Section 3-1 Guide to Reading Industrialism and urbanization changed American society’s ideas and culture in the late 1800s.  Gilded Age  Main Idea Key Terms and Names Social Darwinism  Gospel of Wealth  philanthropy  realism  vaudeville  ragtime 

Section 3-5 A Changing Culture In 1873 Mark Twain and Charles Warner co-wrote the novel, The Gilded Age.  Historians use this term to refer to the time between 1870 and  The term “gilded” refers to something being gold on the outside while the inside is made of cheaper material. 

The authors tried to point out that although this was a time of growth, beneath the surface were corruption, poverty, and a huge difference between rich and poor.

Section 3-6 Industrialization and urbanization caused Americans to look at society in a different way.  This gave way to new values, art, and forms of entertainment.  A strong belief during the Gilded Age was the idea of individualism.  This is the belief that regardless of your background, you could still rise in society. A Changing Culture (cont.)

Section 3-7 Horatio Alger, a minister from Massachusetts, left the clergy and moved to New York where he wrote over 100 novels about rags-to-riches stories. A Changing Culture (cont.)

Section 3-9 Social Darwinism Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, first proposed the idea of Social Darwinism.  Spencer took Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection and applied it to human society. 

Like Darwin’s theory–that a species that cannot adapt to the environment will eventually die out–Spencer felt that human society evolved through competition.

Section 3-10 He concluded that society progressed and became better because only the fittest people survived.  Industrial leaders agreed with Social Darwinism.  Social Darwinism paralleled laissez-faire, an economic doctrine that was opposed to government interference with business. Social Darwinism (cont.)

Section 3-11 Many devout Christians and some leading scientists opposed the idea of Darwin’s conclusions about the origin of new species.  They rejected the theory of evolution because it went against the Bible’s account of creation. Social Darwinism (cont.)

Section 3-12 Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy business leader, believed in Social Darwinism and laissez-faire.  However, he also felt those who profited from society should give something back, so he softened Social Darwinism with his Gospel of Wealth.  This philosophy stated that wealthy Americans were responsible and should engage in philanthropy, using great fortunes to further social progress.

Section 3-14 Realism A new movement in art and literature, called realism, portrayed people in realistic situations instead of idealizing them as the romantic artists had done.  Writer and literary critic William Dean Howells wrote realistically about American life. 

Section 3-15 He also recognized talent in several writers of this time, including Mark Twain, who wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in  Twain is thought to have written the first true American novel.  Henry James, an English writer, portrayed the lives of the upper class in his 1881 novel, Portrait of a Lady.

Section 3-16 Edith Wharton won a Pulitzer Prize for the novel The Age of Innocence, which portrayed the complicated lives of the upper- class in New York in the 1870s. Realism (cont.)

Popular Culture Popular culture changed in the late 1800s.  People had more money to spend on entertainment and recreation.  Work became separate from home.  People looked to have fun by “going out” to public entertainment. 

During the 1800s, the saloon acted like a community and political center for male workers.  It offered free toilets, water for horses, free newspapers, and free lunches.

Section 3-19 Coney Island in New York was an amusement park that attracted working class families and single adults.  It offered amusements such as water slides and railroad rides.  Watching sports became very popular in the late 1800s.  Baseball began to appear in the United States in the early 1800s. Popular Culture (cont.)

Section 3-20 In 1869 the first salaried team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was formed.  Football and basketball also became popular during this time.  In the early 1880s, vaudeville became popular.  It was adapted from the French theater and combined animal acts, acrobats, gymnasts, and dancers in its performance.

Section 3-21 During this time, people began enjoying ragtime music.  The most famous African American ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, who became known as the King of Ragtime.

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