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Elizabeth became the philosopher and speechwriter for the women abolitionist movement. One of her greatest achievements was organizing the Seneca Falls "Woman's Rights Convention" where she presented her Declaration of Sentiments, a rewriting of the Declaration of Independence that called for voting rights, liberalized divorce laws, reproductive self-determination, and increased legal rights for women and proclaimed all men and women to be equal. -
"Father of Public Education", Horace Mann, led education reform and started the common-school movement with the goal to bring about state-sponsored public education. Higher education was first funded with federal funding from the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Acts of 1862. Public Education was very important as it curved child labor and more importantly supported democracy since voters were more educated and less likely to vote unwisely. -
William Booth, began The Salvation Army in 1865 to spread the gospel directly to the suffering souls not willing to attend or even welcomed into a traditional church and train others to do the same. Thieves, prostitutes, and drunks were among their first converts to Christianity. From 1881 and 1885, the Salvation Army organization, originally called “The Christian Mission, A volunteer army," converted 250,000 Christians and spread their message worldwide. -
The Patrons of Husbandry aka the Grange was a national social organization founded by Oliver Kelly in 1867. Families grouped together to support the social, political, and economic needs of the farming community and agriculture. The Grange was one of the first mainly male organizations to call for women's suffrage and have farmwomen as members. Children were also members which led to the Future Farmers of America. -
The Gilded Age describes the new industrial era's impact on society. Market competition was so fierce small businesses were overtaken--1850:most Americans worked for themselves, 1900:most were employees. The economy doubled, poverty worsened, and profits went to a few industry leaders who didn't play fair. This started the national debate on why some were successful and others not, and what was the government's role. At the same time, corruption was spreading to every political level. -
Samuel Langhorne Clemens adopted the pen name in 1863 from his steamboating days. He experienced the US evolve with westward expansion, industrialization‚ the end of slavery‚ advancements in technology‚ big government, and foreign wars. Twain documented, and criticized the changes happening in his books. in 1873 he coined the term “The Gilded Age” as a reference to the extravagant displays of wealth and excess by America’s upper class during the post-Civil War years of the late 19th century. -
New technology for transportation provided increased America's economic growth. The government provided land grants for railroads to provide opportunities for the movement of goods and people to the west and raw materials to the east. This affected population movements and made Chicago one of the most populous cities by 1900. -
Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American railroad, shipping, and steamboat tycoon. His empire made him a multi-millionaire and one of the wealthiest Americans of the 19th century. Known to be fiercely competitive and ruthless, he controlled many railroad systems from Chicago to New York and secured an interregional railroad system. -
The Second Great Awakening and societal and cultural reforms created concerns about alcohol's availability and the negative effects on moral behavior. The Temperance Movement fought for alcohol to either be moderated or banned. Women spearheaded the movement because it was all too common that husbands spent family money on alcohol and would frequently neglected or abused their wives and children. -
The Grange put a max on the price private companies could charge farmers for the storage and transport of agricultural products but the firm of Munn and Scott violated the law. They appealed to the US Supreme Court claiming the regulation was unconstitutional yet in a 7-2 decision, found states may regulate private property use when necessary for the public good. This was the beginning of a struggle for public regulation of private business an enterprises. -
White wealthy Anglo-Saxon Americans used the Social Darwinism doctrine that they were biologically superior--based on Charles Darwin's work--to justify inequalities between economic classes and social classes. In contrast, U.S thinks, economics, politicians, and authors of the time debated equality and how to achieve it. -
Post Civil War from 1877-1948, the Democratic party tolerated slavery, and opposed civil rights reform. Thus support came from whites in southern states aka the Solid South as they voted for the Democratic in every Presidental election. It wasn't until Democratic President Truman desegregated the armed forces that support of the black civil rights movement began dominating the national Democratic party. Therefore the realignment of party affiliations in the South commenced. -
Workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike since their wages reduced twice over the previous year. The strikers refused to let the trains run until they were paid back. The government supported businesses so President Rutherford B. Hayes sent federal troops to reopen the railroads. But several states were striking. The availability of new laborers limited strikers' ability to gain concessions from their employers. -
Born in Hungary Joseph Pulitzer moved to the US 17 and fought for the Union in the Civil War. Pulitzer went on to study law, gain citizenship, and expose crime, corruption and social evils and the wealthy. during his time in government, but mainly by working at his momentous Post-Dispatch that he founded in 1878. He worked so diligently he "carried the world." In 1912 Columbia University of Journalism that gives the Pulitzer Prize for excellence in journalism, literature, and music in his honor. -
African American leaders and scholars worked diligently to help AA. find a place in the post-Civil War country. Washinton believed it was a serious wrongdoing for African Americans to pursue social equality before they became economically equal. So in 1881 Tuskegee, Alabama, Booker T. Washington helped organize a school for African Americans that focused on training African America in gaining wealth and become influential in society. -
W. F. Foster, a candidate for the Alabama Senate, approached Lewis Adams, a community leader, about the support of African-Americans. Adams wanted an educational institution for his people in exchange. Col. Foster secured legislation for a "Negro Normal School in Tuskegee." With 30 adult students in one room and Dr.Booker Washington the first teacher, on July 4, 1881, Tuskegee was founded. Tuskegee rose to national prominence as it graduated more successful black scholars than any other school. -
During the Gilded Age, the economy was flourishing; however, the disparity between the wealthy and the poor widened. Racist and nativist sentiments grew and climaxed with the Chinese Exclusion Act in response to the Chinese immigrants who settled in California after they built the railroads. The was the only official legislation passed to limit immigration of any one group of people. -
Widespread public demand for civil service reform was sparked after the Civil War by rising incompetence, fraud, corruption, and theft in federal departments and agencies. After Pres. James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disappointed office-seeker, civil service reform became a leading issue in the midterm elections of 1882.
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Congress passed a full civil service bill led by Sen. George Pendleton, fitting a Civil Service Commission for the open selection of government employees guaranteeing the right of citizens to compete for federal employment based on merit instead of based on their identity(mainly political party affiliation--the spoils system). Only ~10 percent of positions were affected, but almost every president broadened its scope so by 1980 over 90 percent of federal employees were protected by the act. -
The Civil War and 13th amdmt. freed the enslaved, but didn't make them equal. Their freedoms were severely restricted in the South. Congress tried to protect African Americans with the 14th and 15th amdmt.The Civil Rights Cases, combined 5 different cases in a single ruling as they all attacked the 1875 Civil Rights Act, aka equal "public accommodations." The Supreme Court 8-1, ruled that the 1875 Act was unconstitutiona legalizing "separtae but equal" and reinforced Jim Crow laws. -
Laissez-faire is French for "Let do," or "leave us alone." Laissez-faire economics is a theory that limited government intervention in the economy, the laws of supply(natural resources, capital, labor) and demand will efficiently direct the production of goods and services. The only role of government in a laissez-faire economy is to protect and prevent any coercion against individuals--theft, fraud, and monopolies prevent rational market. AKA capitalism without government. -
Labor unions started becoming widespread in the late 1800s with union groups like the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor in which most used peaceful protests consisting of strikes, and boycotts with unorganized violent protests being blown out of proportion. They helped improve working conditions, better wages and hours, and end child labor. -
On May 4th a large rally of workers and activists gathered at Haymarket Square Chicago to protested and denounced the police shooting of several workers at a strike on May 3rd not too far away. Policemen tried to disperse the crowd when an unknown person threw a bomb and police opened fire on the crowd injuring and murdering workers(again). 8 leaders were put on trial as they believed fighting for better work conditions wasn't enough and wanted capitalism abolished--four were executed. -
Railroads set their own standards and practices until states establish their own regulatory boards to oversee rail lines spanning the nation. Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company disputed the invasion of Illinois in its business so in 1886 the Supreme Court held that states could not control past their boundaries but the federal government's Interstate Commerce Commission can and did oversee operations. Its authority was eventually expanded to include all forms of interstate commerce. -
In NYC and society formed in defiance of the Federalists, Tammany Hall’s organization helped the city’s poor and immigrant populations and advocated for individuals when they had difficulties with the law. Enough people were receiving Tammany Hall assistance with problems or baskets of food on holidays would show their gratitude at the polls that they became a "Political Machine" influencing the elections throughout the 19th & 20th centuries. Tammany Hall still influences modern politics. -
Post civil war workers had concerns about the length of their workday, wages, and working conditions. Thus formed a national collection of craft unions--the American Federation of Labor. The federation's 1st president was Samuel Gompers but community leaders and skilled workers made of the unions. The AFL allowed them to battle as one force against management. -
The US government weaponized legislation along with military force with the goal of stealing land and destroying Native culture so they would assimilate to white society. The Dawes Act divided Native American tribes into tiny dedicated reservations and forced them to mimic white agriculture. The stolen Native land was then opened for white people. In 50 years two-thirds of their land was taken. -
Legislation, along with social and economic reform was enacted to restrict big business and government corruption. The Interstate Commerce Act prohibited unfair discrimination against shippers, increased competition, and outlawed the practice of charging more for short hauls. -
Established in 1889 in Chicago, Hull-House was the first settlement house in the United States to address issues created by urbanization and industrialization. Many of the staff at Hull-House were educated upper-class white women so Hull-House exposed them to the poor conditions the working-class faced thus urging them to get involved in social and political reforms like protective labor laws for women and children, women’s suffrage, and addressing neighborhood housing and sanitation problems. -
The "Gospel of Wealth" accommodated opposing Christian beliefs and Social Darwinism. It proposed that God granted a select few the skills and talents that made people successful and that the wealthy were to use their resources to benefit society. Andrew Carnegie became a leader when he published "Gospel of Wealth" and adopted a philanthropist life--Andrew built Carnegie Hall and hundreds of public libraries. -
Big businesses' ties to the government incited the demand for reform through legislation. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was the first Federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices. Based on Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce it declared every contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of interstate trade to be illegal. This applied to labor unions and corporations. -
Big businesses' ties to the government incited the demand for reform through new political parties thus the Populist Party. The Party members consisted mostly of farmers. After members met in Nebraska they wrote their "Omaha Platform," a loans system to ensure farmers get the money they need. The other demands of the platform included free and unlimited coinage of silver, a graduated income tax, and government ownership of the telephone, telegraph, and railroad industries. -
The progressive movement brought with it a desire to protect the nation's natural resources through legislation and social action. John Muir helped transformed Yosemite National Park from a state park and established Mount Rainier Park. He organized the Sierra Club to preserve the environment, and block the federal government's expansion efforts. -
Union, community leaders, and workers battled with management over wages and working conditions. The Homestead Strike was an iron and steelworkers strike against Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh to protest salary reductions. Henry Clay Frick hired Pinkerton security guards to protect Carnegie's plant, but fighting resulted in deaths among both the protesters and the guards. The Pennsylvania State Militia was brought in to take control. -
8 million immigrants passed through NY's immigration station from 1855 to 1890; the first large wave of immigrants to settle and populate the U.S. In 1890, it became clear that NY's Castle Garden station was unprepared to handle the influx, so the Federal government began constructing a new structure on Ellis Island. It began receiving arriving immigrants on January 1, 1892. Over the next 62 years, over 12 million immigrants would arrive in the United States via Ellis Island. -
The forced exile of North America Natives ended in massacres that nearly destroyed their culture so tribal leaders created new spiritual traditions. During a solar eclipse Wovoka, a shaman of the Northern Paiute tribe, preached that God revealed to him a lavish land of love and peace, founding a spiritual movement around the Ghost Dance ceremony that would reunite the spirits of the dead with the living, to banish settles from the land and revive the Native American way of life. -
New business practices led to industrial growth and wealth; however, it was controlled by few businessmen, like Carnegie. He first made money investing in oil and a sleeping train car company then shortly the iron business. Carnegie Steel Company-his biggest venture- became big with the Bessemer Process, which formed steel from crude iron. Later the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Works targeted his company in the Homestead Strike. -
As American Industries developed, the need for workers raised and so did the laborers' demands: eight-hour workdays, an end to child labor, equal pay for equal work, and the abolishing of private banks. The Knights of Labor united workers and allowed workers of all skill levels, African Americans and women to become members. The KOL became one of the most prominent labor unions in America and Canada. The most notable leader was Terrence Powderly who grew the KOL to 700000 members. -
George Pullman built a sleeper car town for his 12,000 laborers to work and live but cut wages in the economic downturn of 1894 yet charged the same rents on the company houses inciting the strike. In turn, companies planted US Mail on trains to charge the strikers for illegally obstructing the delivery of the US mail. Strike leaders were imprisoned when they refused the court order to call off the strike and once again, the government sided with employers in a labor-management dispute. -
Emerging business practices and structures led to extreme industrial growth and wealth being managed by a small group of businessmen like J.P. Morgan. He was a Wall Street Banker with a company that financed railroads, banks, and insurance companies. He bought out Carnegie for $400 million; however, similar to Andrew Carnegie, Morgan turned to philanthropy and pledged money to revive the U.S. banking system after the Panic of 1907--the first worldwide financial crisis. -
Democratic presidential nominee speech criticized the gold standard in response to the "Crime of '73" when the silver dollar was removed from the list of authorized coins--"You shall not press down on the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold." Debt-ridden farmers believed an expanded currency would increase the price of their crops. Silver became the symbol of economic justice for the mass of the American people. -
The US obtained new territories to promote its economy leading to the annexing of Hawaii. Because American sugar planters worked in Hawaii and expanded the American-Hawaiian sugar trade, plantation owners and kept Hawaii a territory for 60 years. Although Hawaii's importance in WWII secured its identity as fully American for mainlanders and 90% of Hawaiians voted for statehood. Stanford Dole was a driver in the annexing process and became the first governor. -
William Randolph Hearst was a wealthy businessman who built up the nation’s largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. He helped found "yellow journalism," sprawling banner headlines and hyperbolic stories, many based on speculation and half-truths He dominated journalism for nearly a half-century.
but his influence extends to newspaper publishing, business, and politics. His methods profoundly influenced American journalism. -
Horizontal integration, trusts, and rebates grew John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company pushing him into the small group of businessmen who managed the nation's wealth. His company is the most famous monopoly. He also invested in banks, railroads, and timber. He became a philanthropist near the end of his life with the Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Chicago. -
Debs was an American socialist, political activist, trade unionist, and most importantly one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) aka "Wobblies." IWW is a labor organization founded in Chicago by representatives of 43 groups. The IWW opposed the American Federation of Labor’s acceptance of capitalism and its refusal to include unskilled workers in craft unions. -
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, educator, writer, editor, poet, and scholar. In 1905, Du Bois was a founder and general secretary of the Niagara Movement, an African American protest group of scholars. In 1909, Du Bois was among the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was on the board of directors, and as director of publicity and research, and founder of The Crisis monthly magazine. -
Ida B. Wells-Barnett--journalist, civil rights, and women’s rights activist--shifted public opinion against lynching through newspaper editorials, and lecture tours. Wells-Barnett went on to help co-found the NAACP and laid the groundwork for the NAACP’s anti-lynching campaign. But she was skeptical of the NAACP’s white leadership and moderate stances and became inactive after 1912. She continued to fight for social justice independently, focusing on women’s suffrage and civic reforms. -
Fire spread through the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of the Triangle shirtwaist factory killing 146 workers, many of whom were young women. Bulky machines trapped victims, the building’s one fire escape collapsed, firefighters' ladders were too short and only a few buckets of water were available. The public outcry over a preventable tragedy brought a renewed sense of urgency to the labor movement and to other groups working to improve women's and immigrants' rights in the workplace. -
Advances in iron and steel, energy sources, the factory system, science, and transportation sprung the second industrial revolution. Trains, automobiles, and bicycles grew cities and the middle class. Ideas and news spread via the radio and telegraph. Household items that used to be made at home started being mass-produced and standardized. Factory development meant people’s lives became regulated by the clock rather than the sun. This shift was grueling and fueled child labor.
