop prices, supported inflationary policies like coining silver to ease their financial struggles, opposed by industrialists. Socialists, led by Eugene V. Debs, advocated for worker rights, while the Social Gospel applied Christian principles to social reform. Women played key roles in movements for settlement houses, temperance, and suffrage, seeking greater equality.
#66 - 6.12 Controversies Over the Role of Government
Industrialists favored laissez-faire policies but benefited from government subsidies, tariffs, and monopolistic practices. Farmers opposed these policies, struggling with debt and low crop prices. The Sherman Antitrust Act and Interstate Commerce Commission aimed at regulation but were initially misused. U.S. foreign policy expanded to secure markets, exemplified by Hawaii’s annexation, prioritizing economic interests abroad.
#67 - 6.13 Politics in the Gilded Age
The Gilded Age saw Republicans supporting tariffs and the gold standard, while Democrats backed lower tariffs and bimetallism. Corruption flourished through political machines like Tammany Hall. The Populist Party emerged, advocating for silver coinage, direct elections, and labor rights, influencing the Democratic Party. William McKinley’s 1896 victory marked the decline of the Populists but foreshadowed Progressive reforms.
#68 - 6.14 Continuity and Change in Period 6
The Gilded Age (1865–1898) saw industrial capitalism expand with technological advances, business consolidation, and increased urbanization. Labor unions and populists challenged economic inequality, while nativism fueled immigration restrictions. African Americans faced systemic racism through Jim Crow laws, upheld in Plessy v. Ferguson. The middle class grew, fostering consumer culture and leisure. Political corruption persisted, but Progressive reforms emerged.
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