1. During the Gilded Age, the United States experienced an industrial revolution

2. The Civil War stimulated mass-production techniques that were used after the war to make industrial goods
Stacked cannon balls, possibly a view of an arsenal yard in Washington, D.C. (NARA)

3. Grounds of the destroyed arsenal with scattered shot and shell in Richmond, Virginia, in 1865
The Civil War stimulated mass-production techniques that were used after the war to make industrial goods
Industrial goods like iron, steel, and railroads were needed to rebuild the nation after the war and build America’s new cities

4. America’s industrial revolution began as a wave of inventions
Cash registers, typewriters adding machines, made businesses more efficient
Marconi’s wireless transmitter and Bell’s telephone revolutionized communication
U.S. Patents Issued ( )
The Bessemer process created a cheap way to transform iron into stronger, lighter steel
New inventions allowed for improved industrialization

5. His most influential invention was the 1st electric light bulb
Thomas Edison (the “Wizard of Menlo Park”) was the greatest inventor of the 1800s
In his New York research lab, he invented the 1st phonograph, audio recorder, and battery ? ? ?
His most influential invention was the 1st electric light bulb

6. America’s industrial revolution was fueled by 4 major industries (R. O
America’s industrial revolution was fueled by 4 major industries (R.O.S.E.) Railroads, Oil, Steel, Electricity

7. The railroad was America’s first “big business”
Railroad construction grew in the years before the Civil War…
…But, tracks were owned by different companies and were not standardized

8. Cornelius Vanderbilt (3.47)
During the Gilded Age, railroad construction boomed, led by tycoons like Cornelius Vanderbilt
Large companies bought small railroads, standardized gauges and schedules, and pooled cars
Cornelius Vanderbilt (3.47)

9. Railroad expansion led to a boom in the economy
Railroads connected the East, South, and West and allowed for national trade and regional specialization
The 1st transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869
Eastern railroads were connected to the West by 4 great trunk lines
Railroads stimulated demand for coal, oil, iron, and steel

11. Industrialization led to a demand for iron and steel

12. Steel led to skyscrapers, longer bridges, stronger railroads, and heavier machinery

13. The iron and steel industries were dominated by Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie converted his mills to the Bessemer process and made the highest quality steel at the lowest price
Carnegie Steel Company produced more steel than all the steel factories in Great Britain combined
Carnegie best represented the American dream by rising from poor a immigrant to richest man in the world

15. Carnegie did not pay his employees very much and did not allow unions in his factories…
…but he was a philanthropist who gave money to New York City libraries, colleges, and performing arts institutions
Henry Bessemer (& William Kelly) turned iron into steel in 1850s—process allowed for mass production of steel 9

16. Rockefeller used ruthless tactics to buy out competing companies
Industrialization led to a demand for oil for lubrication and kerosene lighting
The oil industry during the Gilded Age was dominated John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company
Rockefeller used ruthless tactics to buy out competing companies
Standard Oil lowered costs and improved the quality of its oil products
By 1879, Standard Oil sold 90% of the oil in America 3

17. Rockefeller took advantage of his workers and used his fortune to influence the national gov’t…
…but Rockefeller gave away $500 million to charities, created the Rockefeller Foundation, and founded the University of Chicago

18. American finance was dominated by JP Morgan
Industrialization led to a demand for financing so banking became a significant part of the Gilded Age
American finance was dominated by JP Morgan
He was so influential that he bailed out the railroad industry when companies were in trouble
He helped ease an economic depression during the Panic of 1907
JP Morgan (3.08)

19. Corporations became a more common business structure
Industrialists like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller changed the way businesses were organized
Businesses hired professional managers to oversee employees, improve efficiency, and manage finances
Corporations became a more common business structure
Corporations used boards of trustees (“trusts”) to manage the company…
Holding Company
Company A
Company D
Company E
Company B
Company F
Company C
Company G
Company H
Board of Trustees
Company Manager
Employees
…and holding companies to manage other subsidiary companies

20. Corporations used mergers to increase profits

21. Companies like Standard Oil used horizontal integration to buy similar companies to reduce competition

22. Companies like Carnegie Steel used vertical integration to buy companies in order to gain materials needed to make or deliver their products

23. Corporate mergers led to giant companies called monopolies that controlled the majority of an industry…
Because most monopolies were run by boards of trustees, monopolies became known as “trusts”

24. Monopolists justified their wealth in a variety of ways
The “Gospel of Wealth” argued that it is God's will for some men to gain great wealth so they could serve the public
Social Darwinism taught that natural competition weeds out the weak and allows the strong to survive
The government used laissez faire policies toward big business…
…the lack of regulation allowed businesses to become very powerful and exploitive

25. Conclusions America was changed by the Industrial Revolution:
The United States led the world in industry, innovation, and wealth
Laissez-faire gov’t policies and new business tactics led to monopolies
But the gap between the wealthy monopolists and their poor immigrant workers grew wider

26. “Robber Barons” of the Gilded Age
Were the industrial capitalists of the Gilded Age “robber barons” or “captains of industry”? Weigh their positive and negative effects
The “Robber Barons” of the Past

27. Key Concepts
Immigration  moving to live permanently in a foreign country
Urbanization  a population shift from rural to urban areas that leads to a growth in cities
Crash Course Video on Immigration and Urbanization

28. What was immigration like during the Gilded Age?

29. From 1880 to 1921, a record 23 million immigrants arrived in the U. S
From 1880 to 1921, a record 23 million immigrants arrived in the U.S. looking for jobs and opportunities
The USA did not have quotas (limits) on how many immigrants from a particular country could enter the country

30. From the colonial era to 1880, most immigrants came from England, Ireland, or Germany in Northern Europe
Between 1880 and 1921, 70% of all immigrants to the USA came from southern and eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Austria-Hungary, Russia)
The “new immigrants” were typically young, male, either Catholic or Jewish, and spoke little or no English
The majority were unskilled agricultural laborers with little money or education

31. 75% of all immigrants entered the USA through the immigration center at Ellis Island, in New York
Immigrants had to pass a health examination and anyone with a serious health problem or disease was not let in
Inspectors questioned immigrants to made sure that they were not criminals, could work, and had some money ($25)

32. Many Americans expressed nativism and viewed immigrants with a sense of fear, suspicion, and hostility
Nativists had deep- seated prejudices about immigrants based on ethnicity, religion, political and social
beliefs
Many Americans accused immigrants of taking jobs away from “real” Americans and called for quotas that would limit the number of immigrants

33. “Immigrants Not Welcome”

34. What were cities like in the Gilded Age?

35. The Gilded Age experienced massive urbanization
In 1850, only 15% of Americans lived in cities…
City growth was due to rural Americans moving to cities and immigrants entering the USA
…By 1900, 40% of Americans lived in cities

36. Engineering innovations, such as expansive bridges and skyscrapers, led to modern American cities
Cities expanded outward from industrial centers in the central business districts to a ring of outer suburbs
As cities grew larger and beyond walking distance, trolley lines, elevated rail lines, and subways were created

37. Most American cities were not prepared for such rapid population growth
Many urban poor developed lung disease or tuberculosis; About 60% of immigrant babies died before their first birthday
Most urban immigrants lived in tenements: low rent apartments built the poorest parts of town called slums

38. About 2/3 of immigrants settled in cities, such as New York, Chicago, Boston, or Philadelphia and lived in ethnic neighborhoods called enclaves
Enclaves provided new immigrants with a sense of community and security, as the immigrants were surrounded by the familiar customs, food and language of their homeland

39. Impact of Urbanization and Immigration

40. What were working conditions like in the Gilded Age?

41. The majority of immigrants worked in industrial jobs
Industries were rapidly growing and in need of cheap workers
Most immigrants were unskilled and were willing to accept almost any kind of job, no matter how un-attractive or low paying

42. What problems did workers face in the Gilded Age?
3 images

43. In response to the low wages, long hours, and dangerous working conditions, many workers joined labor unions to collectively bargain for improvements

44. Among the first labor unions in America was the Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was open to all workers regardless of race, gender, or skill

45. Most workers were unskilled and ineligible to join the AFL
The most successful union was the American Federation of Labor (AFL) led by Samuel Gompers
The AFL only included skilled workers, but it used collective bargaining to gain better pay, shorter hours, and better working conditions for its union members
Most workers were unskilled and ineligible to join the AFL

46. By the end of the Gilded Age, only 4% of all American workers were unionized

47. During some strikes, violence broke out
One of the tactics used by unions was to strike: Strikes were designed to stop production in order to force management to accept union demands
Business leaders resisted strikes by hiring replacement workers or private police to break up strikes
During some strikes, violence broke out

48. During the Chicago Haymarket Strike (1886), unionists demanded an 8-hr day; When violence broke out, public opinion turned against unions, viewing them as violent and “un-American”

49. Violence erupted in the Homestead Strike (1892) at Carnegie’s steel plant; Federal troops were called to re-open the factory with replacement workers

50. Railroad workers led a national strike when the Pullman Palace Company cut wages by 50%...
…President Cleveland sent the army to end the strike; Strikers in 27 states resisted & dozens died