The Gilded Age

Definition Period from 1865-1897 Era of rapid economic and population growth in

the United States Most famous for the creation of a modern

industrial economy The corporation became the dominant form of

business organization Term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain Refers to the process of gilding an object with a

superficial layer of gold Meant to make fun of ostentatious display

John Davison Rockefeller

1839-1937 Founder of Standard Oil (1870) Adjusting to inflation, often considered the richest

person in history Created a monopoly within the oil industry

through use of underselling, differential pricing, and secret transportation rebates

By 1880, according to the New York World, Standard Oil was "the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly that ever fastened upon a country.”

Rockefeller as Philanthropist

Provided major funding for a college in Atlanta for African-American women, which became Spelman College

$80 million to the University of Chicago Became one of the first great benefactors of

medical science. 1901, he founded the Rockefeller Institute for

Medical Research

John Davison Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Son of John D. Rockefeller

Responsible for the building of the Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

“30 Rock”

Nelson Rockefeller

Grandson of John D. Rockefeller

Former Gov. of New YorkFormer Vice-President of the U.S. under Gerald Ford

Andrew Carnegie 1835–1919 Immigrated from Scotland to the U.S. in 1848 First job in the United States was as a factory

worker in a bobbin factory Led the enormous expansion of the American

steel industry One of the most important philanthropists of his

era Formed Carnegie Steel Company which after later

mergers becomes U.S. Steel Often regarded as the second-richest man in

history after John D. Rockefeller

Carnegie as Philanthropist

Carnegie gave most of his money to establish many libraries, schools, and universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Mellon University

Andrew Carnegie

Carnegie Mellon University

Cornelius Vanderbilt 1794-1877 AKA “Commodore” Built his fortune in railroad and shipping industry Steamboats, oceangoing steamships, and

railroads Donated original funds for creation of Vanderbilt

University

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Mansion, New York

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC. Built by the son of Cornelius Vanderbilt

John Pierpont Morgan 1837-1913 Financier and banker who dominated corporate

finance and industrial consolidation Arranged the mergers that created General

Electric and U.S. Steel

J.P. Morgan

Morgan estate on Long Island

Captains of Industry or Robber Barons

Did their methods of acquiring a personal fortune contribute to society in a positive way? OR

Were their fortunes gained through questionable practices?

Captains of Industry was a term describing a business leader whose practices increased productivity, markets, jobs, and philanthropy

Robber baron was a term describing a business leader who became wealthy at the expense of the workers

Men like Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Morgan were considered both depending on what point of view you took

Strikes and Labor Unions

Great Railroad Strike of 1877 Begins in Martinsburg, West Virginia, response to

the cutting of wages for the second time in a year by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O)

Spreads to Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Missouri

Strike lost momentum when President Hayes sent federal troops from city to city.

Troops suppressed strike after strike Approximately 45 days after it had started, it

ended.

Cont. Haymarket Affair AKA Haymarket Riot Chicago, May 4, 1886 Began as a rally for striking workers (8 hour

workday) Ended with the throwing of a dynamite bomb and

gunfire resulting in the deaths of 7 police officers and 4 civilians

8 anarchists were convicted of conspiracy during the trial

Setback for American labor and its fight for the eight-hour day

Mathias Degan

Chicago Police Officer killed by the bomb blast

Cont. Pullman Strike, last major strike of the 19th century Began in May 1894, Pullman, Illinois 3,000 employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company

began a wildcat strike in response to recent reductions in wages

At its peak, involved 250,000 workers in 27 states President Grover Cleveland ends the strike using Federal

Marshals and 12,000 U.S. troops Justified use of troops as strike was delaying delivery of

U.S. Mail Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 (Legislation

was pushed through Congress 6 days after the strike to appease organized labor movements)

George Pullman

Inventor of the Pullman Sleeping Car

Also known for utilization of violent methods against striking workers

Eugene Debs Founder of the American Railway Union, First industrial

union in America (1893) After the Pullman Strike, Debs was arrested, tried, and

convicted for leading the strike Originally a Democrat, became a Socialist while in

prison after reading books by Karl Marx Founded the Social Democratic Party of the U.S. Presidential candidate of this party 1904,1908, 1912,

and 1920 Founded the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in

1905 Arrested on June 30, 1918 for seditious speech

(Criticized Pres. Wilson and U.S. involvement in WWI)

Eugene Debs

1855-1926

Knights of Labor Established in 1869 by Uriah Stephens For a time was the largest of the labor union until

late 1880s Initially against the use of strikes, preferred

negotiations Overall, poorly organized Main objective was the 8 hour work day and

legislation covering child labor laws Achieved greatest power and membership under

leadership of Terence Powderly Eventually, most members left and went to the

newly formed American Federation of Labor

Uriah Stephens

Founder of the Knights of Labor

Terence Powderly

Samuel Gompers Founder of the American Federation of Labor President from 1886-1924 He promoted thorough organization and collective

bargaining to gain shorter hours and higher wages

Encouraged the AFL to take political action to "elect their friends" and "defeat their enemies

In 1955, the AFL merged with the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) to form the AFL-CIO which still exists

Samuel Gompers

1850-1924

Politics in the Gilded Age

Presidents of the Gilded Age James Garfield 20th President (Mar 4, 1881-Sept 19,1881) 2nd President to be assassinated Shot in July 1881 by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled

federal office seeker Chester Arthur 21st President (Sept 19, 1881-Mar 4,

1885) Grover Cleveland 22nd and 24th President: Only president to serve two non-consecutive terms

(1885-1889) and (1893-1897) Benjamin Harrison 23rd President (1889-1893) Grandson of William Henry Harrison

James Garfield

2nd President to be assassinated

Metal detection device invented by Thomas Edison was used in attempt to locate the bullet

Charles Guiteau

Assassinated James Garfield

Executed by hanging in 1882

Chester Arthur

Grover Cleveland

22nd and 24th President

Benjamin Harrison

Political Machines Political organization where an authoritative boss

or small group commands the support of supporters and businesses

In return, the supporters received rewards Power came from the ability to get people out to

vote Heavily influenced by practices of the spoils

system Voters backed a candidate based on the idea of

patronage: Favors received once person was elected Candidate was selected based on his willingness

to participate

William Tweed AKA “Boss” Tweed Foremost example of the greediness of machine

politics Head of “Tammany Hall”, democratic political

machine that ran New York City government (1858-1877)

Eventually convicted of stealing as much as 200 million dollars from N.Y. City taxpayers

Died 1878 in jail

William “Boss” Tweed

Civil Service Reform Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883) Stipulated that government jobs should be

awarded on the basis of merit Provided selection of government employees

through competitive exams, rather than ties to politicians or political affiliation

Made it illegal to fire or demote government employees for political reasons

Law only applied to federal government jobs: not to the state and local jobs that were the basis for political machines

Stalwarts A faction of the Republican party: 1. Opposed civil service reform 2. In favor of machine politics

Mugwumps Republicans who switched to the Democratic

Party to support Grover Cleveland in the 1884 election

Based on disfavor with corruption associated with the Republican Party at the time

Thomas Nast Political cartoonist “Father of the American Cartoon” Drawings were instrumental in the downfall of

Boss Tweed Notable works included: Uncle Sam Symbols for Republican Party (Elephant) and

Democratic Party (Donkey) Modern version of Santa Claus

Thomas Nast

Immigration Roughly 10 million immigrants came to the U.S.

during the Gilded Age 1892, Federal government opened Ellis Island in

New York Harbor as an immigrant inspection station

Operated until 1954

Chinese Immigrants Construction of the Central Pacific Railroad mostly

done by Chinese immigrants American Federation of Labor strongly opposed

the use of Chinese labor Chinese Exclusion Act 1882, Congress prohibits

Chinese laborers from entering the U.S Chinese immigrants unable to become U.S.

citizens until 1950, however: Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong

Kim Ark, their children born in the U.S. were full citizens. (1898)

Urbanization 1. Increasing demand for factory workers 2. Mass immigration from Europe Causes population of cities to rise New York, Philadelphia and Chicago experience

population growth over one million people. Increasing immigration causes rise in poverty levels New immigrants lived in the poorest urban areas

including the Five Points and Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan

“Dumbbell tenements”: Law required that every room had to have a window with access to air (law was averted by using airshafts that connected the buildings)

Thomas Edison “The Wizard of Menlo Park” now Edison, New

Jersey Inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, motion

picture camera Central power station to generate and distribute

electricity for a city Fluoroscope: Machine that used x-rays for

radiographs One of the first inventors to utilize mass

production

Thomas Edison

1847-1931

"Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."

“

Alexander Graham Bell Credited with inventing the first practical

telephone Both his mother and wife were deaf which

influenced his work on hearing and speech Ultimately leads to the first patent in 1876 for the

telephone Founding member of the National Geographic

Society Considered the telephone as an intrusion and

refused to have one in his study

Alexander Graham Bell

1847-1922

Social Reform Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1874) Attempted to bring morality back to America by

creating a sober and pure world National American Woman Suffrage Association

(1890) lead by Susan B. Anthony Largest and most important suffrage organization

in the United States Primary promoter of women's right to vote.

Carrie Nation

1846-1911

Pre Prohibition radical member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union

Susan B. Anthony

1820-1906

Arrested for voting in the 1872 presidential election

Fined $100 which she never paid