Changes in American Life

1
Changes in American Life

• Chapter 21

2
Growth of the Urban nation

• The city population went from 1/5 of the entire
  population to ½ by 1915
• Most immigrants settled into the cities
• 4/5 of New Yorkers were immigrants or the
  children of immigrants

• Cities were called melting pots
• Sections of the city were settled by certain
  ethnic groups
• Tenement buildings were used to house the poor
  (bad conditions)
• Sanitary conditions were deplorable
• Dirty bathrooms, TB, no running water

3
Boss Rule

• Cities were governed poorly due to the city
  bosses
• They stole money from the cities (NY, Phila,
  Pitt)
• No money for infrastructure improvements
• Immigrants did vote for the bosses, because they
  were friendly and did supply work and social
  functions

4
Oldcomers vs. Newcomers

• The oldcomers were in charge of the government,
  especially in the east
• People from England and Germany professed their
  race was superior
• Against S and E Europe

• Some oldcomers were reformers
• They blamed themselves of the problems of the
  cities, because they were here longer

5
Hull House and Other Reformers

• Jane Addams was a reformer who wanted to help new
  immigrants get an education and decent jobs
• Founded the Hull House in Chicago, kindergarten,
  English classes, music schools
• Became the first social workers, mostly women

6
The Spread of learning

• Public schools were free schools that all
  children were made to attend.
• The children spoke English in school and taught
  it to their parents
• The U.S. became one of the first literate nations

7
Growth of Colleges

• In 1861 there were only 17 state colleges
• Before the end of the 1880s, there were more U.S.
  universities then all of western Europe
• E.G Johns Hopkins University, Stanford university

• Womens colleges grew as well
• E.G Vassar college, Bryn Mawr College
• Booker Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute
  in Alabama for African Americans

8
Education for Black Americans

• Wealthy men and women gave millions of dollars to
  help educate African Americans
• By 1900 there already were about 300,000 black
  teachers
• John D. Rockefeller donated 50 million to help
  train teachers of African American students

9
Bridges and Skyscrapers

• Took 7 years to build a steel bridge across the
  Mississippi river
• John Roebling constructed the Brooklyn Bridge in
  14 years and was completed in1883

• Skyscrapers had 2 fundamental problems 1. getting
  people up and down 2. how to build up the
  building
• Hydraulic pumps pushed water to move the
  elevators at first
• 1892 electric motors were being used

10
Bridges and skyscrapers Contd

• Steel was used instead of having to build using a
  pyramid structure
• The Home Insurance Building was made in 1884 at
  10 stories
• Was made of iron
• Steel was better than iron because it removes the
  impurities out of the iron
• Henry Bessemer

11
Parties in Balance

• Gilded an object covered in a thin layer of
  gold
• Republicans and Democrats were even in strength
• Presidents were timid at this time due to a few
  shift in votes may cost them the election

• Money during the times of 1865-1896 suffered from
  deflation
• Deflation a dollar becomes worth more and more
• Silver coins were issued into circulation in 1878
  by the Bland-Allison act
• Money then suffered from inflation dollar being
  worth less

12
The spoils System

• From Andrew Jackson, people that helped with the
  election were rewarded with government jobs
• People that filled the offices were not usually
  qualified
• 1871 Congress passed a law requiring the
  president to reform civil service jobs

• Senator Roscoe Conkling still believed in the
  spoils system, and stalled progress
• President Rutheford B. Hayes believed something
  needed to be done
• He asked that some of Conklings men be removed
  from office
• The plan backfired and the Republicans would win
  the next election

13
Republicans name Garfield and Arthur

• Hayes bettered the republican party image but
  made many enemies
• Republicans chose James Garfield a honest man
• To please Conkling and the old timers Chester A.
  Arthur was named as V.P.

• Democrats chose Winfield Scott Hancock
• Republicans won by 7000 votes
• Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau
• Chester Arthur becomes president 1881
• Called for civil service reform

14
Democrats Come and go

• Grover Cleveland won the 1884 election over
  Republican candidate James G. Blaine
• Cleveland was not an active president
• Interstate Commerce Commission of 1887 regulated
  the Rail Roads and removed rebates to big
  business
• He vetoed my civil war pension bills
• He lowered tariffs on foreign goods
• Cleveland lost the election to Benjamin Harrison

15
Harrison and Czar Reed

• Harrison made enemies everywhere he went. More
  reform bills were passed however in his
  presidency
• Voter reform in the south for black voters was
  passed
• A new tariff bill was passed on almost everything

• Silver was also purchased to inflate the coinage
  in the U.S.
• Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was enacted to
  prevent companies forming together to prevent
  competition
• By 1880 standard Oil co controlled 90 of all
  U.S. refineries
• Republicans were spending over 135 million in
  projects by 1893

16
The Timid Presidents

• Chester A. Arthur
• Benjamin Harrison

• James Garfield
• Grover Cleveland

17
The Farmers Revolt

• Bushel of wheat went for 1.21 a barrel in 1873
  went for .49 in 1885
• Prices fell, but the R.R was still high due to
  monopolies
• Labor organizations like The Farmers league were
  formed
• Legal action was taken but repealed
• Munn v. Illinois 1876 kept prices high for the
  R.R.

18
The Populist Party is Formed

• Farmers met in Omaha, Nebraska in 1892 to form
  the populist party
• Populist- (latin) populus, meaning people
• The populists wanted reform of government that
  was corrupt between democrats and republicans

• Populists called for free coinage of silver and
  an increase of 50 per person
• Tax the wealthy more
• Called for a shorter work day for industrial
  workers
• Mary Elizabeth Lease and Tom Watson were
  spokespeople for the populist party

19
The Election of 1892

• The republicans picked Harrison again
• The democrats chose Grover Cleveland
• He had the support of business because he was in
  favor of free silver and inflation
• The populists chose James Weaver
• He conducted a vigorous campaign in the south
  having a common cause with the poor

20
The Election of 1892 Contd

• Harrison sent federal troops to quell the
  Homestead strike
• People put their faith in Cleveland
• He won his 2nd term non-consecutive
• Populists elected 3 senators and 11 members of
  the house

• 1893 depression, losing of gold, because it was
  worth more than silver and people wanted to
  purchase gold dollars over silver dollars
• Sherman Silver Purchase act was repealed
• Wanted to change tariffs and invoke a hefty
  income tax on the wealthy individuals was
  unconstitutional
• 16th amendment (1913)

21
Plugging the Drain on Gold

• Cleveland believed that stopping the lessening
  value of the U.S. dollar would restore consumer
  confidence
• Sale of government bonds helped for a while
• J.P. Morgan helped to sell bonds in Europe, and
  raised 65 million in gold

22
Gold vs. Silver

• Some believed that free silver was good because
  people liked having extra money
• Was a key factor of 1896
• William Jennings Bryan Great Commoner and
  always said that God was on his side

• Believed that free silver was the cure
• Was the nominee for the democrats and the
  populists
• William McKinley was the republican candidate
• He was calm and made Bryan talk himself to defeat
• Beat Bryan by over 600,000 votes and remained in
  control of both houses