American History 5

AmericanHistoryTheGildedAgeandtheProgressiveEraAmericanHistory5•TheGildedAge(1860s-1890s)•TheProgressiveEra(1900-1917)TheGildedAge(1860s-1890s)GleamingsurfaceCheapnatureIntheGildedAge,theAmericansocietyhassuperficialprosperityandhideousreality.TheGildedAge(1860s-1890s)superficialprosperityNewInventionsinScienceandTechnologyImprovementofProductivityConstructionofTranscontinentalRailwaySprawlingCitiesSwarmingImmigrantsNewInventionsinScienceandTechnologyIn1876,AlexanderBellsucceededindevelopingthetelephone.NewInventionsinScienceandTechnologyThomasEdisoninventedover1,000electricaldevicesbetween1876and1900.NewInventionsinScienceandTechnologyIn1908,HenryFordbegantomass-producecars.By1914,ModelTwaspopularinAmerica.NewInventionsinScienceandTechnologyIn1903,Wrightbrothersflewanaeroplaneforabrief12secondsinNorthCarolina.ImprovementofProductivityTheinventionofassemblylineincreasedproductivitydramatically.ConstructionofTranscontinentalRailwayIn1869,thefirsttranscontinentalrailwaywasaccomplished.Bytheearly20thcentury,fiveothertranscontinentalrailroadsrunthroughthecountryfromeasttowest.SprawlingCitiesThepopulationinoldcitiesincreasedrapidly.Newcitieswerebornaroundcertainindustries.In1920,51.4%ofthepopulationlivedintownsandcities.SwarmingImmigrants•Between1880and1914,22millionnewimmigrantsarrivedintheUnitedStates.•Before1880,mostoftheimmigrantswerefromnorthernandwesternEurope.•After1880,mostoftheimmigrantswerefromeastern,central,andwesternEurope.TheGildedAge(1860s-1890s)hideousrealityImmigrants’SufferingWorkers’SufferingFarmers’SufferingConsumers’SufferingImmigrants’SufferingLifeforthenewimmigrantsinthecitieswashard.Immigrantshadtoendurebothmaterialsufferingandpsychologicalsuffering.Immigrants’SufferingU.S.CongresspassedtheChineseExclusionActtobarChinesefromenteringAmericain1882.Workers’Suffering•Workershadtoworklonghoursatverylowpayunderterriblecondition.Workers’Suffering•Womenandchildrenwerepaidalotlessthanadultmaleworkers.Workers’Suffering•ThemostinfluentialunionwastheAmericanFederationofLabor(美国劳工联合会).•OnMay1,1886,AFLcalledforanationwidestrikeforeight-hourworkingday.Farmers’Suffering•Farmershadtopayhighrateforstoringandtransportingtheirproducts.•FarmerssetuptheFarmersAlliancetoreducethestoragefeeandtogetbetterprice.•FarmersorganizedthePopulistPartytohavemorerepresentativesintheCongress.Consumers’Suffering•Withthefasteconomicdevelopment,largecompaniesestablishedmonopolyortrusttoreducecompetition.Monopoly•AndrewCarnegieturnedhisoneproductionplantintoasteelempirethroughabusinesstacticcalledverticalintegration.AndrewCarnegieSteelMonopoly•JohnD.Rockefellerusedhorizontalintegrationtomonopolizetheoilindustry.JohnD.RockefellerPetroleumSocialDarwinism•ManyAmericanbusinessmenbelievedthattheyhadbecomerichbecausetheyweresuperiorhumanbeingscomparedtothepoorerclasses.•AccordingtoSocialDarwinism,themillionairesaretheproductofnaturalselection.ProgressiveMovement•Muckrakers(揭发黑幕者)JournalistsintheProgressiveerawhowroteinvestigativearticlesexposingcorruptionincitygovernment,business,andindustry.ProgressiveMovementApoliticalhumoristclaimedthathehadn’t“beenabletoeatanythingmorenourishingthanacucumber”sincereadingSinclair’sbookandadvised,“Ifyouwanttoreduceyourbutcher’sbills,buyTheJungle.”TheodoreRooseveltThe26thPresidentoftheUnitedStates(1901-1909).Knownas“Teddy”or“TR.”Oftenknownasoneofthe“Great”presidents.BornintoawealthyNewYorkfamily,Rooseveltprovedhimselfoneofthebestyoungpoliticiansofhistime.Beforebecomingpresident,hewasanauthor,ahunter,apoliticalreformer,amemberoftheNewYorkCitypolice,acattlerancher,andasoldier.TheSquareDeal•RooseveltdecidedtousehispowerstogiveAmericansa“SquareDeal”toprotectthepublicinterest.RegulatingBigBusinessHelpingOrganizedLaborConservingNaturalResourcesNewFreedomPresidentWilson1913-1921Infouryears,Wilsonreducedthetariff,passedmoreanti-trustlegislation,andreformedthebankingsystem.TheClosingoftheWestAsitexpanded,theUnitedStateshadalwaysbeen“TheWest.”TheAmericanidentitywasassociatedwiththeWestandthefrontier.Iftherewasalackoflandormoney,orifapersondidnotliketheirhomeorgovernment,theycouldmovewestandbefree.ThishelpedtopreventinternalconflictsandtopromotetheideaofAmericanfreedom.TheTurnerThesis–The1890CensusdeclaredthattheAmericanfrontierwasclosed.TherewasnomoreAmericanWest.TheUSneededtofindanewsourceofidentity.Peoplewhowerepoorordissatisfiedcouldnotmovewesttoescapetheirtroubles.Americanswerenolongerabletoignoretheproblemsbysendingthemwest.NowtheUShadtodealwiththeissuesofpoverty,racialtensions,urbandecay,civilunrest,politicaldissention,etc.TheSpanish-AmericanWarAlthoughmostofLatinAmericahadbecomeindependentcountriesby1898,theislandofCubawasstillaSpanishcolony.TheUSwantedtocontroltheSpanishislandsofCubaandPuertoRicoinordertotradewithLatinAmerica.TheUSalsowantedcontroloftheSpanishPhilippinesinordertotradewithEastAsia.SpainwasweakandrevolutionsinthePhilippinesandCubagavetheUSanexcuse.TheSpanishmilitaryfoughtaCubanrevolutionwithinhumanetactics.AsprotectorofLatinAmerica,theUSsentNavyshipstoCubainorderto“observethewar.”“Yello