Unit Six: The Gilded Age (1877-1898)

Fed gvnt out 1877 (Hayes)1) Redeemers/ Bourbons- new ruling class; reverse reconstruction, cut spending, diminish state services (school unnecessary)2) 1879 Readjuster Challenge (VA)- control of legislature; gone by 1880's

Henry Grady- Atlanta Constitution: out Yankee the Yankeescontrast withLost CauseHuge economic expansion, but only make up what lost in war (wages only 40% north by 1900)

Tenantry, Sharecropping; Crop lien system 1900- 70% farmers tenantsSome growth middle class- ex Meggie Lena (St. Luke Penny Savings Bank- VA) bank for blacks1) Booker T. Washington; 1895 Atlanta Compromise- industrial education, adopt white culture, struggle to earn voting rights2) W.E.B. Dubois; Harvard; talented 1/10; classic educationJim Crow Laws: Civil Rights Cases 1883 (Garfield)1896 Plessy v. Ferguson- separate but equal1899 Cumming v. County Board of Education- not necessarily equalDisenfranchisement: 1890-1900 (Ben Harrison)poll taxliteracy testgrandfather laws (illegal 1898)1890's lynching; Ida B Wells (boycotts, truth in media)

Pueblos- mixed with Spanish= caste systemPlains- nomadic; warrior; failure to unite against white + diseaseHispanic New Mexico- after Mexican American War Kearney establish territorial government1847 Taos Indian Rebellion= military ruleDefeat tribes= establish RR's 1880's and 1890'sCalifornia and Texas-1830 missionaries --> secular1860's drought1859- raid on jail

Success- 1852 foreign miner's tax90% of laborers on transcontinental RR finish 1866--> flock to citiesChinatowns, six companies, tong wars1878- Workingman's Party of CA Denis Kearney1882- Chinese Exclusion Act (renewed 92 and 02) down 40%

From southern and eastern EuropeLabor Contract law (repealed in 1885)

During Civil War (Rep. gvnt)1862- Homestead act 160 (not enough)1873 Timber Culture1877 Desert Land1878 Timer and Stonedrought + gvnt no aid irrigation= reverse migration

1849- CA gold Rush1858 Comstock Lode1874 Black Hills DakotaBoomtowns- initial prospectors, gvnt companies, ghost town; some establish permanent settlements* Outlaws (not gvnt organization --> vigilante committees)* Gender Imbalance= instability* 1/30 disables; 1/80 killed

1860's/ 1870's expansion RR in west + first 'long drive' = cattle kingdomWinters + summer 1885-1887= kill 90% cattleChange to fenced in grazing

Significance of the Frontier in American Historycapture mindset that end of territory= end of democracy + safety vale gone

Legislature:1851- Concentration policy- divide and scatter tribes1867- Indian Peace Commission- two reservations (want land)Bureau of Indian Affairs- corrupt1887- Dawes Severalty Act- assimilation1906- Burke Act (speed up Severalty)1850's- 1880's- Indian Wars1860- Little Crow attack whites1864- Chivington get back= Sand Creek Massacre (invitation to camp)1877- Chief Joseph and Nez Percé (chased to Canada)1890- Wovoka- ghost dance- wounded knee

Like cowboys- aided by gvnt subsidies of RR's+1) RR's set rates low2) 1870's rain above average-1) territory; 1873 Gilden + Ellwood barbed wire2) water; no gvnt aid drought 1887= reverse migration3) 1880's- overproduction4) RR's and banks charge high rates (monopoly; no gvtn regulation)

Republicans and Democrats very evenly dividedLarge disenfranchisement (blacks and women)Huge Party Loyalty- region/ religious and ethnic differencesLittle action by government (elections about loyalty)Division Republicans- Stalwarts Conkling NY vs. Halfbreeds Blaine MEElection 1880Republicans win b/c combined ticket (Garfield HB + Arthur S)Garfield no side= assassinated 1881 (4 months)Arthur also no side1) 1883 Pendleton Act- civil service examsElection 1884Republicans- Blaine= mugmumps will support honest DDemocrats- Cleveland; veto gov= tariff reduction issue 88Election 1888Cleveland (D)Ben Harrison (R)- endorse protection= win1) 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act (no impact)2) 1890 McKinley Tariff= fallout congressionalElection 1892People's Party- WeaverHarrison (R)- protectionCleveland (D)- oppose= win1) Wilson-Gorman Tariff= modest reductions

Supreme Court1887 (Cleveland)- Wabash case- states regulate commerce, not fed gov (granger law; also Gibons v. Ogden)1887- Interstate Commerce Act- establish ICC + control RR; must rely on courts= ineffectiveUnites States v. Knight Company- manufacturing not interstate commerce (therefore used mostly against unions)

1867- Oliver H. Kelley- National Grange Movement; increase w/ depression 1873 (crime of '73)= establish co-ops1872- Montgomery Ward (failed)success w/ Granger Laws 1870's, but fail when Congress fights back1875- Southern Alliances (tenantry; sharecropping)women involvement- Mary E Lease1889- Ocala Demands1892- Omaha platform= people's party (Weaver for pres in '92)similar Platform to Grangers, but add labor (Knights of Labor) and 'free silver" for west (both relatively unsuccessful)1890 Colored Alliances (fail to unite)- abolition national bank- network of warehouses- graduated income tax- inflation- Anti-Semitic