Urban America

Chapter 10 Section 3

Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. 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 Scott Joplin

(pages 348–349) A Changing Culture Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. 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.

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.) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 348–349)

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.) (pages 348–349)

Why did Mark Twain and Charles Warner call the era from about 1870 to around 1900 the Gilded Age? They were trying to warn people about the society during this time. “Gilded” refers to something covered in gold on the outside while the inside is cheaper. They believed that although on the surface, society appeared to shine, the inside actually held corruption, poverty, and crime. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. A Changing Culture (cont.) (pages 348–349)

(pages 349–350) Social Darwinism Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. 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.

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.) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 349–350)

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. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Social Darwinism (cont.) (pages 349–350)

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. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Social Darwinism (cont.) (pages 349–350)

Why were devout Christians and some science leaders against Social Darwinism? They rejected the theory of evolution because it went against the Bible’s account of creation. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Social Darwinism (cont.) (pages 349–350)

Realism Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. A new movement in art and literature, called realism, portrayed people in realistic situations instead of idealizing them as the romantic artists had done. Thomas Eakins, a painter from Philadelphia, observed and painted day-to-day living in a realistic fashion. He used realistic detail and precise lighting. (pages 350–351)

Writer and literary critic William Dean Howells wrote realistically about American life. 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. Realism (cont.) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 350–351)

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.) (pages 350–351)

How did the realism movement in art and literature differ from that of the romantic artists? The realism movement portrayed people realistically. It did not attempt to idealize people as the romantics did. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Realism (cont.) (pages 350–351)

Popular Culture Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Popular culture changed in the late 1800s. (pages 351–352) 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.

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.) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 351–352)

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. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Popular Culture (cont.) (pages 351–352)

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. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Popular Culture (cont.) (pages 351–352)

What were some of the changes in popular culture during this time? People had more money to spend during this time. As a result, they spent money on entertainment and recreation. They were also willing to leave their homes to go out in public to have fun. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Popular Culture (cont.) (pages 351–352)

Checking for Understanding __ 1.a type of music with a strong rhythm and a lively melody with accented notes __ 2.an approach to literature, art, and theater that attempts to accurately portray things as they really are and holds that society will function best if left to itself __ 3.providing money to support humanitarian or social goals __ 4.stage entertainment made up of various acts, such as dancing, singing, comedy, and magic shows A.philanthropy B.realism C.vaudeville D.ragtime Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answers. B A D C

Checking for Understanding (cont.) Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Describe how changes in art and literature reflected the issues and characteristics of the late nineteenth century. Art and literature became more realistic as artists and writers depicted the world as they believed it to be, not as they thought it should be.

Reviewing Themes Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Cultures and Traditions What were the defining characteristics of the Gilded Age? Defining characteristics included individualism, urbanization, new values, art, and forms of entertainment.

Critical Thinking Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Synthesizing Do you think the idea of the Gospel of Wealth is still alive today? Why or why not? Answers will vary.

Analyzing Visuals Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Examining Photographs Analyze the photograph at the top page 352 in your textbook. How does the clothing the musicians are wearing compare with the clothing worn by musicians today? Answers will vary.

Close Evaluate the doctrine of Social Darwinism and its impact on industry.