🇺🇸AP US History Unit 6 – Industrialization and the Gilded Age, 1865–1898

Key Events and Timeline

• Civil War ended in 1865 led to the beginning of the Reconstruction era
• Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869 connected the East and West coasts
• Panic of 1873 caused a major economic depression lasted until 1879
• Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction and led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South
• Pendleton Act of 1883 established the Civil Service Commission to reduce political patronage
• Haymarket Riot in 1886 led to the establishment of Labor Day as a national holiday
• Homestead Strike in 1892 was a major labor dispute between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the Carnegie Steel Company
• Pullman Strike in 1894 was a nationwide railroad strike led by the American Railway Union

Economic Transformation

• Second Industrial Revolution transformed the American economy from primarily agricultural to industrial
• Rapid expansion of railroads facilitated the growth of industries and national markets
• Mass production techniques (assembly line) increased efficiency and output
• Rise of big business and monopolies (Standard Oil) dominated key industries
• Laissez-faire capitalism promoted by the government allowed businesses to operate with minimal regulation
• Vertical integration allowed companies to control all aspects of production and distribution
• Horizontal integration involved the acquisition of competing companies to reduce competition
• Trusts formed to control entire industries and fix prices (U.S. Steel)

Technological Innovations

• Bessemer process revolutionized steel production made it cheaper and more abundant
• Electricity and the light bulb (Thomas Edison) transformed daily life and manufacturing
• Telephone (Alexander Graham Bell) improved long-distance communication
• Typewriter increased efficiency in business and government
• Cash register (James Ritty) improved financial record-keeping for businesses
• Phonograph (Thomas Edison) introduced recorded sound for entertainment
• Internal combustion engine led to the development of automobiles (Karl Benz)
• Elevator (Elisha Otis) enabled the construction of taller buildings in cities

Social and Cultural Changes

• Gilded Age marked by stark contrasts between wealth and poverty
• Rise of the middle class with increased access to education and consumer goods
• Emergence of department stores (Macy's) and mail-order catalogs (Sears) changed consumer habits
• Increased leisure time led to the growth of entertainment industries (vaudeville, amusement parks)
• Social Darwinism used to justify economic inequality and laissez-faire policies
• Philanthropy by wealthy industrialists (Andrew Carnegie) funded public libraries and cultural institutions
• Women's suffrage movement gained momentum with the formation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890
• Jim Crow laws and segregation institutionalized racial discrimination in the South

Immigration and Urbanization

• New wave of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe (Italians, Poles, Russians) changed the ethnic composition of the United States
• Ellis Island opened in 1892 as the main entry point for immigrants on the East Coast
• Rapid urbanization as people moved from rural areas to cities for industrial jobs
• Tenements and slums developed in cities to house the growing working class
• Ethnic neighborhoods and enclaves formed in cities (Little Italy, Chinatown)
• Urban problems such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and crime increased
• Settlement houses (Hull House) established to provide social services and education to immigrants and the poor
• Nativism and anti-immigrant sentiment led to restrictive immigration laws (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882)

Political Developments

• Gilded Age politics characterized by corruption and patronage
• Spoils system rewarded political supporters with government jobs
• Political machines (Tammany Hall) controlled local politics in cities through patronage and graft
• Populist Party formed in 1892 to represent the interests of farmers and workers
• Granger movement organized farmers to advocate for their economic interests
• Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 established the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroads
• Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 prohibited monopolies and trusts that restrained trade
• Progressive Era began in the 1890s as a response to the problems of the Gilded Age

Labor Movements and Reforms

• Labor unions formed to advocate for better wages, hours, and working conditions
• Knights of Labor was one of the first national labor unions open to skilled and unskilled workers
• American Federation of Labor focused on organizing skilled workers by craft
• Strikes and labor unrest increased as workers demanded better treatment (Great Railroad Strike of 1877, Pullman Strike)
• Haymarket Riot in 1886 led to the establishment of May Day as an international workers' holiday
• Progressive reformers sought to address social and economic problems through government action
• Muckrakers (Ida Tarbell, Jacob Riis) exposed corruption and social ills through investigative journalism
• Women's clubs and organizations (Women's Christian Temperance Union) advocated for social reforms
• Settlement house movement (Jane Addams) provided social services and education to the poor and immigrants

Impact on American Society

• Rapid industrialization and urbanization transformed the American landscape and way of life
• Rise of big business and monopolies led to economic inequality and social tensions
• Technological innovations improved the standard of living but also led to job displacement
• Immigration and urbanization changed the demographic and cultural makeup of the United States
• Political corruption and patronage led to calls for reform and increased government regulation
• Labor movements and strikes highlighted the struggles of the working class and led to some improvements in working conditions
• Progressive Era reforms began to address the social and economic problems of the Gilded Age
• Legacy of the Gilded Age includes the foundations of modern American capitalism, urbanization, and social movements