C H A P T E R 6 S E C T I O N 3

The Gilded Age

Social Darwinism

Big Ideas:

At the turn of the century, some people applied Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” to human society.

Those that were worthy, will do well and add to the betterment of society.

Those that were not as strong were a drag on society and would be cast aside.

Social Darwinism

Mark Twain coined the phrase “The Gilded Age” to refer to years 1870 – 1890.

The Gilded Age, warned Twain, looked good on the surface but hid terrible things underneath.

Poverty

Corruption

Crime

Gap between rich & poor

Social Darwinism

Americans then, and still today, believed strongly in individualism.

Individualism is the belief that a person only had to work hard and with a little luck, they too can be rich.

Horatio Alger wrote many “rags-to-riches” stories that were very popular at the time.

Social Darwinism

The idea of individualism is closely tied to the belief in social Darwinism.

Philosophers such as Herbert Spencer believed that weak societies died out in favor of stronger ones.

Human progress occurs because the weak are allowed to die off.

Social Darwinism

Andrew Carnegie, the US Steel guy, believed that those who were well off should engage in philanthropy in order to give people access to tools and skills to make themselves better. He called this idea the Gospel of Wealth.

A Changing Culture

Big Ideas:

Artists and writers began portraying a more realistic image of society in books and paintings.

The increase in the standard of living brought on by the industrial revolution allowed people to enjoy a variety of pastime activities and recreation.

A Changing Culture

With the average family now able to have spending money, people began enjoying entertainment.

The primary social gathering for many men was the local saloon. Saloons not only served

booze but were also used as meeting halls for unions and political activities.

A Changing Culture

Families enjoyed trips to water parks, amusement parks, and baseball stadiums.

Before movies, people enjoyed going to theaters for inexpensive vaudeville acts

A Changing Culture

The first World Series was held in 1903 between the Boston Red Stockings and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Politics in Washington

Big Ideas:

Politics at the end of the 19th century focused on big business regulation and government reforms.

Politics in Washington

Charles Guiteau killed President Garfield because the President wouldn’t give him a job.

He hoped VP Chester Arthur would more receptive to his request.

Politics in Washington

Politics in Washington

Under the “spoils system” elected politicians gave government jobs to those who supported them. Many Americans viewed this process of patronage as corrupt, but it took the killing of the president to force the government to act.

In 1833 Congress passed the Pendleton Act. The act required that many

government jobs be filled by people according to their abilities marking the beginning of a professional civil service.

Politics in Washington

People, especially farmers and small businesses were also concerned about the growing power of large corporations.

The federal government continued its laze-faire approach while states tried to prevent railroads from giving discounts to larger shippers.

Politics in Washington

The Supreme Court ruled that states did not have the power to regulate the railroads as only Congress had the authority to regulate interstate commerce.

I1 1877, after public outrage at the Supreme Court decision, Pres. Cleveland signed the Interstate Commerce Act. The new rules made it illegal for

railroads to charge more for short-hauls and give rebates to high volume users.

Politics in Washington

Tariffs were another hot topic of the 1880s.

Consumbers believed that US companies could now compete with foreign goods and all tariffs did was increase prices.

The McKinley Tariff did cut taxes on tobacco and sugar but raised them on textiles.

This led to a steep rise in the price of goods.

Politics in Washington

In a response to outrage over corporations using trusts to get around the rules against monopolies, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The law was made nearly impotent when the Supreme Court ruled that it did not apply to manufacturing.