Heimler's History: Reform Movements in the Gilded Age

Overview

• Focus on Unit 6 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.
• Examination of reform movements responding to industrial capitalism during the Gilded Age.
• America transitioned from artisan handcraft to mass production in factories.
• Rise of laissez-faire capitalism with minimal government intervention.

Industrial Capitalism and Its Impact

• Factories led to mass production and economic growth.
• Wealth concentrated in the elite upper class, while factory workers faced low wages and poor conditions.
• 12-14 hour workdays, dangerous work environments, and low survival wages for workers.

Reform Movements

Agrarians, Utopians, Socialists, and Social Gospel

• Artists and critics demanded reform in response to harsh conditions.

Henry George

• Proposed the "Single Tax" on land to address wealth inequality.

Utopians

• Edward Bellamy's novel "Looking Backward" imagined a socialist utopia.

Socialism

• Gained traction but less so than in Europe.
• Eugene V. Debs founded the Socialist Party of America.

Social Gospel

• Christians applied religious principles to societal reform.
• Focus on aiding urban poor and urging middle class to solve urban poverty.

Women's Reform Movements

• Women took up reform causes, including:
  • Settlement Houses: As in Jane Addams' efforts.
  • Suffrage Movement: Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
    • Founded the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890.
  • Temperance Movement: Combatting alcohol consumption.
    • Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) formed in 1874.
    • Carrie Nation's radical actions against saloons.

Key Figures

• Henry George: Proposed land taxation.
• Edward Bellamy: Utopian novelist.
• Eugene V. Debs: Socialist Party leader.
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony: Women's suffrage leaders.
• Carrie Nation: Temperance activist known for radical tactics.

Conclusion

• Numerous reform movements arose in response to the societal conditions created by industrial capitalism.
• Efforts ranged from taxation, socialism, to religious and women's rights reforms, each with varying degrees of success and influence.