Ideas of the Age
This philosophy was started by Herbert Spencer, which was based on Darwin's theory of evolution, and applied to society that only the fittest survive.
Coney Island was an example of this type of attraction, which started to become popular at this time. These appealed to children, families, and single people, offering rides, games, and food stalls.
What are amusement parks?
This philosophy was created by Lester Frank Ward in response to Herbert Spencer's philosophy, which argued that society should model itself after "survival of the fittest." Ward also examined Darwin's theory of evolution, but came to a different conclusion: he said that this proves that humans are different than animals and can collaborate and work together.
What is Reform Darwinism?
In 1881, this president was assassinated in his first term by a frustrated supporter who was not rewarded with a job, which he expected to obtain under the traditional spoils system.
Who is Garfield? Who is James Garfield?
These taxes on foreign goods were meant to promote domestic manufacturing. These taxes were especially unpopular among farmers that relied on international trade both to acquire foreign equipment and to sell their crops overseas.
What are tariffs?
A contrast to Romanticism, this literary and artistic movement, which focused on depicting people as they are in their everyday life started to become popular in the late 1800s.
What is Realism?
As the standard of living increased, people had more money to spend on recreations. This type of establishment become to the most popular one of choice for urban male workers to unwind, gather, and even organize after a long day of work. They were known for serving drinks, offering free salty meals to incentivize drinking, and free access to toilets.
What are Saloons?
This type of charity organization focused on offering medical support, food, housing, and education to poor children, particular in the cities, often ran by Christian women.
What are settlement houses?
By the 1880s, many Americans were frustrated by the government corruption that they witnessed on full display. It was common practice for presidents and officials to reward supporters by providing them with government jobs. This was known was the spoils system, or this more technical term.
What is patronage?
Railroads offered large corporations these discounts because of the large amount of product that they agreed to ship.
What are rebates?
This belief became associated with American and Western ideals during the late 1800s, which espoused that anyone could be successful regardless of their upbringing/background.
What is individualism?
This type of music, known for its lively, upbeat, and syncopated rhythms became the defining music of late 1800s urban America, reflecting the fast-paced life in the city.
What is Ragtime?
This woman became most famous for her community volunteer work and the creation and running of the Hull House in Chicago, first opened in 1889.
Who is Jane Addams? Who is Addams?
This term applied to those who were in favor of preserving the spoils system, such as party boss, Roscoe Conkling from NY.
What are "Stalwarts?"
To help finance the Civil War, the the US treasury issued millions of these: paper money that could not be exchanged for gold or silver.
Due to their overproduction, inflation happened in the early 1860s.
What are greenbacks?
The name of Andrew Carnegie's philosophy and subsequent book of the same name, which was the belief that the ultra-wealthy should invest in society's public works.
What is The Gospel of Wealth?
This type of entertainment became extremely popular in the 1870s and into the 1920s. Derived from a French word, theatrical performances included acrobatic acts, burlesque, animal acts, musical acts, and other circus-inspired demonstrations.
This process, which often occurred in schools was especially important to immigrant children in cities. It taught them about national values, culture, and U.S. lifestyles, helping them to assimilate.
What is Americanization?
What are "Mugwumps?" What is "Mugwump?"
In 1890, Congress passed this act, which made it illegal for companies to conspire together and interfere with competition and trade. While not very effective at the time of its passing. This Act was later used to break up large monopolies in the 1900s.
(Remember the activity we deciding if agreements between companies violated the law or not?)
What is the Sherman Ant-Trust Act?
Name this famous Philadelphia artist, who was known for his realistic depictions of his subjects, such as rowers on the Schuylkill, and his depiction of Rutherford B Hayes, which was, at the time, controversial due to his casual portrayal of a sitting president.
Who is Thomas Eakins? Who is Eakins?
One of the most famous African American composers of the time period, best known for his piece, "Maple Leaf Rag."
Who is Scott Joplin?
This movement started in the 1970s and continued throughout the 1920s. It was inspired by Christian values and philosophies to give back to community, leading to the rise of organizations such as the YMCA, the Salvation Army, and women's clubs.
What is the Social Gospel Movement?
In 1883, Congress passed this act, which was meant to address the unfair spoils system at the time.
This act lead to the creation of a bipartisan Civil Service Commission, which marked the shift towards merit-based appointments, and prevented employees from being fired for political reasons.
What is the Pendleton Act?
In 1887, Cleveland passed this act, which forbade railroads from offering discounts to high volume users. It also was meant to make railroads offer "fair and equitable rates." While it was passed by Congress, it didn't have much an effect, as courts did not enforce it.
What is the Interstate Commerce Act?