Women's Role in America
Women were finally gaining a place in the world outside of the stereotypical house maid. More and ore were gaining college educations and therefore seeking jobs of their own. More professions were opening for women in the nursing field, women in politics fighting for pensions, civil rights, and their own literary clubs. In addition to traditional roles as teachers, nurses, and respectable boarding house operators they joined jobs in the service positions such as typewriters, phone operators, secretaries, clerks, and saleswomen. these jobs were more or less for the upper, middle class women, female immigrants for example worked in factories, as maids and boarders, who let tenants stay in their crowded homes for a small fee. Overall women were becoming a very important piece of the social puzzle and becoming more equal to men then the have ever before.
A lot of women who were becoming college educated started cracking down on inappropriate behavior and tried to make America a more serious and professional place to live. One of their biggest movements was of that against alcohol. To them, alcohol led to domestic violence, neglect and promoted prostitution and adultery. The constant outflow of income wasted money families could spend on food, clothing and other necessities the family needed to survive. This belief eventually lead to strong prohibition movements including going into establishments and destroying the bar with axes and hammers.
A lot of women who were becoming college educated started cracking down on inappropriate behavior and tried to make America a more serious and professional place to live. One of their biggest movements was of that against alcohol. To them, alcohol led to domestic violence, neglect and promoted prostitution and adultery. The constant outflow of income wasted money families could spend on food, clothing and other necessities the family needed to survive. This belief eventually lead to strong prohibition movements including going into establishments and destroying the bar with axes and hammers.
Pop. Pops ---> Populist Movement
As the population grows so does competition for markets, jobs and money. When not properly handled the economy struggles and this causes farmers to fall into debt. When farmer's fall into debt they try to increase production and are forced to reduce prices to sell surplus. Then when they can't pay their loans they call for inflation to make it easier to pay off. Some farmers got together and started he Granger movement to take on the big business and make that happen. As a unified group they were able to gain some leeway on railroad rates and even a maximum in some states. This movement eventually gave way to the Populist Party who represented farmers in government, since they didn't seem to be before. The Populists campaigned for standard work hours, fixed income tax and especially Labor Unions. The party was so devoted to overcoming poverty they ignored issues such as race and prohibition to focus on the common good. These social reforms lead the way for average people to stand up for themselves, ban together and gain the rights they deserve. A lot of what the Populist Party did is still apparent today, including Labor Unions.
Here we have a campaign poster for Tom Watson, presidential candidate for the Populist Party. What a stud.
Economic BOom!
American Economy grew buy almost 400% thanks to increased transportation, technological advances, financial innovations and new business practices. Titans of Industry like Andrew Carnegie and JD Rockefeller were becoming millionaire by the handful and this handful lead the economy into the turn of the century. These big business tycoons controlled most aspects of all industries in the country and could therefore work i to their advantage, manipulating prices and working together in trust to blow up prices for their own benefit. Rockefeller was able to negotiate secret deals to build his economy. While deals and companies like this screwed with the lower class farmers they did help to boost economy with their ideals and smart planning. Workers on the other hand got the short end of the economic stick, receiving little pay, and farmers buried in debt.
Although technology and new farming tools greatly increased production, overproduction dropped the worth of the farmers goods and therefore crushed their income. Farmer's could no longer pay for loans and had to resort to inflationary practices to pay them off. As "Robber Barons" controlled all sorts of prices the farmers were forced to pay their outrageous prices for railroad transportation and storage. The farmers needed to transport their crops to the factories so they could receive manufactured good and had n choice but to pay to keep up their livelihood. These policies paved the way for ideas like free silver and inflation and standard tax income. Farmer's need to lower prices or increase income lead to policies still apparent in America today. In the economic boom of America there was the lavish life style of the politicians and the business man; and right beside them was the urban/ rural slum of the factory workers crushed by constant economic downfalls. In the end the brilliant works of the industrialist along side the equalizing movement of the farmers lead to great increases in American economy and an everlasting fact on the country as a whole.
Although technology and new farming tools greatly increased production, overproduction dropped the worth of the farmers goods and therefore crushed their income. Farmer's could no longer pay for loans and had to resort to inflationary practices to pay them off. As "Robber Barons" controlled all sorts of prices the farmers were forced to pay their outrageous prices for railroad transportation and storage. The farmers needed to transport their crops to the factories so they could receive manufactured good and had n choice but to pay to keep up their livelihood. These policies paved the way for ideas like free silver and inflation and standard tax income. Farmer's need to lower prices or increase income lead to policies still apparent in America today. In the economic boom of America there was the lavish life style of the politicians and the business man; and right beside them was the urban/ rural slum of the factory workers crushed by constant economic downfalls. In the end the brilliant works of the industrialist along side the equalizing movement of the farmers lead to great increases in American economy and an everlasting fact on the country as a whole.
Boom! Here comes the Boom! Ready or not? Here comes the boys from the South. Boom! Here comes the Boom! Ready or not? How you like me now?
Here are some pictures of Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives compared to a dramatization of the wealthy during the Gilded age. Most of the Titans of Industry came from poorer lower class families and felt it was the poor people's fault for not trying hard enough to succeed. It was this idea that separated the two classes but also lead to people becoming successful in America affecting our economy for the better.