Chapter 23-24, 25-26 APush Test!
What were the PROs and CONs of going West?
- Overall, there were many pros and cons of going West during the Gilded Age. In the very beginning, going West would be a great advantage to farmers at the time. With the Homestead Act of 1862 granting 160 acres of land to anyone that was willing to move, farmer's had plenty of land to increase production. The mining industry was also a growing economy in the West, attracting the search for silver and gold, and women got earlier voting rights. However, with these pros came many cons. By the 20th century, the government had begun to close the west. Farmers had to live off single cash crops in order to make profit, ruining their economy. This created movements such as the Grange movement, to regulate railroad rates and gain storage fees. As for the mining industry, it also went downhill. There were many more miners than minerals, enabling groups such as the Fifty Niners, people on an excessive search for gold. This also created boomtowns, or ghost towns, within the West. Pros - Land, mining, and improved railroad transportation New agricultural machinery allowed farmers to increase production Mining Industry Homestead Act of 1862 Cons - Boomtowns, fifty niners Grange movement Cash Crops
Name and Explain THREE reasons why the presidents from 1868-1896 are deserving of the name "forgotten presidents"?
- Ulysses S. Grant - Whiskey Ring -Credit Mobilier Scandals -tariffs -Rights of Labor -Silver / Gold Standard - Spoils System During the years of 1868-1896, presidents had gained the term "forgotten presidents" due to their various actions in office. The first of the "forgotten presidents," was Ulysses S. Grant, who began the Whiskey Ring, and Credit Mobilier Scandals during his time in office. The Whiskey Ring was a secret operation in which government officials would import whiskey using their offices to avoid paying taxes on it, while the Credit Mobilier Scandal included the Union Pacific Railroad building eastern railroads with inflated wages. These scandals would lead to the future issues of other forgotten presidents. Along with these scandals, some major issues among these leaders included tariffs, Rights of Labor, the Silver / Gold Standard, and Spoils System issues. At this time, major tariffs had been put in place affecting the working class economy greatly, also affecting different rights of labor for workers. The gold and silver standard had also been a fierce debate, along with the unfair advantages of the spoils system. The forgotten presidents did not do a great job leading, making them "forgotten."
What specific ACTS does the U.S. Government create during the Gilded Age meant to change things for the better but either had unintended consequences or weren't enforced?
-.Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 - Sherman Antitrust Act - McKinley Act of 1890 - McKinely Tariff - Gorman Tariff in 1894 Throughout the Gilded Age, many acts were planned by the government to change things for the better, however, they had unintended consequences or were never enforced. One of these acts was the Sherman Antitrust Act. This law outlawed trusts that operated in restraint of trade or commerce among several states, which limited monopolies, however the act ended up being ineffective. The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 also proved to be ineffective, after being designed to prohibit rebates and pooling (groups of people coming together into a common fund), requiring railroads to publish rates publicly, and forbade discrimination against shippers. Along with these acts, the Mckinley Act of 1890 was meant to protect Republican industry from forign markets, however ended up increasing duties across imports, and did not secure William Mckinely's ballot for president. The Wilson Gorman Tariff in 1894 also was put in place to lower the tariff rate of the Mckinley Act after raising tariffs 50%.
Why would you NOT want to be either an immigrant, Native American, or farmer during the Gilded Age?
-Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 -land speculators - Carlisle Indian Industrial school - American Protective association Native Americans were given land due to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 but land lacked value and often Native Americans would lose their land to theifs or land speculators who bought land and sold it for a high price. Native American children were put into forced assimilation which was Carlisle Indian Industrial School, they disconnected children from their native roots. Groups like the American Protective association had goals that included restricting catholic immigration, English required for American citizenship, removing catholic workers from school and government positions.The Mickenly Tariff Act of 1890 affected farmers because of protective tariffs which tax out of country goods. Due to this fact, other countries such as Europe put tariffs on American goods making it harder for farmers to sell goods.
What prevented the working class and farmers from uniting against government and their employers? In your response, mention the various Unions/Alliances during the time.
-Farmer Alliance Yellow Dog Contract Pinkertons Homestead Strike National Labor Union 1866 Knights Labor 1869 The working class and farmers had a lot holding them against being able to unite against the government and their employers. The Yellow Dog Contract was a contract signed between an employer and an employee that strictly says the employers won't engage in Union Activities. Many people were scared of being killed by Pinkertons, which were hired guns to shoot at workers on strike if they went on strike. The Homestead Strike was when steelworkers were angry over pay cuts which led to them attacking Carnegie Steel Company to protest. While the union raised the National Labor Union, was able to unify workers across locales and trades but excluded many groups. Later the Knights Labor of 1869 included all workers except Chinese.
What were the major debates in regards to Gold and Silver during the Gilded Age?
-Gold Standard Act of 1900 -William McKinley -William Jennings Bryan -Cross of Gold Speech - Coins Financial School Throughout the Gilded Age, there was a very popular debate over whether the country should use gold, silver, or both as their main unit of currency. This argument was apparent in books such as Coins Financial School, a novel that supported bimetallism, or the use of both silver and gold as currencies. It was also seen during the Election of 1896, where William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat who supported bimetallism, and William McKinley, a Republican who advocated for gold, went head to head over this debate. With speeches such as the Cross of Gold Speech, by William Jennings Bryan, tearing down the gold argument, the nation was overall extremely divided over this topic.
African Americans have experienced a lot of racism during their years in America, but why did historian, Rayford Logan, consider the nadir (1877-1900) the worst time for racism post Civil War?
-Jim Crow Laws -Segregation -Coloured Farmer National Alliance -Plessy v Ferguson 1896 -Sun Down Towns -Lynching Rayford Logan considered the Nadir an especially rough time for racism throughout America. African Americans would have to go through many different issues, and pure torture simply because of the color of their skin. Jim Crow Laws were enacted in 1877, creating segregation, or separation, between the poc and white communities. Along with this, white communities would create Sundown Towns, banning African Americans from walking around after sundown. If disobeyed, lynching would occur, and the victim would get publicly murdered. Hate groups such as the KKK arose as well, threatening the lives of blacks constantly. Life for African Americans during the Nadir was also horrible not only socially, but within the government as well. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) legally justified segregation in the United States. Overall, life for African Americans during this time period made it horrifying for them to even step out of their doors.
In what ways did farmers and/or workers try to organize against big business?
-Populists -Homestead Strike -National Labor Union -Knights of Labor -Haymarket Square Throughout the Gilded Age, farmers and workers have both tried to organize against big business in many different ways. One major way of rebellion was through different strikes. The Homestead Strike, for example, was one of the original examples of rebellion against big business. Led by the Populists, a disgruntled group of farmers and workers, the Homestead Strike took place in Pittsburgh due to a wage cut of 20% among steelworkers. Another example of a strike would be Haymarket Square, which fought for an 8 hour workday for workers. This strike, however, ended up killing several dozen people due to a dynamite bomb. Along with strikes implemented throughout the fight for workers, unions were also created. The National Labor Union unified workers amongst different locales and trades in 1866, however excluded different minority groups. By 1869, the Knights of Labor group was created, including all workers except Chinese. Overall, unions had their flaws, mostly separating the skilled from the unskilled, which split everyone up.
Name and Explain how tycoons were viewed during the Gilded Age.
-Robber Baron -Captain of Industry -Monopolies -Pooling -Rockefeller - Vanderbilt - Horizontal integration During the Gilded Age, tycoons, or very powerful businesses, were viewed in a negative light from the perspective of the working class, however in a positive light from big businesses and the government. For the working class, tycoons seemed as if they were consistently run by Robber Barons, or people that ruin small businesses simply to make profit. By cutting wages of workers in these industries, it is understandable to think of these huge companies in this way. However, to the government, people such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and J.D. Rockefeller were Captains of Industry, aiding them with the economy and future of technology and business. With techniques such as Horizontal Integration perfected by Rockefeller to monopolize, or take over, a market, it created great advances in the way the economy works forever.
Name and Explain some of the corrupting moments during the Gilded Age, or mention events that negatively impacted America during the Gilded Age.
-the Panic of 1873 - whiskey ring - Credit Mobilier Scandal - Union Pacific Railroad - Jim Fisk and Jay Gould - Erie Railroad War - Black Friday Gold Scandal -laissez-faire Throughout the Gilded Age, there were many corrupting moments that negatively impacted America. Starting off, the Panic of 1873 was the original economic collapse of the United States during this time period. It consisted of bankers giving out too many loans, with nobody to pay them all back, which impacted the economy severely. Along with this Panic, there was also a lot of corruption going on throughout business, and the government. The Whiskey Ring, for example, was a government led secret in which officials would use their office to import whiskey without tax. There was also the Credit Mobilier Scandal, which was led by the Union Pacific Railroad to build eastern railroads on inflated wages. To add onto this, Jim Fisk and Jay Gould were also heavily present in cornering the gold market in 1869, in events such as the Erie Railroad War, and Black Friday Gold Scandal. Forgotten presidents, a laissez faire approach to big businesses, and other irresponsible actions all took part in the corrupting moments of the Gilded Age as well.
