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Period: to
Gilded Age
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Hayes Wins Disputed Presidency
The Electoral Commission established by Congress to investigate the presidential election of 1876—in which disputed returns from Louisiana, South Carolina, Oregon, and Florida have left the outcome undecided—declares that Rutherford B. Hayes is elected President of the United States. -
Railroad Strike of 1877
Brakemen and firemen from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad walk off the job at Camden Junction, Maryland, initiating a wildcat strike that will shut down thousands of miles of track throughout the northeastern United States. -
James Garfield Elected President
Republican James Garfield is elected President of the United States. His popular-vote margin of victory over Democrat Winfield Hancock is 7,018 votes out of more than 9 million cast. Garfield receives 214 Electoral College votes; Hancock receives 155. James Weaver, the candidate of the Greenback Labor Party, receives 308,578 votes. -
Garfield Assassination
President James Garfield is shot by Charles Guiteau, a deranged federal office-seeker. Garfield will die on September 19th. Vice President Chester A. Arthur will be sworn is as president one day later. -
McCormick's Mechanical Harvester
Cyrus McCormick introduces a mechanical harvester and twine binder, one of several new technologies increasing agricultural productivity. -
Pendleton Act
Hoping to reduce corruption in the distribution of government jobs, the United States Congress passes the Pendleton Act, introducing an examination system for selecting federal civil servants. Only 10% of all federal appointees are made subject to this process of selection by examination. -
Railroads Create Standard Time Zones
America's railroads implement the standardized time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific) devised by William F. Allen of the General Time Convention. -
Cleveland Elected President
Democrat Grover Cleveland defeats Republican James Blaine and is elected President of the United States. Cleveland's popular vote margin of victory is 62,683 votes out more than 10 million cast. Greenback Labor Party candidate Benjamin Butler receives 175,370 votes; John St. John, candidate for the Prohibition Party, receives 150,369 votes. In the Electoral College, Cleveland receives 219 votes to Blaine's 182. -
Knights of Labor Strike Railroad
The Knights of Labor join a strike against the Wabash Railroad, part of Jay Gould's Southwest System, paralyzing the entire system. Gould is forced to make concessions to the Knights, leading to a dramatic boost in their membership. Within a year, the Knights of Labor will have more than 700,000 members. -
Haymarket Riot
A rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square in support of striking workers from McCormick Harvester Works ends when a bomb is thrown, killing six policemen and wounding more than 60 others. Eight anarchists are convicted of the crime, but all supporters of unions and the eight-hour day are found guilty by association in the public eye. The influence of the Knights of Labor quickly diminishes; membership will decline by more than 50% over the next year. -
Rail Gauge Standardization
Most southern railroads adopt the standard rail gauge of 4' 8.5", completing the process of standardizing the nation's rail system begun in the North several years earlier. -
Grover Unveils Lady Liberty
President Grover Cleveland unveils the Statue of Liberty- October 28, 1886: The Statue of Liberty was given as a gift to the United States by France as a thank you for inspiring their revolution. An identical statue, though less tarnished and eroded, stands in France today. -
American Federation of Labor Founded
The American Federation of Labor, an alliance of independent craft unions, is founded. Samuel Gompers is selected to serve as its first president. -
Harrison Loses Popular Vote, Wins Presidency
Republican Benjamin Harrison is elected President of the United States despite polling almost 100,000 fewer votes nationwide than Democratic incumbent Grover Cleveland. Harrison carries the critical swing states of Indiana and New York in winning 233 Electoral College votes to Cleveland's 168. -
Andrew Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth"
Industrialist Andrew Carnegie publishes an essay entitled "The Gospel of Wealth," which outlines the social responsibilities and social benefits of vast personal wealth.
