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Ulysses S. Grant elected president
Republican Ulysses S. Grant a war hero won the election. He had much support from the southern blacks. This event marks the beginning of the Gilded age it starts off pretty well after his election but we begin to corrupt from within after his election. -
Period: to
Gilded Age
The time period where on the outside it looked like everything was great we were growing and economically looking like a powerhouse. However, on the inside, we were corrupt politically and many problems were occurring with laborers. Through all of this corruption and mishap the country developed and did growth exponential which would eventually help the U.S. greatly. -
John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil
This starts the whole idea of monopolies over certain industries. He brought all the necessities for oil production together in incorporation. He used the process of horizontal integration to bring everything together. This set an example for other political and economical bosses to monopolize other industries throughout the Gilded Age. -
Corruption in Grant Admission
After his reelection, the corruption on the inside began to occur. Monopolies were on the rise and the working classes treatments was going downhill. The government began to focus more on big business and not the people. The Grant and many others within the government at the time were trying to take the tax revenue for themselves showing the corruption that is starting within the political scene. -
Rutherford B. Hayes became president
This marks a big point in the Gilded Age where the government completely supported big business and economics more than middle and lower class workers. After his election, many strikes began and monopolies were still growing strong. -
Railroad strike of 1877
With everything being centered around big business the laborers were not of any concern for political bosses or the government. To help monopolies and business run better they began to harshly cut pay making laborers go on strike. Shutting down railroads across America for a while. This caused more corruption because it messed up production as well as no one caring for the laborers which in turn made labor unions a big thing. -
Pendleton Act
United states congress passes this act to require all government jobs to have an examination. This was passed to attempt to help with the corruption in the government. The corruption was caused by appointment of many jobs just because of affiliation, not experience and knowledge. It helped for a while but there was still a lot of corruption in politics and economics still. -
Haymarket Riot
Labor unions were trying to assist the middle and lower class workers with their problems. They began to help with strikes and other things. This riot in Chicago supported by the Knights of Labor ended badly giving working class and labor unions a bad image. A bomb was tossed into the crowd killing and wounding officers. This supported the government's decisions in supporting big business and not the public and working class. -
Battle at Homestead Steel
Workers were still not being supported in any way by the government. Businesses were cutting their pay lower and lower. Workers were striking at Carnegie's steel plant. Pinkerton detectives were sent to stop and guard the plant. The strikers did not let them land resulting in a battle with a few deaths on both sides. This shows the rebellion of workers and the government attempting to silence them to continue the unfair treatment of workers to keep cheap labor. -
Federal troops stop Pullman strikers
This shows the continued support for big business and industrialization of laborers by the government. The government shuts down the riots by the workers and labor unions to attempt to make expenses lower and to stop pay cuts. Instead of trying to fix the problem with laborers across America the government focuses of business and economic gain overlooking the true problem of all the corruption. -
J.P. Morgan's Steel industry and Mckinley's Assasination
The big topic towards the end of the Gilded Age was the coinage of silver. He financed all of the businesses to fix much of the corruption in big business and economic problems. Along with Mckinley's Assassination, this lead up to the end of the Gilded Age with Corruption on it's way out with many compromises between business and laborers finally ending one of the biggest issues causing corruption.
