Gilded Age – Progressive Era

Gilded Age – Progressive Era

Gilded Age • Gilded – cheap center covered w/ thin layer of gold (Mark Twain) • Gov’t followed Laissez – Faire policies • 1877-1900

Presidents of the Gilded Age Rutherford Hayes • Republican • Ended Reconstruction • Reformed Spoils System

Presidents of the Gilded Age James A Garfield • Republican • Killed by a lawyer, Charles Guiteau

Presidents of the Gilded Age Chester Arthur • Republican • Created Civil Service Commission • Check qualifications

Presidents of the Gilded Age Grover Cleveland • Democrat • Gov’t control over RR

Presidents of the Gilded Age Benjamin Harrison • Republican • Sherman Anti Trust Act • Country begins a Depression

Presidents of the Gilded Age Grover Cleveland • Democrat • Stops Pullman Strike • Only Prez elected twice not in a row!

Presidents of the Gilded Age William McKinley • Republican • Increases US Tariffs • Supported the Gold Standard

Presidents of the Gilded Age William McKinley • Spanish – American War • Annexation of Hawaii • Killed during 2nd term – Leon Czolgosz

Progressive Era • 1890-1920 • A variety of reforms were enacted at all levels • Many Progressives believed that political action and reform were required for progress in society.

The Progressives: Their Goals and Beliefs Progressives were not a single unified movement. Their efforts fell into four categories: Social Reform Moral Reform Economic Reform Political Reform

MUCKRAKERS • Journalists that exposed turn of the century problems such as illegal business activities, putrid food, quack medicines, squalid living conditions, dangerous working conditions, etc. • The uncovering of these awful truths led progressives to demand changes.

Economic Reform • Economic Reformers sought to curb the power and influence of wealthy interests. • Monopolies • Trusts • Gap between Rich and Poor

Sherman Antitrust Act • Enacted in 1890 • Effort by Congress to end trusts • Ineffective due to lack of enforcement

Clayton Antitrust Act • Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 • Spelled out specific activities businesses could NOT do • Aide to Union Strikes now Legal!

Federal Reserve System • Central bank of the US • Divided nation into 12 regions each w/ its own Federal Reserve Bank

Federal Reserve System • Regulates Amount of money in circulation • Sets interest rates • Regulates how much a bank can lend

16th Amendment – Congress can levy income taxes

Ida Tarbell • History of Standard Oil • Exposed the practices of Big • Business

Government should be given expanded powers so that it could become more active in improving the lives of its citizens. Social Reform

Social Reform Examples 1.Women’s rights • Suffrage (voting) • Owning Property • Divorce • Clothing • Birth Control

Susan B Anthony – activist who worked towards gaining suffrage for women Created National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) Women’s Reform Leaders

Women’s Reform Leaders • Florence Kelley – activist who worked towards gaining better working conditions

Women’s Reform Leaders • Alice Paul – radical activist who worked towards gaining suffrage for women • Created Congressional Union (CU): wanted an Amendment giving Women right to vote

19th Amendment • 1919 Congress passes the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.

Social Reform Examples 2. Protection of the Environment • Antiquities Act of 1906 • Allows President to designate National Monuments • Protect and Preserve Wildlife Areas

Social Reform Examples 3. Tenement Life • Over Crowding of the Cities • Poor Living Conditions • Unsanitary Conditions

Jacob Riis • “How the Other Half Lives “ • Exposed horrible living conditions in tenements

Social Reform Examples 4. Unsafe working conditions and Child Labor • Fewer Hours • Higher Wages • Safer Factories • Unions

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory operated on the top 3 floors of the 10 story Asch Building in New York City

In 1911, Unsafe working conditions lead to a deadly fire • Notice that the tallest ladders owned by the fire department only reach the 6th floor

Rather than burn alive in the swift moving fire, many women jump from windows

This is actually a photo of the building after the fire! Note how there is very little damage on the outside of the building

Eight months after the fire, a jury acquitted the factory owners, of any wrong doing. • Twenty-three individual civil suits were brought against the owners of the Asch building. On March 11, 1913, three years after the fire, the owners settled. They paid 75 dollars per life lost. • This tragedy led to a push for comprehensive safety and workers compensation laws.

Social ReformExamples 5. Safer Medicines • Restriction of Harmful Drugs • Proper Labeling • Government Approval of Future Drugs/Medicines

Patent Medicines • Medicines at the turn of the century did not require a prescription. • Making exaggerated claims, they were used for a variety of ailments. • Many contained dangerous ingredients.

Cocaine was a common ingredient – even for children's medicines

Notice it's from the makers of Bayer Aspirin...

Social Reform Examples 6. Safer Food • Government Inspection of Food • Proper Labeling • Cleanliness Have you read “The Jungle”? yuck.

The Jungle • Written by Upton Sinclair • Talks about the horrors of the meat packing industry

Gilded Age – Progressive Era