The Gilded Ages were years of invented technology, mass immigration, and includes disputes over currency, tariffs, political corruption and patronage, and railroads and business trusts. Technology in the late 19th century made American industry grow. Ideas were made and markets grew. The railroads helped cities grow which made more people come and build businesses. Our presidents during these few years were: Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison.
Events
A new industrial age
The New Industrial Age created new inventions, textile industry, railroads, and steam engines. The led to a growth of new industries, expansion of cities, advancements in transportation, new jobs and poor working conditions. The long term was the spread of industry to other nations, expansion of middle class, and rise in class tensions.
Railroads & George Pullman
In 1887, Pullman designed and established the system of “vestibuled trains,” which virtually made an entire train into a single car. Realizing that railroads were critical to the settlement of the west and the development of the nation, the federal government made huge land grants and loans to the railroad companies. Working as a Pullman employee meant clean brick houses with one window in each room, under company control, no one was allowed to drink or loiter, and high rent which led to a violent strike. Agreements on fixed prices kept farmers in debt.
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Most customers were charged different rates and there was a misuse of government land grants. Stockholders in the union pacific railroad, they have the credit company a contract to law a track at two to three times the actual cost and they pocketed the profits. The interstate commerce commission had problems regulating railroad rates because of long legal process and resistance from the railroads.
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Christopher sholes
Christopher Sholes invented the typewriter in 1867. It helped create office jobs for women just like the telegraph. Christopher Sholes was born in February 1819, and died in February 1890. This invention helped out in offices and give ideas to create new things. Another thing, it helped bring more people around to use and buy the typewriter.
gilded age video
technology & Alexander Bell
Alexander Bell, born Mar 03, 1847 - Aug 02, 1922, inventor of the telephone, helped create new jobs for woman. In 1876, Alexander invented the telephone which works on electricity to help us hear sounds. By 1900, there was over one million telephones in the U.S. This new invention of the telephone helped make jobs easier for woman. The main thing a woman was responsible for was to sew clothes in factories.
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Big business booms
1880-1914
The main effect was the growth of large corporations, new and plentiful manufactured goods, poor working conditions in factories and sweatshops, and increased labor activism. Another effect, which was long term, was regional economies that were linked and labor movement that won shorter work week.
The main effect was the growth of large corporations, new and plentiful manufactured goods, poor working conditions in factories and sweatshops, and increased labor activism. Another effect, which was long term, was regional economies that were linked and labor movement that won shorter work week.
Monopolies
Monopoly is the extreme case in capitalism. It is characterized by a lack of competition, which can mean higher prices and inferior products. A holding company is a company created to buy and possess the shares of other companies, which it then controls. Carnegie Steel Company was a steel producing company created by Andrew Carnegie to manage business at his steel mills in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in the late 19th century. Carnegie came into this country in 1848 when he was 12 years old. Years later he worked his was up to be a private secretary in the Pennsylvania Railroad.
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Andrew Carnegie |
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison, who was grandson of President William Harrison, ran for president. His campaign was based on companies letting tariffs go higher. In office, one day he had won a passage of the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, which helped tariffs go its highest level.
Politics during the Gilded Age
Gilded Age politics were dominated by corruption, as politicians took bribes and rewarded their supporters with posh government jobs. Elections had high turnout and extraordinarily close results, but neither major party pursued ambitious policies. In the 1890s, frustrated farmers organized their own party, the Populists. According to the author's of The Americas, "In 1896, the Democrats co-opted much of the Populist agenda and the Populists supported Democrat William Jennings Bryan for the presidency; Bryan lost and the Populists faded away. The political machine is shaped like a pyramid. The bass of the pyramid had local workers and captains who tried to gain voters' support on a city block." William M. Tweed was the boss tweed and was head of the Tammany hall. When the loyalty of voters was not enough to carry an election, some political machines turned into fraud. Using fake names, party faithfuls cast as many votes as were needed to win. Patronage is giving government jobs to people who had helped a candidate get elected. According to Andrew Jackson's administration, this policy was known as the spoils system. Some people were not qualified for the positions they filled. Glover Cleveland is a president who helped the Democratic Party win the election. Cleveland ran against Benjamin Harrison for reelection. Harrison's campaign was helped by people that wanted tariffs even higher than they were. After a while, Cleveland was reelected again and helped with the tariffs. Even though it didn't last too long, the attempt to reproduce the tariff had failed. New developments in the areas would help America.