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By Ezabela Lopez, Frankely Ramierez, Makayla Sheetz, Sarah Roloff
Due to new technology and markets that made producing products easier, Farmers' economics took a hit. Over time more farmers went into debt and often became landless. In addition farmers had finacial security on a national economic system ; This made them frutrated and they wanted to change the system. Farmers started to gather and soon created a Farmers Alliance (later it would be called the Peoples Party/ Populists). In Texas in1877 the first meeting was held where they duscussed ways to regain economic power. In 1890 the Farmers alliance became the Peoples Party/ Populists. They gained supporters by appealing with those who also disliked the economic system. Their first National campaign, was only two years after the political party started, in 1892. Even though it was a productive movement, therewas still challanges with southerns not wanting to take( what they thought was) a radical step. Although they reached national levels, the institution parties were too strong.
In the late 19th century, socialism in the U.S was introduced by European immigrants. When socialism came the U.S, it was called 'Utopian' Socialism, which focused on establishing communities which wanted minimal social ills made possible through collective social action. One of the major events the cause the socialism boom was the Industrial Revolution which had many effects In the U.S. and how economic classes functioned and caused the wage gap between middle class America and the high upper class to increasingly divide. 19th century socialists argued that wealth was created by the working classes and wrongfully appropriated by the rich who benefit disproportionately from their underpaid labor. One of the main politicians who led the socialist movement in the late 19th century and early 20th century was Eugene Victor Debs. He was deeply influenced by his broad reading and grew increasingly critical of traditional political and economic concepts, especially capitalism. He also saw and became sympathetic towards the labor movement as a struggle between classes became larger. After announcing his conversion to socialism in 1897, he established the Socialist Party of America. Though socialism was less influential politically in the U.S. , it did influence the major parties through campaigns and strikes for better working conditions. This included the development of unions and other labor activities.
Social darwinsim is the idea that peolple are subjected to the same laws of natural selection just like plants and animals. Survival of the fittest not only applied to nature but also the developing world. People that were deemed weak in society were deminished while strong groups grew in power and continued to have cultural and economic influence. Poor people were viewed as unfit and were not aided so the only way to survive in the developing society was to gain power. Social Darwinism spread amongst wealthy Americans and the unfair outcome of it was celebrated by these same people. It was also used as a way to philosophically rationalize imperialist, racist, and colonialist policies.
With labor unions, many workers dealt with issues in job security as workers were unemployed during parts of the year, and wages were insufficient to live comfortably. Following the Civil War, a different kind of American society emerged, making it more diverse than ever before. With these new changes, conflict began. Workers were fed up with bad conditions, and fought against them. Farmers had trouble as well dealing with technology advancements, such as increasing production. This competition made it difficult for farmers to be able to adapt and maintain a steady income. Many would go on to move to the city for better job opportunities. The first labor union was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and hey asked for 8 hour workdays. The National Labor Union was formed in 1866. The discovery of new natural resources and the building of railroads also heavily contributed to the country's rapid industrialization. The development of labor unions would influence many different kinds of jobs, and with women and men beginning to break traditional norms, this would launch a change in the workforce, as gender norms would be questioned.
In the west Silver and Gold was found wich would bring a large economic raise for the United states. People traveled to make good mony since minig was extrely dangerous. At any point mines could collapse on the workers inside often killing them. A majority of miners were single men who did not have a family that relied on them in the near growing towns. In other cases miners included married men with families who desperatly needed money. Mining helped the west develop due to the need of workers. In addition it created a new economic system for the United States. Although there seemed to be many benifits from mining, there were also problems found. Many of the places that contained gold and silver were often sacred areas for the local Native Americans which causes tension yet again. In addition it was thought that Gold did not bring a large revenue imagined; The migration of 100,000 people was seen as more valuable.
In the 14th amendment, Native Americans were not recognized as citizens. Therefore, they were unable to vote, and were considered independent nations. Because they were independent nations, the U.S. heavily pressured and used force when needed to make the natives sign treaties to live on reservations. In 1877 congress passed the Indian Appropriation Act which created the reserves. Tension grew throughout the tribes, as they were being constantly overlooked, and all of the American settlers got priority over resources, food, etc. Violence began as Natives were sick of having to give up the land they've been living on for years. Massacres, Mudering of families, and starvation tactics were some of the many hardships Natives dealt with during this time period. People in power tried to rid Natives of their culture by using assimilation tactics. Forcing them to change their style of clothing, appearance, and forget their previous ways of life. The Dawes act was a created to divide Native's land and create lots for individuals and families. In connection with the wild west myths, it's interesting to see that American settlers never really viewed Natives as people, but rather puppets they can move around or a source of entertainment.
Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, traveled to Utah in the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847-1868. Brigham Young lead mormons into Utah; The settlement was a sucsesscdue to his leadership and authority he had over his community. The main reason mormons left the east was due to religious persecution; This was because of the disagreement of polygamy. Polygamy was where a male with marry many women, often much younger then him, at the same time. Although their main goal was diffrent from others traveling west, they still supported and supplied those who traveled west( ex. Oregon and California). Without this supply stop many traveling to these states would have struggled due to limited supplies and the violent weather
The homestead act was passed in May 1862 as a way to get people to get more people to settle into western land. It provided 160 acres to american citizens or intended citizens to encourage them to move west. Because there were natives in the west from when they were forced to move west of the Mississippi River, they were forced to move again into reservations. Because of the homesteaders moving west in large numbers, they nearly killed off all bison and stripped their resources which left the natives powerless against them. The new comers also faced many hardships during their travels due to inexperience and lack of preperation. The climate was intense which made it difficult for people to continue. Because of this, some land out west wasnt suitable to be farmed and caused hunger especially during the winter. This caused many homesteaders to abandon their land and move back east.
Novels and other forms of media would make real people's lives, such as Billy the Kid seem more entertaining or risky then it actually was. Authors and other creators would also write about cowboys, making them seem like these strong and heoric people. Rodeos gained popularity and were carried out by mainly men. The Wild West was glamorized frontier life. People like William Frederick Cody seized this opportunity to profit off of these shows and productions, by entertaining audiances around the world. Natives were seen as very entertaining throughout America and Europe, because of their style, their culture, and their skills. Annie Oakley was used to attract a female audiance, however to avoid criticism because of breaking gender norms women in this industry would wear dresses and stay feminine. One could almost say the glamorization of the wild west reassured those who were afraid of change or didn't want to change things like gender norms. This connects with the religion, gender, and culture as well, because we see the hesitation with gender norms beginning here as well.
During the Gilded Age there were around 11.7 million people who immigrated to the United States which included people who were Canadian, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Slovak, Serb, Russian, Croat, German, and Italian. Immigrants entered the United States through several ports like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Chicago. These immigrants were mostly from Europe as Europeans generally came through East Coast facilities, while those from Asia generally entered through West Coast centers. Though there were many ports, more than 70 percent of all immigrants entered through New York City, which came to be known as the "Golden Door." Lots of factories started up in large cities in which immigrants would migrate to for work. Immigrants in the west coast would work in factories, building of the transcontinental railroad, gold mines, and agricultural jobs. Most of the immigrants that took these jobs started in the lowest level and were paid low wages and have to work unreasonable hours a day and also faced discrimination.
Mass production, standardized parts, and assembly lines help increase goods and labor. These technological advances helped build the first transcontinental railroad that connected the country from east to west and made it easier to transport goods across the country. From there, many inventions were created that made life much easier for people including the phonograph, the typewriter, the telephone, the lightbulb, and more. Due to this, there was an economivc boom. It made rich people richer and poor people even more poor. It creates an even larger economic gap between those groupps of people which ends up causing poverty and governmental corruption.
Gender, Religion, and Culture
Women began to desire equal rights more than ever before. They wanted to vote, get an education, and be able to do as they pleased without feeling tied down to obligations imposed on them by society. Gender norms were greatly impacted, and women began to speak about new ways they want to live their lives. Women having different desires, other than motherhood and being the domestic and pure figure in the house was a hard pill to swallow for some. As for men, many feared the American masculinity was dwindling. The men that had once been fighters, who were hardworking, and strong, were now working desk jobs. Again, this was alarming to those who liked the traditional America. With religion, churches and people in America didn't know how to feel about these booming buisnesses, dirty money, or dishonest men running these coorperations. Morals previously had by many seemed to be reconsidered. Big names like Rockefeller defended his way of buisness, saying it was indeed moral, and not something to look down on. Soon after, many accepted this new way of life, including the churches. Women challenging gender norms also worried the church, as they had previously been seen as these pure individuals who would spread Christianity. Churches also implemented activities like summer camps to keep men masculine. The Gilded Age changed the way of life for many. Not only was religion drastically changed, but education was greatly impacted. Furthering your education became more accessible as differet universities and specializations came to light. Tying in with gender, women were able to go to all women colleges, furthermore challending previous ideas andexpectations for women. This also has a connection with the Wild West and development of labor unions. What many had been trying to prevent was happening, as times were changing and people were sick of sticking to old traditional rules.
Most southern African Americans were tied to farming as "tenant plantation system" employed African American workers as tenants on a cash, credit, or share basis which exploited the tenants and kept them debt-ridden and poor. Jim Crow laws soon spread around the country with even more force than previously. Laws forbade African Americans from living in white neighborhoods and demanded segregation in public schools, restaurants, busses, hospitals, jails, and in many other forms. As Reconstruction decreased state by state in the 1870s, most African Americans were weighed down by little political support and less economic opportunity. Job-seeking away from home was an inviting option in which they moved to the cities of the north and west. At the same time, the black population in the North and West practically doubled with migration accounting for over 50 percent of the increase. While the migratory pattern varied from decade to decade, the end result was the scattering of African Americans throughout the nation, which continued in greater numbers during the twentieth century. By 1900, 90 percent of New England's African Americans were city folk, and, in the mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and western states, from two-thirds to over three-quarters of blacks lived in cities.
U.S. imperialism focused on economic and cultural influence as much and political and military power which gave a wide range of opportunities for white, middle aged, Christian women. At this time America was characterized by division of roles based on gender. When civilization was developing and advancing, gender equality began to rise due because women were allowed to practical moral authority and they were able to comprehend civilization during imperialism. Women could serve as teachers, missionaries, medical professinals, and more.
The Spanish-American War was a conflict between the United States and Spain that was caused by the United States support the ongoing struggle by Cubans and Filipinos against Spanish rule, and the mysterious explosion of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor. On May 1, 1898, Commodore George Dewey led a U.S. naval squadron into Manila Bay in the Philippines and destroyed the Spanish fleet in two hours where fewer than 10 American were lost, while the Spanish lost over 370. The U.S. Marines captured Guantánamo Bay in June of 1889 and 17,000 troops landed at Siboney and Daiquirí, east of Santiago de Cuba. . U.S. troops attacked the San Juan heights on July 1, 1898. On July 16, the Spaniards agreed to surrender. The Treaty of Paris ending the Spanish-American War was signed on December 10, 1898. In it, Spain renounced all claim to Cuba, ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States and transferred sovereignty over the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. Philippine insurgents who had fought against Spanish rule soon turned their guns against their new occupiers. In the end, The Spanish-American War of 1898 ended Spain's colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere and secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power.
When Theodore Roosevelt became president he thought the United States should be involved in world affairs, similar to England at the time. In addition, Roosevelt thought that expansion of the US was important for the countries growth economically. Roosevelt had hope in this expansion due to the US previously gaining new territories: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, and the ability to annex Hawaii, after the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt wanted to be able to influence not just the united states, but the world. For Roosevelt to be able to have an opinion and impact on the world the Foreign policy had to be made to 'cancel out' the Monroe doctrine; which was made to remove the United States from foreign affairs to protect the US from possible European powers interfering. Now that the US was expanding and had power over England this doctrine was able to be removed to help the US. Roosevelts main focus was Central America due to the progress that was already made. Roosevelts main impact was the progress he made on beginning the Panama canal.