What was American Society like from 1865 1900

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What was American Society like from 1865 1900?

• I. The Wealthy
• The Gilded Age
• Gold covered
• Few extremely rich mostly poor, looks gold on
  outside(rich) but cheap on the inside (poor)

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2. Social Darwinism
In the past it has been said that other cultures
and countires did not develop as fast or as
equiptly because of social darwinism.
The inovaters of this great sham
basically created another platform (science) to
promote rasicm. This idea started innocently with
Darwins original theory of survival of the
fittest but twisted the end and created a
ridiculous conclusion. During the time (1880s)
it was taught that developing countires had
weaker and less intelligant people. It was
accepted for the white man to exploite them
because natual selction was only taking its
course, they were to create a more
well-endowed population by fishing out the
decrepit.

• Applied to Society by Herbert Spencer
• Reinforces Laissez-Faire Capitalism
• Work Hard get Rich
• Poor Your own fault

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3. Conspicuous Consumption

• Who could live the fanciest lifestyle (Flaunt
  what you have.)

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II. The Poor

• Tenements -
• Low income apartments
• the Slums

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2. Sweatshops

• Poor lighting and ventilation
• Long work hours poor working conditions little
  pay

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3. Child Labor

• Families needed the money so children needed to
  work
• Parents had no place for kids no day care to go
  to

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III. Helping the Poor

• Settlement Houses
• - Provide services to the poor

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Jane Adams

• Starts most famous settlement house called the
  Hull House in Chicago
• Provided education services for poor
  immigrants

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2. Social Gospel

• Churches helped the poor
• Religious groups applied teachings of Jesus to
  help the poor

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3. Gospel of Wealth

• The Rich had an obligation to help the poor
• created by former immigrant, gone rich man
• Andrew Carnegie

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IV. Corruption in the Cities

• City government were wealthy
• - Most Americans lived in the cities
• 2. Political Machines
• - Corrupt politicians who controlled city
  governments

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Tweed Ring

• NY City machine leader, Boss Tweed stole over
  200 million from the city through corruption

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V. Reform Efforts

• Standpatters Governmental officials who
  resisted change
• ?Status Quo Keep things the way they are

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2. Pendleton Act, 1883

• Purpose - Decrease corruption
• Created a commission to run the civil service
  exams

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• How? - Must pass civil service exam for
  governmental jobs
• Hire people based on ability, not on who you know
• Result - Cities hired good people
• Govtal employees were no longer forced to give
  money to political parties to get jobs