period 6
SECONDARY SOURCE:
Explanation and significance:
During the Gilded Age of 1877-1900, the Civil War and Reconstruction were happening. Mark Twain called this era the Gilded age because on the outside it seemed like everything was fine, but on the inside, everything was corrupt which was why there needed to be a reconstruction. People were becoming more unhappy since they thought everything had to fit the Social Darwinist mentality. The political parties were getting out of hand which was why the amsco book explains that many political parties avoided conflict and ignored problems. This passage by the amsco book also says that this was a time of forgettable presidents, such as Presidents Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison. The laziness of these presidents and their political parties caused many deaths in The Great Railroad Strike of 1877. Though the development of railroads created transportation throughout the vast geography of the United States, the workers of these railroads had to face many challenges. This strike happened because the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad cut workers’ wages for the second time. The worst violence was in Pennsylvania, and one of the first robber baron, or a wealthy person in the late 19th century whose business actions were questionable, Thomas Alexander Scott wanted the strikers to be fired upon by the law enforcement officers; there were 20 strikers killed by these officers who were ordered to fire by Thomas Alexander Scott. Thomas did not think of the consequences of his action, and the deaths of these strikers caused other strikers to be infuriated, and President Rutherford Hayes, one of the forgotten presidents, sent federal troops to try to stop further strikes from happening. President Hayes’ laziness of using violence instead of trying to create peace through laws of listening to the strikers’ voices then angered other strikers in Reading, Pennsylvania, which was Pennsylvania’s third industrial city. As the amsco book states, the presidents “avoided taking stands on controversial issues” (Amsco book pg. 380) and as a result, many innocent lives were lost. Citation: Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. New York, NY: Amsco School Publications, 1998. Print. |