MODULE 2 & 3: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION/ THE GUILDED AGE Flashcards by Shantia Simon

William is a farmer and is deep in debt. He is trying to decide who he should vote for in the 1888 presidential election. For whom should William cast his vote and why?

Grover Cleveland, he lowered tariffs in his first term.
Cleveland supported the lowering of tariffs in favor of protecting the working class.

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The presidential election of 1876 poised Samuel J. Tilden against Rutherford B. Hayes in the race for the presidency. How did the candidates appeal to voters?

They relied upon other groups to support their cause in place of campaigning.
Democrats relied upon White supremacist terror organizations to intimidate Black people and Republicans while they attempted to vote. Republicans meanwhile, relied upon the bloody shirt campaign, reminding the nation of the terrible human toll of the war against southern confederates who now reappeared in national politics under the mantle of the Democratic Party.

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The Gilded Age is notorious for using the spoils system to appoint government employees rather than the civil service system. Under the civil service system, how does one get a political position?

By being well qualified for the job one is hoping to be appointed to.
Under the civil service system, promoting and hiring government employees is based on their ability to perform a job, rather than on their political connections.

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The Gilded Age ushered in a new era of politics in America. How did national politics change during the Gilded Age?

Politicians began favoring the agendas of their financial supporters.
Gilded Age presidents were more likely to support various legislators’ and lobbyists’ agendas, as they owed favors to their key financial contributors.

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Americans of all walks of life had an opinion on whether the U.S. should remain on the gold standard or begin minting silver. Who would prefer to stay on the gold standard and who would prefer coining silver?

Bankers preferred to stay on the gold standard.

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What is the Gold Standard

The gold standard restricts the amount of currency in circulation causing deflation. Deflation makes the dollar worth more when it is repaid than when it was borrowed.

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Many believed that patronage was responsible for the unproductive government of the Gilded Age. How did the practice of patronage contribute to the ineffective government that hallmarked the era?

Presidents were generally weak as they paid many favors and managed relationships.
During this time presidents were generally weak as they spent their time in office repaying political favors and building political relationships.

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In addition to the debates surrounding tariffs, patronage, and corruption, many American citizens were concerned about the value of a dollar. Would farmers support an end to the gold standard? Why?

Yes, the resulting inflation would make their debts easier to pay.

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The election of 1876 introduced two new presidential candidates since the current president, Ulysses Grant, had already served the customary two terms. What were a majority of Americans looking for in a presidential candidate?

They wanted reform and an end to corruption.

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The Gilded Age brought an increase in political patronage. How did political patronage contribute to the political changes seen in the Gilded Age?

It led to many unqualified people serving in the federal government.

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The presidential election of 1876 poised Samuel J. Tilden against Rutherford B. Hayes in the race for the presidency. How did the candidates appeal to voters?

They relied upon other groups to support their cause in place of campaigning.

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What did inflation do?

Inflation makes currency worth less over time, allowing farmers to essentially pay less money back.

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There were many contentious topics that influenced presidential nominations and elections in the Gilded Age. One of those topics was whether to increase or decrease tariffs. Who supported increased tariffs?

big business

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Throughout the 1880s and 90s, the U.S. saw many one-term presidents. What was one issue that kept presidents from getting a second nomination?

The issue of civil service vs. patronage.
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The presidential election of 1876 was brought to a close by the Compromise of 1877. What impact did the Compromise have on the United States?

It ended reconstruction and Southern Democrats regained power in the South.

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President Hayes attempted to end patronage in favor of civil service but was held back from making any sweeping reforms by political infighting. What made the task of ending patronage particularly difficult?

The Stalwarts, frequent users of patronage, did not support Hayes’ bid to end the practice.

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Many believed that patronage was responsible for the unproductive government of the Gilded Age. How did the practice of patronage contribute to the ineffective government that hallmarked the era?

Presidents were generally weak as they paid many favors and managed relationships.

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John owns a large manufacturing business in New York that deals mainly in exports. Would John be for or against the gold standard? Why?

John would favor the gold standard because inflation would hurt his business.

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The presidential election of 1876 poised Samuel J. Tilden against Rutherford B. Hayes in the race for the presidency. How did the candidates appeal to voters?

They relied upon other groups to support their cause in place of campaigning.

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The Gilded Age is notorious for using the spoils system to appoint government employees rather than the civil service system. Under the civil service system, how does one get a political position?

By being well qualified for the job one is hoping to be appointed to.

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The Gilded Age brought many frustrations to American society for both urban and rural populations. How were farmers affected by Gilded Age politics?

National political parties supported railroad companies which hurt farmers’ profits.
The Republican congress gave millions of acres and dollars to railroad companies and as they grew in power they began discriminating against small shippers, making it cost-prohibitive for farmers to ship their crops.

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The presidential election of 1876 was brought to a close by the Compromise of 1877. What impact did the Compromise have on the United States?

It ended reconstruction and Southern Democrats regained power in the South.

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During the Gilded age farmers began forming alliances with one another. One reason farmers decided to form an alliance was the amount of debt they faced. How did farmers find themselves in so much debt?

Rising tariffs on industrial products.
Rising tariffs on industrial products made purchased items more expensive, yet tariffs were not being used to keep crop prices artificially high as well. Therefore, farmers were paying inflated prices but not receiving them.

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In 1896, the century’s final presidential campaign took place and pitted William McKinly against William Jennings Bryan. What effect did Bryan’s campaign have on future politics in America?

Reformist roots were put down and a majority of populist policies would become laws over the next century.
The agrarian revolt established the roots of later reform, and the majority of policies outlined within the Omaha Platform would eventually be put into law. The Populist vision laid the intellectual groundwork for the coming progressive movement.

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The Depression of 1893 led to millions of Americans becoming unemployed. Workers tried various techniques to find work or keep their original jobs. Many attempted this by joining Coxey’s Army. What was the goal of Coxey’s Army?

To encourage the government to enact a public works program. In the spring of 1894, businessman Jacob Coxey led a march of unemployed Ohioans from Cincinnati to Washington, DC, where leaders of the group urged Congress to pass public works legislation for the federal government to hire unemployed workers to build roads and other public projects.

The Farmers’ Alliance grew from other organizations in hopes of enacting real change at the national level by creating the Populist Party. Why did the Farmers Alliance choose to create a political party?

Farmers continued to be ignored by the federal government. The Farmers’ Alliance chose to create a political party whose representatives could enact real change. If the government would not address the problem, then it was time to change those elected to power.

As farmers continued to be ignored by the federal government they fell deeper and deeper into debt. How did farmers attempt to change the focus of the federal government?

By forming a coalition and ultimately forming their own political party. Farmers began to understand that a collective voice could create significant pressure among political leaders and produce substantive change.

The Depression of 1893 affected not only the railroad, many other industries were also hard hit. How did the depression affect industrial America as a whole?

Unemployment skyrocketed leaving 3 million Americans without a job. The closure of railroad companies led to a ripple effect in the economy where workers from steel mill laborers to bankers lost their jobs.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan campaigned for president against William McKinley. Despite his loss, why was Bryan’s campaign important?

It brought once fringe Populist Party ideas into one of the two major political parties. The agrarian revolt established the roots of later reform, and the majority of policies outlined within the Omaha Platform would eventually be put into law. The Populist vision laid the intellectual groundwork for the coming progressive movement.

In 1891, the Farmers’ Alliance decided if the government would not address the problem, then it was time to change those elected to power and formed the Populist Party. How did the Populist Party approach the 1892 election?

They wrote the Omaha Platform and selected a presidential candidate. the party nominated former Union general James B. Weaver as its presidential candidate.

What was the Ohama Platforms purpose

to more fully explain to all Americans the goals of the new party and at the close of the convention

Many authors and artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries including Kate Chopin, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Rebecca Harding Davis, were instrumental in providing context to a changing world. Why was Paul Laurence Dunbar so important?

He gave readers a look into a world that may be otherwise unfamiliar to them. Dunbar’s writing highlighted parts of the American experience that were not well understood by the dominant demographic of the country. He provided readers with insights into a world that was not necessarily familiar to them and also gave hidden communities a sense of voice.

In the late 1800s White terrorist organizations began to form in an attempt to establish their “White supremacy.” They targeted Black people who were simply exercising their given civil rights. What was the main goal of the Red Shirts, one of the terrorist organizations?

To remove Black people from political offices and participation.

What were red shirt groups?

were paramilitary organizations dedicated to eradicating Black political participation through violence and intimidation. They launched a self-described “White supremacy campaign” of violence and intimidation against Black voters and officeholders during the 1898 state elections in North Carolina.

Industrialization and urbanization changed the way the north and south interacted with one another. What change made the south more accessible to the north, both economically and socially?

The south changed the size of the railroad tracks they used. The shift in railroad gauge drastically expanded the economic and social links connecting North and South.

Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who, in 1859, made the case that species develop and evolve through natural selection. Darwin and other natural scientists applied this theory to plants and animals. Some scientists also began applying it to human society. Who was an advocate for the ideas of Darwin to be applied to the social order of the Victorian age?

Those who amassed great wealth in the Gilded Age. Drew great praise from those who made their wealth at this time. Gilded Age industrial elites, such as steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, inventor Thomas Edison, and Standard Oil’s John D. Rockefeller, were among Spencer’s prominent followers.

Lynching is a mob killing of someone, oftentimes for a crime they cannot be proved to have committed. Lynching became an often-used way for White mobs to take the law into their own hands. How was lynching viewed by many White southerners?

As a spectacle and an event worth attending. Lynchings could become carnivals, public spectacles attended by thousands of eager spectators. Rail lines ran special cars to accommodate the rush of participants. Vendors sold goods and keepsakes. Perpetrators posed for photos and collected mementos.

Social Darwinism had many supporters and critics. One of the most prominent sponsors of the idea was sociologist and biologist, Herbert Spencer. What did Spencer say about those who did not thrive under social Darwinism?

Those who did not achieve wealth on their own would overall weaken society. Spencer popularized the phrase survival of the fittest and said the fittest would demonstrate their superiority through economic success, while state welfare and private charity would lead to social degeneration and would encourage the survival of the weak.

Many authors offered explanations, ideas, and theories on why American society was changing and how it could be reformed, changed, or embraced. One theory was that of pragmatism. What is the idea of pragmatism?

Americans needed to experiment and find the truth for themselves rather than rely on faith.

Mary owns a flower shop on main street. Sarah owns a shrubbery one block over. Mary and Sarah decide to unite their horticultural businesses into one entity: “M&S Greenery.” This is an example of:

Corporate merger

While many technological advancements were produced in the nineteenth century, in what three areas did inventions make the most impact?

Communication, steel production, electric power

Which of the following statements best characterizes the relationship between inventions and cities during the late nineteenth century?

New inventions led to urban growth.

Which of the following statements is true of the banking empire built by J.P. Morgan?

His empire grew so large he was able to bail out the U.S. government by loaning them tens of millions of dollars worth of gold

The wives of the wealthy businessmen of the Gilded Age notably pursued which of the following activities:

Contributing to charities.

Freddy’s Fries owns potato farms in Idaho. They also own a share of the railroad company that transports their potatoes to their factories in Pittsburgh. There they are cut, preserved, packaged and shipped to their fry carts around the northeast. There they are cooked and sold to customers. This company is an example of which business model:

Vertical integration.

How would you best characterize the relationship between industrial labor and profits in the late nineteenth century?

Labor became less skilled; profits increased

Elijah and his family were sharecroppers in Georgia in the 1880s. The family decides it is best for them to move to Atlanta. What is one reason the family may have decided to make this move?

The new factories in the cities provided more opportunities for the whole family to work. Black males could go to work in factories while Black women could work as domestic servants for White families who worked at the factories.

Who were the Robber Barons of the late-nineteenth century?

Titans of finance and industry who built vast fortunes through industrial capitalism

Andrew Carnegie wrote The Gospel of Wealth to describe how those made rich through capitalism should behave. What was his main point in his essay?

Those whose abilities allowed them great success should act benevolently and share their wealth with the less fortunate masses.

The U.S. government passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890 to combat which issue:

Monopolies

Rachel is a housewife in Boston during the 1890s. She takes you on a tour of her home to show you the latest technologies that have altered the domestic lives of women like here in the late nineteenth century. Which of the following might she show you on the tour?

a freezer full of pre-packaged food

Fredrick Taylor developed a scientific management theory to improve factory work. The main principle of his theory, named Taylorism, claimed the following to be true:

The subdivision of labor tasks speeds up production and increases efficiency of manufacturing.

How did American cities in the East overcome the increasing need for more space to handle their drastically increased populations?

by building skyscrapers which created upward space for both residential and commercial use

Ruth and her family are the only Jewish family in their town in Italy, and are struggling with religious persecution there. She and her children make the decision to move to Baltimore to escape the discrimination. Their story is an example of a

push factor

A young German father hears about new steel factories paying higher wages in America and decides to immigrate with his family to Pittsburgh in search of a better financial situation. Historians would call his reason for immigrating:

pull factor

The findings of the Dillingham Commission, created by Congress in 1907 to report on the nature of immigration in the United States, can best be described by which summary:

Newer immigrants to the U.S. mostly hailed from eastern and southern European nations, and were vastly different in skin tone, language, culture, and religion than native born Americans.

Also known as a “city of homes,” what new entity arose as a middle ground between the crowded cities and the countryside

Suburbia

Issues such as war, discrimination, and poverty encouraged many people to immigrate to the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. Where did the majority of these immigrants come from?

Italy

America experienced a massive rise in urbanization during the later part of the 1800s. Choose the statement below that best summarizes why this happened:

Technological advancements lead to increased industrialization near cities which in turn created employment needs in factories. To fill this need, workers moved to cities in unprecedented numbers, either from rural areas or from other countries.

Johann immigrated from Stockholm to Philadelphia, where he settled into a Swedish neighborhood near the center of the city. There he can speak in his native tongue and enjoy food from his homeland. Johann lives in what can be described as a(n)

ethnic enclave.

Issues such as war, discrimination, and poverty encouraged many people to immigrate to the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. Where did the majority of these immigrants come from?

Eastern and southern Europe

Luka immigrated from Poland to Boston. He writes to his brother Antoni, telling him to join him working in the textile industry. Antoni and his family moved to Boston the following year. Later, Antoni’s best friend moves to America after learning of the opportunities there. This illustrates which of the following processes related to immigration?

chain migration

Why did Thomas Edison conceive of and invent the phonograph?

for use in various commercial settings

Who comprised the “new middle class” at the end of the nineteenth century?

a group of salaried, but educated professionals

How did the rise of industrialization and urbanization affect the concept of masculinity during the Gilded Age?

It brought on concerns that America was becoming a nation of emasculated men

Why did advertising and marketing become such prominent practices at the end of the nineteenth century?

Customers had increasing options of goods and shops to choose from so companies had to compete for business.

Why did cities appeal to upper class Americans?

Because they offered places of elite culture even amidst the urban squalor.

How did the new consumer culture affect middle-class women at the end of the nineteenth century?

They became responsible for spending their household’s disposable income on luxury goods to showcase their lifestyle.

Baseball became a favorite form of leisure for the American public during the turn of the twentieth century, the classic American pastime. What other major importance did baseball serve for the country?

It provided a means for Americans to form a unified civic identity.

Margaret works at a textile factory, earning low wages. Despite her lack of income she wants to stop at Marshall and Field’s on her way home to buy a few things. Which of the following practices of the consumer culture of the nineteenth century allows her to do such shopping?

buying on credit

Describe the purpose of the system of machine politics that developed towards the end of the nineteenth century.

To provide every citizen in a city speedy representation through an alderman who spoke on their behalf at city hall.

How did Fredrick Taylor’s “stop-watch management” principle affect the lives of industrial workers in the late nineteenth century?

It dehumanized and deskilled the nature of their work.

The Haymarket Riots of May 1886 were a major event in the history of nineteenth century organized labor. Why were the riots so consequential?

The riots caused public opinion to turn even more against labor unions, and led to a dramatic decline in membership of one of the main national unions, the Knights of Labor.

What did the concept of the social gospel motivate churches and civic organizations to do?

It motivated them to help improve the lives of the working class through community service.

The settlement housing movement was a precursor to what larger reform movement?

The Progressive Movement

What was the name of a more conservative craft labor union for skilled workers that tried to avoid “radical” actions like strikes?

American Federation of Labor

How would you categorize the response of railroad owners and government officials to strikers during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877?

Violent

Leaders of political machine, often known as bosses, helped address problems of citizens in their neighborhoods in exchange for

votes

What is one main reason organized labor unions did not develop before the later half of the nineteenth century?

Before the end of the nineteenth century most workers labored independently and in rural settings

Founded in 1904, the main objective of the National Child Labor Committee was to

improve the working conditions and safety of children laborers.

One of the largest and most successful labor unions was the Knights of Labor. What idea made them stand out from other unions?

They did not discriminate on membership, welcoming workers without limits on occupation, gender, race, or skill level.

One of the early attempts at creating a labor union was the National Labor Union, which comprised representatives from seventy-seven different occupations. While they argued for many reforms, which did they successfully persuade Congress to pass?

an eight-hour workday for federal employees

Life for industrial workers living in cities differed from wealthier Americans and from those who lived in rural areas. Select the sentence below that describes such differences.

Industrial laborers on average had poorer health and shorter lifespans

John and Sarah live with their six children in tenement housing in Boston. What is one challenge they likely faced due to their living conditions?

Disease

an eight-hour workday for federal employees

Despite being notorious for its corruption, Tammany Hall’s political machine in New York City made positive contributions to the city. How so?

It provided needed infrastructure and public services.

Some historians argue the viewpoint that political machine bosses were mere villains, who never acted in the best interest of their constituents. What is a supporting claim they sometimes use to reinforce their claim?

Political bosses only used methods that lined their own pockets, even when there were other, less profitable ways to improve the lives of the poor.

Some historians argue that political machines improved the urban centers in which they served. What is one piece of supporting evidence they could use to make this claim?

They funded public parks, such as Central Park

Historian Mark Summers wrote an essay taking the side that machine politicians were fully corrupt and manipulated the system only for their own gain. As part of his argument he writes how, “Detroit’s sewer system crumbled because the preferred contractors put too much sand in the concrete.” This sentence is an example of

supporting evidence.

Where in a paper or essay is the first iteration of the thesis usually located?

The introduction

When accessing arguments made concerning the pros and cons of political machines, one must always be mindful of the perspective from which those arguments come. With this and other historical topics it has often been said that “history is written by winners.” What does this mean?

It means that perspective is important when studying the past as it is the victors’ interpretation of event that often survive.

What is one positive aspect of Gilded Age political machines that historians have argued for?

Machines allowed immigrants to assimilate faster into society and take on leadership roles.

Americans needed to experiment and find the truth for themselves rather than rely on faith.

In 2019 a study showed that Black patients were 40% less likely to receive medication for acute pain than White patients. How is this statistic an example of systemic racism?

Many medical doctors believe Black people feel less pain. Many medical doctors believe Black people feel less pain.

MODULE 2 & 3: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION/ THE GUILDED AGE Flashcards

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