Period 6: 1865–1898

Mark Twain coined the term "The Gilded Age" to describe this era: it looked shiny and golden on the outside (economic growth, millionaires), but was rotting underneath (poverty, corruption, racial injustice).

The "Frontier" was closed by three main groups encouraged by government subsidies (like the Homestead Act and Railroad Land Grants):

• Miners: Gold/Silver rushes (Nevada Comstock Lode).
• Cattlemen: The "Long Drive" from Texas to railroad towns (Cowboys).
• Farmers: Faced harsh conditions. The Transcontinental Railroad (1869) connected them to Eastern markets but also exploited them with high rates.

Expansion meant conflict. The U.S. Army fought the "Indian Wars" to force Plains Indians onto reservations.

1. Military Defeat

Despite a victory at Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand), Native resistance effectively ended at the Massacre of Wounded Knee (1890).

2. Forced Assimilation

The Dawes Act (1887) tried to dissolve tribes. It broke up tribal land into individual family plots to turn Natives into "American Farmers." (Result: They lost 66% of their land).

Some leaders called for a "New South" based on industry (textiles, steel in Birmingham). However, the "Old South" remained dominant.

New technologies (Bessemer Process for steel, Electricity, Telephone) fueled mass production.

The Business Tycoons

Competing Philosophies

• Social Darwinism: "Survival of the fittest." Used to justify wealth inequality—the rich are rich because they are "better."
• The Gospel of Wealth: (Carnegie's Book) The rich have a duty to use their money for the public good (Libraries, Universities), but not direct charity to the poor.

Workers faced dangerous conditions and low wages. They formed unions, but government consistently sided with businesses during strikes.

Major Strikes: Great Railroad Strike (1877), Homestead Strike (Steel), Pullman Strike (Railroads). All were broken by troops or private guards.

The U.S. population tripled. Cities exploded in size.

The "New Immigrants" (Post-1880)

Unlike previous immigrants (Irish/Germans), these came from Southern and Eastern Europe (Italians, Poles, Russians, Jews). They settled in urban ethnic enclaves.

Responses: Nativism

Nativists feared these new immigrants would not assimilate.

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): First law to ban an entire group based on ethnicity.
• Jane Addams (Hull House): Established Settlement Houses to help immigrants learn English and adjust to American life.

Industrialization created a growing Middle Class (managers, clerks) with disposable income.

• Consumerism: Department stores (Sears, Macy's) and mail-order catalogs.
• Leisure: Spectator sports (Baseball), amusement parks (Coney Island).

The Social Gospel: A Protestant movement that applied Christian ethics to social problems. They believed Christians had a duty to fix poverty and slums (e.g., The Salvation Army).

Women's Role: Activism grew, particularly in the Suffrage movement (NAWSA) and Temperance (fighting alcohol).

The dominant political philosophy was Laissez-Faire (Hands-off economy). However, public pressure forced some weak regulations:

• Interstate Commerce Act (1887): Designed to regulate Railroad rates (first federal regulatory agency).
• Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): Made monopolies illegal (but was initially used against Labor Unions, not businesses).

Politics was characterized by high voter turnout but massive corruption (Political Machines like Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall).

The Populist Party (The People's Party)

Formed by angry farmers fighting against Railroads and Banks. Their Omaha Platform proposed:

1. Free Silver: Printing more money (inflation) to help pay off debts.
2. Direct election of Senators.
3. Graduated Income Tax.

Summary: Between 1865 and 1898, the U.S. became the world's leading industrial power. However, this progress came at the cost of Native American land, worker safety, and the environment. The tensions created in this era (Labor vs. Capital, Reformers vs. Corruption) set the stage for the Progressive Era (Period 7).