Changes From 1877-1898

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Economic Policy

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In the late 1800s, the U.S. government followed a laissez-faire (French for "let do") economic policy in which businesses were largely unregulated. Large corporations were formed during this time, but some felt that certain companies were involved in business practices that were unfair. Government policies began to change, however, as the government passed laws such as the Sherman Antitrust Act, which was meant to prevent the creation of monopolies.

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Politics

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Tammany Hall in New York City was a political machine that influenced the Democratic Party from the 1790s to the 1960s. A political machine was an organization led by a political boss. Political machines maintained power by being involved in elections and by controlling various government officials such as mayors and city council members. Political machines were corrupt in many ways and were involved in voter fraud, graft, bribery, and kickbacks.William Tweed, known was Boss Tweed, ran the machine from 1858 to 1871. In the 1860s and 1870s, Thomas Nast, a cartoonist, published political cartoons criticizing Boss Tweed and exposing his corruption. In 1871, the Tweed Ring broke up, and Boss Tweed was later convicted for fraud and extortion. The Pendleton Act was passed by Congress in 1883. It reformed the civil service system. It required that people be hired for federal jobs based on their qualifications instead of their political ties.

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Labor Unions

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In order to be heard, the labor unions helped employees organize strikes at major companies in the United States. The first of many was the Great Strikein 1877. Railroad workers across the U.S. refused to work in the first nationwide strike. In 1886, the Knights of Labor led a strike against the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in Chicago. The police and the strikers clashed, and a striker was killed. The next day, when people gathered to protest the death of the striker, a group of anarchists joined in the protest.Police came to break up the group, and a bomb was thrown at the police, killing seven policemen. This event is known as the Haymarket Square Riot.Because many people blamed the Knights of Labor for the riot, membership in the union declined, and its influence was weakened.

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Immigration and Urbanization

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Many Americans did not welcome immigrants and feared competition for jobs. These Americans were known as nativists. They were mostly Protestants with British heritage. Along with mistrusting immigrants in general, nativists also disliked Catholics because they feared that Catholics would feel more loyalty to the pope and their religion than to the United States.

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Industry and Philanthropy

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Congress encouraged business expansion through import tariffs. High tariffs on imported goods provided protection for American companies.Keeping the cost of foreign goods artificially high allowed American companies to produce more, make more profit, and expand their operations. Carnegie wrote the 1889 essay "The Gospel of Wealth," encouraging wealthy people to use their money to benefit society. Carnegie followed his own advice. Late in his life, he gave away most of the wealth he had acquired in the steel industry to establish schools and libraries

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U.S. Indian Policies

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The Dawes Severalty Act was passed in 1887. Under this act, the U.S. government broke up the Native American reservations and gave Native American families homesteads. The families were required to live on the land for 25 years and were required to give up their Native American traditions. At the end of 25 years, the families would own the land and become U.S. citizens. As a result, Native Americans lost much of their land and were given land in the desert that was not good for farming.

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African Americans

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Following the Civil War, African Americans faced widespread segregation and discrimination throughout the country. Booker T. Washington was one several leaders who fought to improve conditions for African Americans. In 1895, Washington delivered a speech known as the "Atlanta Compromise."He said, "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top." He believed that African Americans should try to improve their economic situation before trying to achieve equal rights. He also made an appeal to whites to hire African Americans instead of immigrants.