Gilded Age Flashcards
What is the difference between “Old Immigrants” and “New Immigrants” during the Gilded Age?
“Old Immigrants” came to the U.S. in the early 1800s and were typically more wealthy, educated and skilled, and came from Southern and Eastern Europe. “New Immigrants” were typically poor and unskilled, and came from Northern and Western Europe.
What are specific challenges that “New Immigrant” faced?
Bad working conditions, discriminated against, paid less than others.
Who are “nativists” (nativism)?
People who didn’t want more immigrants to come the the U.S. often people who were Irish, German, Chinese, and other southern and eastern countries, or if they were Catholic or Jewish were affected by this.
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act?
A federal law signed into place on May 6th, 1882 that banned Chinese immigrants from immigrating to the United States. It was repealed December 17th, 1943.
What was laissez-faire?
Combined the principles of limited government and the free market with some of the ideas of Social Darwinism.
What was Social Darwinsim?
The idea that is a person has the ability, smarts, and skills to rise to the top and become successful they will.
What is the meaning of Monopoly?
Owning everything for one product (only one company for phones or tables).
Who were the industrial leaders and their industry’s?
Andrew Carnegie - Steel, John D. Rockefeller - Oil, Cornelius Vanderbilt - Railroads, J.P. Morgan - Banks.
What does the Gilded Age mean?
The era of rapid economic growth.
Where does the name of the Gilded Age come from?
Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner’s 1875 novel “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today”.
What was child labor during the Gilded Age?
Children were working as much as adults for less money and more dangerous situations because they could fit into small spaces to fix machine when they broke. Child Labor Laws were not put into place until 1938.
What were Company Towns?
Company towns were towns that factory owners would buy and their workers would live there and have to pay rent.
What were some specific bad working conditions?
10 hour shifts, six days a week, low wages, and dangerous.
What is Minimum Wage?
Minimum wage is the minimum amount employers are legally allowed to pay their workers per hour. Put into place in 1938.
What were Unions and Strikes?
Workers wanted better pay and working conditions so they banned together and refused to work until they got that.
