Making of America 1877-1900: American Cultures
Overview
- Focus on changes in the lives of indigenous peoples, African-Americans, and the growth of big business and immigration.
- Time period: 1877-1900.
Indigenous Peoples
Changes to Plains Indians
- Reservations: Indigenous peoples were forced to live on reservations with poor conditions and inadequate food supply. Reliant on government rations.
- Destruction of Buffalo: Railroads facilitated buffalo hunting, leading to their near extinction. Deliberate policy to force indigenous onto reservations.
- Impact of US Policies: US policies aimed to split indigenous tribes and assimilate them into white American culture.
- Assimilation Policies: Children sent to boarding schools, taught English, and forced to abandon their own languages and cultures.
- Dawes Act of 1887: Gave indigenous peoples land and citizenship but dismantled tribal lands, leading to significant land loss.
- Ghost Dance Movement: A religious movement hoping to restore indigenous life; ended violently at Wounded Knee.
African-Americans
Post-Reconstruction Changes
- Economic Changes: Despite opportunities, most African-Americans lived in poverty; many worked as sharecroppers.
- Ida B. Wells: Campaigned against lynching and for civil rights.
- Migration and Education: Moved north for work; education opportunities through figures like Booker T. Washington.
- Jim Crow Laws: Legalized segregation; limited political and civil rights, especially in the South.
- Political Violence: Redeemer governments restricted voting rights through literacy tests; Ku Klux Klan instilled fear.
- Constitutional Protections: 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments continued to protect rights despite erosion.
Growth of Big Business and Cities
Key Developments
- Big Corporations: Rise of corporations like Andrew Carnegie's steel empire; often at the expense of workers.
- Labor Strikes: Worker strikes met with violence; immigrants and African-Americans used to break strikes.
- Urbanization: Rapid city growth; cities offered opportunities but also problems like overcrowding and disease.
Mass Migration
- Immigration Boom: Many drawn by the American dream; faced racism and poor living conditions.
- Ellis Island: Main processing center for immigrants; introduced language and medical exams.
- Cultural Tensions: Anti-immigrant violence and restrictive laws, e.g., Chinese Exclusion Act.
Chicago World Fair
- Showcase of American Success: Highlighted technological advancements and grand architecture.
- Exclusion: African-Americans and indigenous peoples underrepresented; stereotypical portrayals.
- Civil Rights Presence: Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells campaigned for African-American rights.
Conclusion
The period from 1877 to 1900 was marked by significant cultural, economic, and political changes, particularly affecting indigenous peoples, African-Americans, and new immigrants, amid the backdrop of industrial growth and urbanization.