History of America 1877-1900

A large group of men, women, and children pose in front of stacked beer barrels with chalk writing, some holding drinks, under Swiss flags, in a black-and-white vintage photo.

History of America 1877 – 1900

Drawing of a male figure with outstretched arms and legs, positioned inside a circle and a square, illustrating the proportions of the human body. The background is white and the image is circular.

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Perspective

The history of America 1877-1900 is the history of the Gilded Age, an era of robust economic growth, especially in the northern and western states. The term “Gilded Age” was used by writer Mark Twain to characterize this era of profound social problems masked by a thin gold veneer. It describes an era of abject poverty and inequality, especially for the millions of impoverished immigrants who poured into the United States. Their lives were lived in stark contrast to those of the robber baron industrialists and financiers who were emboldened by this culture of greed and corruption in their quest for profits.

Industrialization demanded an ever-increasing pool of cheap labor, and this need was met by the influx of millions of European immigrants. As railroads became the leading growth industry, factories, the mining industry, and high finance also grew quickly. Rapid growth out West, in farming, ranching, and mining, was hastened by immigration. This in turn led to the growth of labor unions grew in the expanding industrial cities, and strikes were increasingly contentious. Then, the financial upheavals of the Panic of 1873 and the Panic of 1893 brought economic and political turmoil. Also, the South remained shattered after the Civil War, and its economy suffered from low prices for cotton and tobacco. What’s more, nearly all African Americans living in the South were denied the vote and existed in a continuing state of poverty, oppression, and terror.

The political landscape was notoriously corrupt, though voter participation was avid. The controversies were social (prohibition of alcohol, universal education, race and ethnicity) and economic (tariff protection and the supply of gold and silver). Ward bosses took control of city politics, and powerful trusts controlled industries. In response, unions agitated for an eight-hour workday, better workplace conditions, and the abolition of child labor. At the same time, others demanded civil service reform, prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcohol, and the vote for women. Local governments provided public elementary education, and public high schools began to be built. In all, the problems faced by the poor gave rise to reforms in the Progressive Era that followed.

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A cartoon shows a giant, overweight man in a suit labeled “STATE PRISON” in the background. A police officer holds a small prisoner and looks up at the large man, emphasizing corruption or injustice.

Ward Bosses

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Index

1877-1900 Index | Society: Reform: Reformers • Immigration • Movements: Settlement Movement • Social Gospel Movement | New South: Cities • Rural Areas | Culture: Art • Learning • Literature • Philosophy: Gospel of Wealth | Science and Technology | Power: Presidents • Election of 1896 • Political Parties • Congress • Legislation • Issues: Civil Service • Business and Industry • Currency | Local Politics: Issues | Rural Politics | Ward Bosses | Foreign Affairs | Economy: Agriculture: The Farm • Innovations • Great Plains: Settlement Boom • Challenges | Economy: California | Industry | Natural Resources | Ranching | Trade | Rural Discontent | Farmers’ Alliances | Capitalism: Depression of 1893 • Social Darwinism • Trusts • Muck-Rakers • Churches | Labor: Artisans and Skilled Workers • Factory System • Workers: Unions: American Federation of Labor | Child Labor • Women • Immigrants

Black-and-white photo of a busy city street in the late 1800s, with people in period clothing, horse-drawn carriages, and large stone buildings with towers and spires lining both sides of the road.

1877-1900: Index

A bustling city street scene from the early 1900s, crowded with people, horse-drawn carts, street vendors, and tall brick apartment buildings with laundry hanging from balconies.

Society

A group of immigrants, carrying suitcases and bundles, stand in a line under a covered structure, waiting for processing at Ellis Island in the early 20th century.

Society: Immigration

A political cartoon shows wealthy men sitting on sacks and goods labeled with industry names on a pier, while workers below struggle to hold up the structure above rough waters.

Society: Reform

Vintage poster for the Socialist Party featuring portraits of Eugene V. Debs and Ben Hanford, with industrial and labor imagery in the background, and bold text reading “The Socialist Party.”.

Society: Reformers

Black and white photo of women suffragists holding banners reading “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?” and “Mr. President, what will you do for woman suffrage?” standing by a fence.

Society: Movements

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A large, red-brick, three-story building with multiple gabled rooftops and white-trimmed windows on a street corner, with a few small trees and a clear blue sky overhead.

Settlement Movement

A dramatic black-and-white illustration shows a man passionately speaking and gesturing from a podium to a large audience seated in a grand hall, while others on the stage react to his speech.

Social Gospel Movement

Sepia-toned photo of a crowded amusement park with people in early 1900s clothing, ornate buildings, towers, and decorative structures lining a busy walkway.

New South: Cities

Four people relax on the deck of a vintage yacht, dressed in late 19th-century attire. Two women are seated, one man sits in the center, and another woman stands, all surrounded by polished wood and nautical details.

Culture: Art

A small, rustic log cabin stands in a barren landscape with leafless trees. A person sits on a mound of earth near the cabin, and a wagon wheel is visible to the right. The scene appears old and weathered.

New South: Rural Areas

Book cover for The Kid of Coney Island by Woody Register, featuring vintage lights, amusement park scenes, and a portrait of Fred Thompson with old-fashioned fonts and festive decorations.

Culture

A black-and-white photograph of a group of African American individuals, including men, women, and children, posed in front of a wooden building. Some are seated while others stand, all facing the camera.

Society: New South

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Black-and-white photo of an old classroom with students sitting on wooden benches, facing a blackboard. A teacher stands at the front. American flags and portraits hang on the walls. The room has large windows and wooden floors.

Culture: Learning

Caricature of Mark Twain in a tuxedo gesturing animatedly on stage, with an audience member smiling and birds or papers flying in the background. A water pitcher sits on a table beside him.

Culture: Literature

A tranquil forest scene with tall trees, dense green foliage, rocky cliffs, and a small stream flowing through a sunlit valley under a soft, cloudy sky.

Culture: Philosophy

A distinguished older man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a dark suit, vest, and bow tie, poses for a formal sepia-toned portrait against a plain background.

Philosophy: Gospel of Wealth

A black-and-white illustration of a magic lantern projector displaying an image of a person onto a screen, with a hand operating the device and circular slides visible.

Culture: Science and Technology

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A man labeled Power inspects miniature factory buildings and workers on his palm, while smoke billows from factories and the U.S. Capitol is visible in the background. The scene suggests control over industry and government.

Power

A large crowd gathers outside a building with columns and statues, many people standing on a platform and a large American flag hanging in the center. The scene appears historical and formal.

Power: Presidents

A colorful, busy cartoon depicts a noisy crowd in front of an apartment building. People hold election signs, play instruments, cheer, and watch from balconies. Signs say Both Elected and Why Not Elect Both? The scene is chaotic and festive.

Power: Election of 1896

A large man labeled PATRONAGE stands in the center, holding documents labeled PUBLIC OFFICE, while smaller men scramble and reach for them in a busy city scene, illustrating political favoritism.

Power: Political Parties

Newspaper headline reads: THE KING OF FRAUDS. How the Credit Mobilier Bought its Way Through Congress. COLOSSAL BRIBERY. Congressmen who Have Robbed the People, and who now Support the National Robber.

Power: Congress

A black and white illustration shows several men standing, with one man seated to the right. The standing men appear to be speaking with or presenting something to the seated man. The setting looks like a 19th-century room.

Congress: Legislation

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Political cartoon showing wealthy, well-dressed men with bags of money, while workers and children kneel or struggle nearby; factories and smoke in the background, highlighting social and economic inequality.

Power: Issues

A man in a suit with an exaggerated head holds a pistol in one hand and a large paper reading An office or your life! in the other, standing in front of a building labeled White House.

Issues: Civil Service

A large factory room filled with rows of workers, mostly women, sitting at long tables assembling products. The space is crowded, with overhead beams and dim lighting, suggesting an early 20th-century industrial setting.

Issues: Business and Industry

An old, worn U.S. ten dollar bill featuring Abraham Lincoln’s portrait on the left, an eagle with spread wings at the center, and a faint image of another man on the right side. The bill is green and highly detailed.

Issues: Currency

A black-and-white political cartoon shows men in suits and top hats exchanging money at a polling station, with signs offering rewards for vote fraud in the background, depicting political corruption during an election.

Power: Local Politics

Political cartoon showing a wealthy man labeled Pullman turning a screw press labeled Low Wages and High Rent, crushing a distressed worker underneath. Coins scatter around to suggest financial exploitation.

Local Politics: Issues

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A cartoon shows a thin policeman holding a small child beside a giant, well-dressed man with an enormous belly. In the background is a building labeled States Prison. The giant man looks down at the policeman.

Local Politics: Ward Bosses

A black-and-white photo of four people on a wooden wagon pulled by two horses in a grassy field, with two adults standing, one adult seated, and a child sitting on the wagon.

Power: Rural Politics

A tailor measures a large, stern man dressed in American flag clothing. The tailor stands on a stool, surrounded by fabric labeled National Expansion and Enlightened Foreign Policy.

Power: Foreign Affairs

A political cartoon shows wealthy men in top hats labeled as monopolists standing over kneeling workers who offer bags of money. Factories and a banner saying Cliff D. Monopoly are in the background, depicting income inequality.

Economy

A black-and-white photo of several women and children standing beside a large steam-powered farming machine in a field, with one man sitting on the machine and a dog lying on the ground nearby.

Economy: Agriculture

Black-and-white photo showing three large steam tractors working in a field during harvest. Smoke rises from the stacks, and men stand near the machines. Handwritten notes appear along the bottom edge of the image.

Agriculture: The Farm

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A vintage illustration of a wheat field shows a horse-drawn reaper harvesting grain. One person guides the horses while another collects bundled sheaves of wheat by hand, with rolling hills and houses visible in the background.

Agriculture: Innovations

A black and white photo of a family outside a sod house on the prairie. A man stands to the left, a woman sits by the door, and two young children stand in front of the house, surrounded by grass and open land.

Great Plains

Historic black-and-white illustration of a crowd gathered around two trains meeting, celebrating the completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit in 1869. Some people hold hats up as two men shake hands.

Great Plains: Settlement Boom

A large tornado touches down near power lines and buildings, swirling debris under a dark, cloudy sky with trees and structures in the background.

Great Plains: Challenges

Two men, one sitting on the ground and one on a horse, face a calm river with a wooden bridge and people in the background. Hills and open land stretch out beyond the water. The scene appears historical.

Economy: California

Black-and-white photo of a large steel mill with scaffolding, smokestacks, and industrial structures; smoke fills the air and a town with houses is visible in the background.

Economy: Industry

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Black and white image of several tall oil derricks clustered together, with a cloudy sky in the background. The metal structures dominate the scene, creating an industrial atmosphere.

Economy: Natural Resources

Two men in old-fashioned clothing stand beside a saddled horse in front of wooden buildings; one man holds the horses reins, and a Bakery sign is visible in the background.

Economy: Ranching

A large crowd of people gathers along a dock beside a steamship with two smokestacks, likely during the early 20th century. The people appear to be arriving or departing, with the ship towering above them.

Economy: Trade

A black-and-white photo shows a group of men, some standing and some sitting on the ground, with American flags and a horse-drawn wagon in the background at what appears to be a Civil War-era camp.

Economy: Rural Discontent

A black-and-white historical illustration shows a busy street with horse-drawn carriages and people gathered for a procession or mass meeting, with buildings and signs visible in the background.

Economy: Farmers’ Alliances

A political cartoon shows Uncle Sam and a man with glasses overseeing a large crowd of immigrants at Ellis Island, with the Statue of Liberty and ships in the background. Signs read “Dumping of Immigrants” and “U.S.A. Melting Pot.”.

Economy: Capitalism

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A crowded, chaotic stock exchange floor from the early 20th century, with men in suits and hats raising their arms and shouting, and a sign reading Unlisted Securities visible in the background.

Economy: Depression of 1893

A pack of wolves fights fiercely in a snowy landscape, with several wolves biting, snarling, and wrestling each other while others lie motionless on the ground. The scene is chaotic and intense.

Economy: Social Darwinism

Illustration of a giant octopus with its tentacles spread across a map, grabbing various objects and locations, symbolizing control or dominance over different regions.

Economy: Trusts

Cover of McClure’s Magazine for January 1901, featuring an illustration of a snowy landscape with telephone poles, bare trees, and industrial smokestacks emitting smoke under a cloudy sky.

Economy: Muckrakers

Black and white photo of a church with a tall steeple, surrounded by bare trees and gravestones in a cemetery. A statue on a pedestal is visible in the foreground. The scene appears old and atmospheric.

Capitalism: Churches

Black-and-white photo of young boys working in an industrial factory. Some stand near machinery and work tables, wearing caps and work clothes. Several adults and industrial equipment are visible in the background.

Economy: Labor

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A group of men in work clothes and hats sit and stand together outside an industrial building, appearing to take a break from manual labor. The scene looks historical, possibly early to mid-20th century.

Labor: Artisans and Skilled Workers

Black and white photo of factory workers operating machinery in an industrial workshop, wearing aprons and hats, surrounded by belts, tools, and equipment typical of the late 19th or early 20th century.

Economy: Factory System

A group of men in early 20th-century work attire stand and work around large industrial machinery inside a factory workshop with visible belts, gears, and equipment. Some men pose while others work.

Factory System: Workers

Black and white illustration of the Haymarket Riot showing police officers in uniform clashing with civilians, smoke filling the air, and chaos as people flee or fall to the ground in front of a city building.

Labor: Unions

A black and white cartoon shows workers with tools joining together; their combined arms form a large, powerful fist rising from the ground, symbolizing strength in unity. Factories and smokestacks are visible in the background.

Unions: American Federation of Labor

Black and white photo of several boys and men working among large industrial pipes and machinery inside a factory, illustrating harsh child labor conditions during the early 20th century.

Labor: Child Labor

Three young girls stand together inside a textile mill, surrounded by rows of spinning machines. The photo appears old and sepia-toned, capturing a historical industrial setting.

Labor: Women

A sepia-toned historical photo shows a large group of boys wearing old-fashioned clothing and hats, gathered outdoors on a pile of logs. Many hold lunch pails, suggesting they are child laborers, possibly from the early 1900s.

Labor: Immigrants

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Samples

Drawing of a nude man standing with arms and legs extended in different positions, superimposed within a circle and square; known as Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, illustrating human body proportions.