A Changing Culture

1
A Changing Culture

• 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 1900. ?
• 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.

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2
A Changing Culture (cont.)

• 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.

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3
A Changing Culture (cont.)

• 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.

4
A Changing Culture (cont.)
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.
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5
Social Darwinism

• Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, first
  proposed the idea of Social Darwinism. ?

• Spencer took Charles Darwins theory of evolution
  and natural selection and applied it to human
  society. ?
• Like Darwins theorythat a species that cannot
  adapt to the environment will eventually die
  outSpencer felt that human society evolved
  through competition.

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6
Social Darwinism (cont.)

• 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.

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7
Social Darwinism (cont.)

• Many devout Christians and some leading
  scientists opposed the idea of Darwins
  conclusions about the origin of new species. ?

• They rejected the theory of evolution because it
  went against the Bibles account of creation.

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8
Social Darwinism (cont.)

• 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.

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9
Social Darwinism (cont.)
Why were devout Christians and some science
leaders against Social Darwinism?
They rejected the theory of evolution because it
went against the Bibles account of creation.
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10
Realism

• 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.

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11
Realism (cont.)

• 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 1884. ?
• 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.

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12
Realism (cont.)

• 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.

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Realism (cont.)
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.
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14
Popular Culture

• Popular culture changed in the late 1800s. ?

• 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.

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15
Popular Culture (cont.)

• 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.

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16
Popular Culture (cont.)

• 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.

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17
Popular Culture (cont.)

• 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.

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18
Popular Culture (cont.)
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.
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