APUSH Unit 6 REVIEW (Period 6: 1865-1898)

Overview of Unit 6: The Gilded Age 00:00

"Unit 6 covers everything about the Gilded Age, which is worth 10 to 17% on your AP exam."

• Unit 6 focuses on the Gilded Age, marking a significant shift in American history following the Civil War and Reconstruction.

• The video compiles various topic reviews without AP style questions at the end. Interested viewers can find a corresponding playlist in the video description.

• The Gilded Age is characterized by the increasing control of the wealthy over economic and political aspects rather than the government itself.

Causes of the Gilded Age: Westward Expansion 01:00

"Three big causes of the Gilded Age are westward expansion, the industrial revolution, and capitalism."

• Westward expansion greatly accelerated following the Civil War due to the surge in manufacturing and infrastructure, particularly in railroads.

• The transcontinental railroad facilitated swift movement of goods to the West, fueling a gold rush and drawing many settlers seeking prosperity.

• With the Homestead Act and agricultural innovations, farmers moved westward to take advantage of new lands, which led to the formation of various communities.

Economic Struggles of Farmers 02:16

"Farmers created groups and alliances such as the Grange and the Farmers Alliance to combat high railroad prices."

• Farmers banded together in response to high transportation costs imposed by railroad owners, leading to the establishment of alliances despite limited success.

• During this time, many farmers found themselves in debt due to reliance on bank loans, exacerbated by plummeting prices for agricultural goods.

Impact of Railroads and Labor 03:00

"The people building the railroad included many Chinese and Irish immigrants who faced dangerous working conditions."

• The construction of railroads relied heavily on immigrant labor, particularly from Chinese and Irish workers, who encountered perilous conditions.

• The railroad expansion significantly impacted wildlife, notably leading to the near-extinction of bison through hunting and military campaigns.

Native American Displacement 03:38

"Native Americans faced increasing violence and loss of land as settlers moved west."

• Native Americans resisted the encroachment on their lands, leading to numerous conflicts, including events like the Sand Creek Massacre and various wars such as the Apache and Nez Perce wars.

• The Dawes Act of 1887 drastically reduced native land, legally stripping tribes of their territories while promoting assimilation into white culture.

The New South: Industrialization and Its Contradictions 05:32

"The New South aimed to modernize, but continued to rely on agriculture and face racial oppression."

• After the Civil War, the South sought to modernize economically, as promoted by journalists like Henry Grady, yet it still heavily relied on agriculture and sharecropping.

• Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation and oppression, creating a stark contradiction to the rhetoric of progress and modernization.

• Advocates for African-American rights, such as Booker T. Washington and Ida B. Wells, emerged during this period, but meaningful civil rights progress was slow due to systemic racism.

The Gilded Age: Industrialization and Government Corruption 07:20

"The Gilded Age is characterized by governmental corruption and the rise of powerful business entities."

• The era marked a dramatic shift in the nature of industrial production, moving from iron to steel and steam to electricity, which transformed manufacturing processes.

• This period saw significant advances in industrialization, laying the groundwork for the future economic landscape of the United States, dominated by large corporations.

Gilded Age and Economic Expansion 08:00

"The United States has access to vast amounts of land rich in resources like coal, iron, oil, and timber."

• The Gilded Age saw the U.S. experience rapid economic expansion fueled by abundant natural resources and technological innovations.

• This period marked the rise of large-scale businesses that became immensely profitable, leading to significant wealth accumulation among their owners.

• The U.S. adopted a laissez-faire capitalist economic policy, encouraging unfettered growth of industry and commerce.

• Three factors contributed to the Gilded Age: westward expansion, the industrial revolution, and capitalism, with a focus on the latter two.

The Industrial Revolution and Industrial Capitalism 08:30

"During the Gilded Age, technological advancements promoted mass production and a large workforce."

• The second industrial revolution involved significant industrialization in America, driving businesses to focus on mass production to maximize profits.

• The influx of immigrants contributed to a sizable workforce, while government policies favored business interests, birthing the concept of industrial capitalism.

• In this economic system, private individuals owned the means of production and profited from wage-based labor through mass-produced goods.

Corporate Giants and Monopolization 09:29

"This industrial expansion led to the dominance of corporate figures like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie."

• Key figures of the Gilded Age included John D. Rockefeller, who employed horizontal integration by buying out rivals in the oil industry, and Andrew Carnegie, who utilized vertical integration in the steel sector.

• Businesses organized into trusts and holding companies, leading to monopolies that dominated entire industries like oil and steel, often seeking markets beyond the U.S. borders.

• The government response during this time was characterized by weak enforcement of antitrust laws, allowing corporations to influence American politics significantly.

Impact on American Society 10:37

"A disproportionate amount of American wealth accumulated among a small elite, while workers suffered under poor conditions."

• The rise of monopolies resulted in skyrocketing prices for goods, while many workers endured low wages, brutal hours, and hazardous working conditions, leading to the term "robber barons" for these corporate leaders.

• Despite mass production lowering prices and nominally increasing wages, the reality for workers was grim, as many barely scraped by and lived in overcrowded housing.

• Comparatively, modern labor practices highlight the stark difference in working conditions, especially regarding child labor and labor rights.

Labor Movements and Unions 12:47

"Workers began to unite, forming unions to protest horrendous working conditions."

• Unions like the Knights of Labor emerged during this time, advocating for an eight-hour workday, the abolition of child labor, and equal pay for equal work.

• However, these unions faced challenges such as disorganization and blame for incidents like the Haymarket affair, which resulted in violence during a workers' protest.

• Strikes, including those by Pullman company workers, underscored the government's alignment with business interests over the welfare of common workers.

Immigration and Societal Changes 13:35

"The workforce predominantly consisted of immigrants seeking better opportunities in the United States."

• During the Gilded Age, significant waves of immigration transformed the American workforce, with many individuals fleeing unfavorable conditions in their homelands.

• Ellis Island and Angel Island became two major hubs for processing immigrants, with stark differences in treatment based on nationality, especially towards Asian immigrants.

• This era led to the formation of ethnic enclaves, such as Chinatowns and Little Italies, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of immigrants and their struggles for acceptance in American society.

Racial Tensions and Legislation 16:08

"The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 exemplified the racism faced by Asian immigrants during this period."

• Anti-Asian sentiment grew, impacting legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act, which restricted Chinese immigration and highlighted the racial tensions in society.

• This act serves as a stark reminder of the discrimination that accompanied the waves of immigration during the Gilded Age, contrasting the otherwise welcoming narrative promoted by American society.

Chinese Exclusion and Birthright Citizenship 16:10

"The Supreme Court case U.S. versus Wong Kim Ark established and solidified birthright citizenship, meaning anyone born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen."

• The 10-year ban on new Chinese labor immigration highlighted the restrictive immigration policies of the era.

• Despite this, the landmark Supreme Court case U.S. versus Wong Kim Ark reaffirmed the principle of birthright citizenship, ensuring that anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically a citizen.

• Rose Cohen's book, "Out of the Shadow," gives a personal narrative of Jewish immigrant struggles in maintaining their culture while navigating life in sweatshops.

The Rise of Women and Social Change 16:38

"During this time, Jane Addams co-founded the famous Hull House where she would aid the poor along with immigrants."

• Jane Addams played a significant role during this period by co-founding Hull House, a settlement house designed to help poor immigrants adjust to life in the U.S.

• The era saw various social movements and ideologies emerge, including social Darwinism, which attempted to justify social inequalities as natural outcomes of competition, misapplying Charles Darwin's theories.

The Emergence of the Middle Class 17:44

"This group of people would be the new emerging middle class."

• While stark divides existed between the ultra-rich and the impoverished factory workers, a new middle class began to emerge during the Gilded Age.

• This middle class was formed as big businesses required white-collar workers—managers, accountants, clerks, and secretaries—who were often women and benefited from better pay and safer work environments.

• Educational reforms, such as the Moral Act of 1862, led to the establishment of colleges, which trained individuals for these new professional roles.

Consumer Culture and the Gospel of Wealth 19:25

"Andrew Carnegie argued that the rich deserve their wealth, but they must use it wisely for the public good."

• The development of a consumer culture emerged as middle-class individuals had disposable income, leading to the creation of amusement parks and department stores.

• Andrew Carnegie introduced the "Gospel of Wealth," which accepted inequality but imposed a moral obligation on the rich to use their wealth for societal benefit, resulting in the establishment of libraries, museums, and urban improvements.

Pushing for Reform: Diverse Movements 19:50

"Socialists and radical labor leaders like Eugene V. Debs argued that capitalism exploited workers and that major industries should be publicly owned."

• Growing societal inequities led to calls for reform from various groups, including socialists advocating for public ownership of industries and the social gospel movement calling for a moral response to poverty.

• The utopian and agrarian movements criticized monopolies and urban conditions, highlighting the demand for systemic change.

Women's Influence and Organizing 21:05

"Women couldn't vote and had very limited legal power, so a response you'll see is the constant use of voluntary organizations to exert influence."

• Women's limited political power during this period prompted them to organize voluntarily to influence social reforms, focusing on issues like temperance, child labor, public health, education, and anti-lynching activism.

Laissez-Faire and Economic Interventions 21:12

"Laissez-faire means taking a hands-off approach, letting problems get solved without intervention."

• The U.S. adopted a laissez-faire economic mentality, leading to debates about government regulation of businesses and economics.

• Despite limited intervention domestically, such as the Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Antitrust Act, the government actively sought resources and markets abroad, acquiring places like Hawaii and Alaska.

Political Parties and Corruption 22:40

"Throughout U.S. history, we've gone through many political parties, but for the Gilded Age, the U.S. has settled on the Republicans and Democrats."

• The Republicans and Democrats dominated the political landscape during the Gilded Age, with both parties sharing pro-business stances but differing on tariffs and currency systems.

• Political corruption flourished, with political machines trading jobs for votes, particularly in immigrant communities, despite some reform efforts like the Pendleton Civil Service Act.

• The People's Party, also known as the Populist movement, called for government protection of ordinary people, signaling a growing demand for reform against corporate interests.

Populism and William Jennings Bryan 23:48

"A Democratic leader who championed key populist ideals is William Jennings Bryan, best known for his famous Cross of Gold speech."

• William Jennings Bryan was a prominent figure in the Populist movement and argued for critical reforms such as free silver, graduated income tax, and railroad regulations.

• His "Cross of Gold" speech condemned the gold standard, advocating instead for the use of silver to expand the money supply to benefit ordinary Americans, particularly farmers and laborers.

• Although the Populists did not win any presidential elections, their ideas significantly influenced later movements, notably progressivism and the New Deal.