APUSH Gilded Age by IRENE A NASH

The expanding Middle Class

257461_1 — 2024-02-08 17:26:33 UTC

Mid-1800s mark the rise of self-employed doctors, lawyers, merchants, and white-collared jobs. Resulting in the middle class's new establishment in American culture.

As these jobs made more dependable money, more forms of entertainment and jobs formed, that was for the services of other middle class men, such as storekeepers and public employees.

White collared Jobs- Jobs that don't require manual labor. They make more money than factory workers, and usually requires more education to get into said job.

"The Gospel of Wealth"

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"Gospel of Wealth" Introduced by Andrew Carnegie, was the belief that the wealthy had a responsibility to help other members of society. This also included society itself and the community overall.

Philanthropy- Often brought up with the topic of "Gospel of Wealth", philanthropy is the act of generosity, donating for others.

Working Women

257461_1 — 2024-02-08 17:26:50 UTC

Mills during the gilded age (1865 to 1904) took advantage of women (which included women as young as 10) during the 1800s to use them for cheep profits. This was in result of the companies providing minimum wage, and minimum work management expected in working conditions, resulting in poor working conditions: injuries among workers. Despite harsh conditions, they continued to hold huge lines of dedicated female workers due to their lack of options. (not many women at this time held options for other jobs, making them continue to work at these low paying jobs) However, these jobs provided women independence, a dependable wage, and education which were hard for women to receive during this time.

The increase in female workers during the gilded age was in result of male workers being harder to obtain (due to their being more of a market for men with their options in jobs, and their ability to work at their own house: farms), furthuremore the lack of care needed by management prompted these large industries to depend on women. This included things such as working conditions and low pay, that led to the rise of industries taking advantages of women as their workers.

Impact of Income on Urban Development

257461_1 — 2024-02-08 17:27:01 UTC

Many middle class families moved to the suburbs to avoid the growing cramped cities, due to multiple reasons. As they held higher incomes then the working class, they were able to move away to more private urbanized areas, while the poor and less making stayed in cramped, diseased cities.

Why?

The cities were very polluted and disease ridden due to the ammount of people living in the cities.
Many families wanted to live in white residential areas
The growing middle class wanted isolated homes, and their ability to buy them with their money led to more migration to suburban areas.

Suburbs: Nicer residential area compared to the cramped city places.

Urbanization: Process of people migrating and living in more towns and cities

Changes in Education

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1840-1865: Laws were passed that made it law for children to attend school. In result, people being educated increased drastically. Additionally, this led to a drastic increase in literacy rate: about 90%.

In addition, demand for higher education such as colleges were increasing due to higher demands for white-collar jobs.

Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890- Provided land grants to states to establish more colleges, which helped increase rates of white collared-jobs.

1870- Also marked the rise of affordable college education, which led to the said increase of educated people during this time.

William Holmes McGuffey (McGuffey Readers)- Lecturer and college professor, he was responsible for the productions of educational books used in elementary schools often referred to as McGuffey Readers. They were widely used in the new education systems founded in the Gilded Age.

Growth in Popular Culture

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With the increase of middle class, popular culture: entertainments rose with the growth of leisure time of middle and upper class. This included entertainments such as mass-circulation newspapers, amusements, largely watched sports such as football and baseball, musical performances and amateur sports (activites popularly played by the middle and upper class as a form of exercise).

Buddy Bolden- African American artist during the late 1800s that popularized jazz in the music entertainment with the rise of popular culture.

Source 1:

257461_1 — 2024-02-08 17:31:31 UTC

Provides important people, dates... events during the gilded age such as information on Andrew Carnegie to the passing of the Indian Appropriation Act of 1871 (which were responsible for the decline in Native American culture). Includes dates important to this topic such as the dates of the passing of womens rights to important leaders who helped with the development of education during the mid-1800s.

URL: https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/period/6

Source 2:

257461_1 — 2024-02-08 17:32:09 UTC

URL:https://kwlibguides.lonestar.edu/PrimarySources-History/gildedage

Development of the Middle Class

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Despite the growing division between the wealthy and the working class, the Gilded Age also marked the succesfull development of the Middle Class. Consisting of Lawyers, Doctors, the educated, and white colored jobs, they were well enough paid to be able to have leniency in time, being able to partake in entertainments.

257461_1 — 2024-02-09 01:42:38 UTC

White collared Jobs- Jobs that don't require manual labor. They make more money than factory workers, and usually require more education to get into said job.

"Gospel of Wealth"- belief that the wealthy had a responsibility to help other members of society. This also included society itself and the community overall.

Suburbs: Nicer residential area compared to the cramped city places.

Urbanization: Process of people migrating and living in more towns and cities

McGuffey Readers- educational books used in elementary schools during the gilded age

Philanthropy- Often brought up with the topic of "Gospel of Wealth", philanthropy is the act of generosity, donating for others.

257461_1 — 2024-02-09 01:43:12 UTC

Laws of 1840-1865: Laws were passed that made it law for children to attend school. In result, people being educated increased drastically. Additionally, this led to a drastic increase in literacy rate: about 90%.

1870- The mark for affordable college education, and the increase of college attendees- highly educated.

Panic of 1873- Despite the economic success and development (in economy) in the gilded age, American economy also suffered damages such as the economic depression of 1873. This was caused due to the large numbers of banks shutting down, including the Jay Cooke and Company, a high investor in railroads went bankrupt, leading to an economic depression.

Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890- Provided land grants to states to establish more colleges, which helped increase rates of white collared-jobs.

1890- marks the landmark for womens suffrage. The women in Wyoming were granted the rights to vote. Demonstrating the growth of power women is finally attaining during the gilded age, including their expansion into the work force.

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Andrew Carneige- owner of the steel industry, was one of the wealthiest in the Gilded Age. He was the person who introduced the ideal "Gospel of Wealth"... furthermore donated around 350 million dollars to fund libraries, universities and concert halls, to improve the community as his beliefs stood.

John D. Rockefeller- Owner of the most profitable oil industry during the gilded age, helped with the advancements of education by providing money to colleges such as University of Chicago for development.

Smith, Bryn Mawr, and Mount Holyoke- memorable advocates for womens rights in education. Their actions highly contributed to womens educational rights, resulting in 71% of colleges admitting women by the 1900s.

Buddy Bolden- Succesfull African American artist during the late 1800s that popularized jazz in the music industry with the rise of popular culture.

Source 3:

257461_1 — 2024-02-09 15:24:17 UTC

Written by Serena Covkin, her writing focuses on both negative and positive aspect on the development of American society, economy and the work force during the gilded age.

URL: https://ushistoryscene.com/article/progressive-digital-source-guide/