The Gilded Age
was a period that roughly occurred
during the late 19th century, between the 1870s and
the late 1890s, which occurred between the
Reconstruction Era and the Progressive Era. This
was a period in United States history marked by rapid
industrialization, explosive growth, and the rise of
powerful industrialists and financiers, and the rise of
widespread political corruption and income inequality.
Difficult living and poor work conditions for many
people were also part of this period. This era saw
massive urbanization, the expansion of railroads, and
innovations in manufacturing, while reform
movements and labor strikes emerged in response to
monopolies, unsafe workplaces, and limited political
accountability.
The Gilded Age
means to put money, time, and resources into
something with the expectation of gaining a financial
return.
invest
was a period in United States
history that followed the American Civil War (1861 -
1865) and dominated by legal, social, and political
challenges of the abolition of slavery and the
reintegration of the former Confederate States into the
United States
Reconstruction Era
from around 1877 to 1864 were any
state and local laws introduced in the Southern United
States in the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries
that enforced racial segregation. “Jim Crow” was a
derogatory and negative term for an African
American. These laws mandated racial segregation in
all public facilities in most states beginning in the
1870’s. Although the theory, the “equal” segregation
doctrine governed public facilities and transportation
as well, facilities for African Americans were
consistently inferior and underfunded compared to
facilities for white Americans. Sometimes there were
no facilities for the black community at all.
Jim Crow Laws
were powerful American
industrialists and financiers who acquired massive
wealth and riches often through aggressive, ruthless,
and/or ethically questionable business practices.
These people were in reference to prominent US
businessmen in the late 19th century who were
criticized for exploiting workers, manipulating markets,
and limiting competition while also donating to public
causes.
Robber barons
are payments made by an employee in
exchange for labor of service. This is usually based
on the time worked or output produced.
wages
also known as the Civil
War Amendments are the 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments to the Constitution of the the United
States that was adopted between 1865 and 1870.
These amendments were a part of the implementation
of the Reconstruction of the American South which
occurred after the Civil War. These are the (3) three
additions to the US Constitution that abolished
slavery, granted equal rights to formerly enslaved
people, and granted rights to the vote for people of all
races. They also ensured birthright citizenship, as well
as due process and “equal protection of the laws”
under the federal and state governments.
Reconstruction Amendments
refers to the systematic removal
or denial of the right to vote. This often targets
specific groups of people based on their race,
socioeconomic status, or other characteristics. This
can occur through legal barriers, voters suppression
tactics, or discriminatory practices that prevent
individuals from participating in the electoral process.
Disenfranchisement
was an influential American financier
and banker in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age, who built a
powerful banking empire. He played a central role in
merging major industries such as railroads, steel, and
electricity and became a stockholder in every railroad
company. In 1898, Morgan formed the Federal Steel
Company. He used his financial resources and
networks to stabilize U.S. financial markets during
crises. He merged with other companies, forming the
huge United State Steel Corporation.
J P Morgan
is a market condition where a single entity
has exclusive control over a commodity or service,
but this is primarily defined in antitrust laws as the
unlawful possession or maintenance of dominant
market power anticompetitive conduct. The U.S.
prohibits the act of monopolization under laws like the
Sherman Antitrust Act. This makes it illegal to
conspire to monopolize or attempt to monopolize a
market.
monopoly
were restricted laws designed to limit
the freedom of African Americans and codes ensured
their availability as a cheap labor force after slavery
was abolished after the Civil War. The laws restricted
black people from having the right to own property,
conduct business, buy or lease land or move freely
through public spaces. A central element of the black
race were vagrancy laws. States criminalized men
who were out of work, or who were not working at a
job that whites recognized.
Black Codes
is a system of farming in which
families, both black and white, rent small lots of land
from the landowner in return for a portion of the crops
to be given to the landowner at the end of each year.
This system was created after the civil war when
former slaves sought jobs and plant owners sought
laborers.
Sharecropping
was an industrialist and
philanthropist who became one of the leading
industrialists of the Gilded Age. He led the expansion
of the richest American Steel industry in the late 19th
century and became the richest man in American
history. He built the steel empire through innovations
in production and aggressive business practices such
as slashing wages of the workers that made him rich.
After selling Carnegie Steel in 1901, he devoted his
wealth to philanthropy. His most significant
contribution was the establishment of several trusts
or institutions bearing his name including Carnegie
Museum of Pittsburgh, The Carnegie Trust for the
University of Scotland, Carnegie Institution of
Science, and Carnegie Foundations. His peace
initiative was based on his belief expressed in “The
Gospel of Wealth”, which was that the rich have a
moral obligation to distribute their fortunes to benefit
society.
Andrew Carnegie
was an American
industrialist and philanthropist who founded the
Standard Oil Company in 1870. He built it into the
dominant oi-refining monopoly of his era through
business strategies like consolidation and rebates. In
1870, he established Standard Oil, which by the early
1880’s controlled some 90% of the US Refineries and
pipelines. Critics accused Rockefeller of engaging in
unethical practices such as predatory pricing and
colluding with railroads to eliminate his competitors in
order to gain a monopoly in the industry. In 1911, the
US Supreme Court found Standard Oil in violation of
antitrust laws and ordered it to dissolve. Later in his
life he used his wealth to create major charitable
foundations that funded education, medical research,
and public institutions.
John D. Rockefeller (1839 - 1937)
were created to criminalize the act of
wandering from place to place with no evidence of
employment or a way to support oneself. The main
purpose of this law was for former confederate states
to get rid of the problem of labor shortage in their
plantation once slavery was outlawed.
Vagrancy laws
was a landmark Supreme
Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial
segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
The case arose when Homer Plessy, a black
American man, was arrested for sitting in a
“white-only” train car in Louisiana. The court ruled that
as long as the separate facilities for the black and
white race were equal, segregation did not violate the
Equal Protection Clause of the (14th) Fourteenth
Amendment. This decision legitimized state laws
establishing racial segregation and laid the foundation
for the Jim Crow laws that enforced racial
discrimination in the Southern United States.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
is the act of showing no pity or compassion.
The act of willing to act without concern for others’
feelings or suffering in order to achieve a goal.
ruthless
was a US entrepreneur and key figure in the 1800s who amassed his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was a sharp young trader who embraced new technologies like steamships and railroads to capitalize on the Industrial Revolution. Vanderbilt's businesses were prototypes for modern corporations, and his wealth was estimated to be over $100 million when he died.
cornelius vanderbilt
What did the 13th Amendment do?
It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude across the United States.
was an
influential black American educator, author, and
advisor to several United States presidents. He was
born into slavery and later became a prominent leader
in the black American community. He was the
president, principal developer, and founder of
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which is now known
as Tuskegee University. This university focused on
vocational education and practical skills for black
students. Washington advocated for the idea that
self-sufficiency and vocational training were essential
to the advancement of black Americans during the
post-Reconstruction era. His philosophy emphasized
gradual progress and building a strong economic
foundation, which he believed would eventually lead
to social equality.
Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1915)