AP US History Unit 6:
Period 6: 1865-1898

———————————————————————————————

6.2 Westward Expansion: Economic Development

6.3 Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural Development

6.4 The “New South”

6.5 Technological Innovation

6.6 The Rise of Industrial Capitalism

6.7 Labor in the Gilded Age

6.8 Immigration and Migration in the Gilded Age

6.9 Responses to Immigration in the Gilded Age

6.10 Development of the Middle Class

6.11 Reform in the Gilded Age

6.12 Controversies over the Role of Government in the Gilded Age

6.13 Politics in the Gilded Age

Summary

  1. Comparison
  1. While production used to be done by artisans, now it is done by factory workers.
  2. Old immigrants were more literate and familiar with democracy, while New Immigrants often didn’t speak English, and were a minority in their own religion.
  1. Continuity
  1. Still, many saw the US as a land of freedom and opportunity.
  2. Work conditions remained poor and dangerous for many.
  3. Women in factory work are a continuation of the textile mills from earlier in the century.
  4. The South, despite the attempts of Reconstruction, remained much poorer and continued to oppress African Americans.
  5. Shady business and political practices were a key sign of this era.
  6. Nativist sentiment against all immigrants remained.
  1. Change
  1. Many immigrants began arriving from Eastern and Southern Europe, leading to demographic changes.
  2. The gap between the rich and the poor grew wider and wider.
  3. Rise of white-collar jobs replacing manual blue-collar jobs.
  4. The use of railroads replaced the use of canals.
  5. For the first time, the US began seeing a surge in Asian immigrants.
  6. This is the first time immigration has become so bad that the US has had to pass legislation to start restricting it.
  7. All momentum for Native resistance was killed by the end of the Frontier’s closing.
  8. Slight change in attitudes towards Natives, preferring assimilation over subjugation (still subjugation, but you get the idea).
  1. Causation
  1. Monopolistic businesses such as Carnegie Steel or Rockefeller Oil were so big that they snuffed out all competition (by virtue of being monopolies).
  2. At the same time, these businesses were able to become titans of industry for the economy.
  3. The sheer poverty of many urban dwellers pushed many lower-class women into the workforce. Though difficult, the first push in integrating women into society was increased wages, which led to more Americans investing in play and leisure.

APStudy Assistant

refresh close
send