🗽US History – 1865 to Present Unit 3 – Industrialization & Immigration (1870-1900)

Key Events and Timeline

• Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) aimed to rebuild the South and integrate former slaves into society
• Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869 connected the East and West coasts spurring economic growth and westward expansion
• Homestead Act of 1862 provided free land to settlers willing to farm it for at least five years attracting millions of immigrants
• Panic of 1873 led to a six-year depression caused by overexpansion of industry and railroads and a stock market crash
• Gilded Age (1870s-1890s) was a period of rapid economic growth, industrialization, and widening wealth inequality
• Haymarket Affair in 1886 began as a peaceful rally for workers' rights but turned violent after someone threw a bomb at police
• Pullman Strike of 1894 was a nationwide railroad strike that brought the nation's freight and passenger traffic to a halt

Economic Transformation

• Second Industrial Revolution transformed the U.S. economy from primarily agricultural to industrial
• Rapid industrialization led to mass production of goods, rise of factories, and growth of cities
• Laissez-faire capitalism favored limited government intervention in the economy allowing businesses to operate with minimal regulation
• Robber Barons like Andrew Carnegie (steel), John D. Rockefeller (oil), and J.P. Morgan (banking) amassed vast fortunes and monopolized their industries
• Vertical integration allowed companies to control all stages of production from raw materials to finished products
  • Example: Carnegie Steel owned iron mines, coal mines, railroads, and steamships
• Horizontal integration involved acquiring competing companies to reduce competition and control the market
• Monopolies and trusts formed to eliminate competition and control prices in various industries (oil, steel, railroads)
• Economic growth primarily benefited the wealthy leading to widening income inequality and poor working conditions for laborers

Technological Innovations

• Bessemer process made steel production more efficient and affordable leading to its widespread use in construction and manufacturing
• Electricity and the light bulb invented by Thomas Edison in 1879 revolutionized lighting, power generation, and manufacturing
• Telephone patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 transformed long-distance communication
• Typewriter invented by Christopher Sholes in 1868 increased efficiency in business and government correspondence
• Phonograph invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 allowed for recording and playback of sound
• Assembly line introduced by Ransom Olds in 1901 streamlined mass production by dividing labor into specialized tasks
  • Example: Henry Ford later used the assembly line to mass-produce affordable Model T cars
• Mechanization of agriculture with inventions like the steel plow, mechanical reaper, and threshing machine increased farm productivity and output

Immigration Waves

• "Old Immigration" (1820s-1880s) primarily from Northern and Western Europe (Ireland, Germany, Britain)
  • Driven by crop failures, famine, and political instability in their home countries
• "New Immigration" (1880s-1920s) mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe (Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary)
  • Pushed by poverty, religious persecution, and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries
  • Pulled by promise of industrial jobs, religious freedom, and political liberty in the U.S.
• Chinese immigration increased in the 1850s driven by the California Gold Rush and construction of the Transcontinental Railroad
  • Faced discrimination and violence leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which banned Chinese immigration for ten years
• Ellis Island opened in 1892 as the main entry point for immigrants on the East Coast processing up to 5,000 people per day
• Angel Island opened in 1910 as the main entry point for immigrants on the West Coast primarily from Asia
• Nativism emerged as an anti-immigrant sentiment among some Americans who feared newcomers would take jobs and undermine the nation's culture

Social and Cultural Changes

• Rapid urbanization as immigrants and rural Americans flocked to cities for industrial jobs leading to overcrowding and poor living conditions
• Rise of tenements and slums in cities to house the influx of low-income workers and their families
• Urban poverty, disease, and crime increased due to lack of sanitation, healthcare, and social services
• Assimilation efforts aimed to "Americanize" immigrants by teaching them English, U.S. history and culture
  • Example: Settlement houses like Hull House in Chicago provided education, healthcare, and social services to immigrants
• Social Gospel movement emerged among Protestant churches to apply Christian ethics to social problems like poverty and inequality
• Philanthropy increased as wealthy industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller donated millions to charitable causes
  • Example: Carnegie funded the construction of over 2,500 public libraries across the country
• Mass culture emerged with the growth of newspapers, magazines, and public entertainment like vaudeville shows and amusement parks
• Women's roles began to change as more entered the workforce, higher education, and social reform movements
  • Example: Jane Addams co-founded Hull House and became a leader in the women's suffrage movement

Labor Movements and Reforms

• Poor working conditions in factories included long hours, low wages, child labor, and hazardous environments
• Labor unions formed to advocate for better wages, hours, and working conditions for industrial workers
  • Example: Knights of Labor (1869) and American Federation of Labor (1886) were two major labor unions
• Strikes and labor unrest increased as workers protested poor conditions and demanded better treatment
  • Example: Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and Pullman Strike of 1894
• Haymarket Affair (1886) began as a peaceful rally for an eight-hour workday but turned violent after a bomb was thrown at police
  • Led to a crackdown on labor activists and setback for the labor movement
• Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) saw social and political reforms aimed at addressing problems caused by industrialization and urbanization
  • Example: Muckrakers like Upton Sinclair exposed corruption, poverty, and unsanitary conditions in industries like meatpacking
• Government regulation of business increased with the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) to curb the power of railroads and monopolies
• Child labor laws and compulsory education laws passed at the state level to protect children from exploitation and ensure access to education

Political Impacts

• Gilded Age politics characterized by corruption, patronage, and machine politics at the local and state levels
  • Example: Tammany Hall in New York City was a powerful Democratic political machine that controlled city politics through bribery and patronage
• Populist Party formed in 1891 to represent the interests of farmers and laborers against the power of banks, railroads, and big business
  • Called for a graduated income tax, eight-hour workday, and government ownership of railroads and telegraphs
• Progressive Era saw the rise of reformers who sought to use government power to address social and economic problems
  • Example: Theodore Roosevelt's "Square Deal" policies aimed to balance the interests of business, labor, and consumers
• 17th Amendment (1913) established direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote rather than by state legislatures
• 19th Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote nationwide after decades of struggle by the women's suffrage movement
• Socialism gained popularity among some workers and intellectuals as an alternative to capitalism and its inequalities
  • Example: Eugene V. Debs ran for president five times as the candidate of the Socialist Party of America

Legacy and Long-Term Effects

• Industrialization transformed the U.S. into a global economic power and set the stage for its rise to superpower status in the 20th century
• Mass production techniques and technological innovations pioneered during this period continue to shape manufacturing and the economy today
• Immigration waves diversified the U.S. population and contributed to the nation's cultural richness and pluralism
  • Example: Many iconic American foods, music, and traditions have roots in immigrant communities
• Labor unions and progressive reforms helped to improve working conditions and living standards for millions of Americans
  • Example: Eight-hour workday, minimum wage, and workplace safety regulations
• Rise of the middle class as skilled workers and professionals benefited from economic growth and new opportunities for education and social mobility
• Urbanization and the growth of cities continued throughout the 20th century shaping American society, politics, and culture
  • Example: Rise of suburbs, white flight, and urban renewal in the post-WWII era
• Economic inequality and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few continue to be major issues in the U.S. today
  • Example: Occupy Wall Street movement and calls for higher taxes on the wealthy
• Legacy of racism and discrimination against immigrants and minorities persists in American society and politics
  • Example: Ongoing debates over immigration policy, racial profiling, and affirmative action.