Day 5 - Gilded Age/Progressives

Group B: Becca McGarry, David Ha, and Keith Locket

QuestionAnalyze the ways in which farmers and industrial

workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900).

Thesis

As the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era came into play between 1865 and 1900, farmers and industrial workers sought for betterment. This was notably accentuated by frontier expansion and unionization movements.

possible signposts:-populist party increasing farmer's power-farmers take advantage of homestead act-improvement in technologies & railroad development-labor unions(farmers, industrial workers)

Populist Party

• Populist party:o Composed of indignant farmers from the

Farmers' Allianceo Goals:

Inflation• Easier to pay off debts

Graduated income tax• Higher salary = higher taxes

Direct election of US senators Initiation and referendum

• People can propose/pass laws Shorter work day Stricter immigration laws

Westward Movement• Increase in agriculture, esp. in plain states

o attract immigrants from Europeo Homestead Act - grant 160 acres for $30 to farmers willing to develop the

land farmers met difficulties as lands were rather arid and barren

o during this period, # of farmers tripled from 2 to 6milo development of westward railroads

helped form agricultural west

Farming Technologies

• Improvements in technologyo steam engines, seeder, plow binders

increase efficiency; require less people & work led to enormous farms

• Californian farms made huge profits by hiring ill Mexican workers

Labor Unions(farmers)• Causes of unionization: Angry farmers

o late 1880~early 1990 grasshopper plagues & heat waves increase in farmers taxes railroads, middlemen, fertilizer trusts harass

• The Grange founded by Oliver Kelley 800k members in 1875

o sought to battle against farmer's plighto Actions

Grange Laws - railroad & storage rate adjustment

Labor Unions(industrial)• Angry industrial workers

o low wage, immigrant outsourcing, monopolies

• National Labor Uniono argued for 8-hr workday

• Knights of Laboro for economic and social reformo successful strike against Jay Gould's

Wabash RR

• AF of L (American Federation of Labor)o argued for better wage & conditionso 1894 - Labor Day