Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898 Notes | AP United States History
6.1 The Age of Invention and Economic Growth
Thomas A. Edison's Workshop
- Established in 1876, Menlo Park, New Jersey
- Produced significant inventions, including the light bulb
- Pioneered power plant development
Light Bulb and Power Plants
- Extended workday beyond sundown
- Increased electricity availability
- Enabled industrial and home applications
Age of Invention
- Last quarter of 19th century marked by technological advances
- Opportunities for mass production increased
Economic Growth
- Rapid economic expansion
- "Captains of industry" or "robber barons" gained wealth and power
- Controlled new manufacturing enterprises
Industrialization and Corporate Consolidation
- Introduction of faster machines, economies of scale
- Assembly line production increased efficiency but led to poor working conditions and long hours
- Corporate consolidation led to monopolies and holding companies
- Horizontal and Vertical Integration strategies
- Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and its challenges
- Gospel of Wealth: Wealth should benefit society
Factories and City Life
- Factories in cities reduced labor costs
- Led to urban poverty, crime, and overcrowding
- Immigrants, women, and children made up a significant labor force
- Political corruption and control by bosses, e.g., William "Boss" Tweed
- Rise of labor unions like the Knights of Labor
Key Labor Strikes
- Homestead Steel Strike and Pullman Palace Car Factory Strike
- Rise of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Charitable Middle-Class Organizations
- Advocated for building codes, sanitation, and education
- Jane Addams and Hull House in Chicago
Improvement of Life
- Middle-class and wealthy experienced improved lifestyle
- Leisure activities and newspaper growth
6.2 Jim Crow Laws and Developments in the South
Advances in the Machine Age
- Primarily affected the North
Southern Economy
- Continued reliance on agriculture
- Emergence of textile and tobacco industries
- Sharecropping and the crop lien system
Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise Speech
- Promoted economic independence for Black Americans
- Founded Tuskegee Institute
Jim Crow Laws
- Series of discriminatory laws
- Supreme Court rulings reduced protection under the 14th Amendment
Booker T. Washington vs. W. E. B. Du Bois
- Washington promoted economic independence
- Du Bois criticized Washington's approach
Railroads and the West
- Transcontinental Railroad and its impacts
- Railroads influenced city development and time standardization
- Homestead Act and Morrill Land-Grant Act supported western settlement
- Native American displacement, e.g., Nez Perce resistance
National Politics: The Gilded Age
- Era characterized by political corruption and patronage
- Important figures: Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland
- Regulatory measures: Munn v. Illinois, Interstate Commerce Act
Women's Suffrage
- Led by Susan B. Anthony
- Fight for voting rights, culminating in the 19th Amendment
6.3 The Silver Issue and the Populist Movement
Economic Challenges Post-Civil War
- Increased production led to price drops
- Farmers advocated for silver coinage
Grange Movement and Farmers' Alliances
- Grange Movement founded 1867
- Evolved into the Populist Party
Populist Movement
- Omaha Platform called for reforms
- Supported by financial crises in the 1890s
6.4 Foreign Policy: Tariff and Imperialism
Tariff Controversies
- Tariff of Abominations and its impact
- McKinley Tariff's influence on politics
Spanish-American War
- U.S. expansionism and control over territories
- Debate on annexation vs. independence
Expansionism and Imperialism
- U.S. interest in Hawaii and the Philippines
- Senate votes for annexation of territories
McKinley's Open Door Policy
- Aimed for access to Asian markets
These notes summarize the key aspects of Unit 6, covering technological, economic, social, and political developments in late 19th century America, including major legislative measures, labor movements, and foreign policy actions.