Gilded Age and Industrial Revolution

The Gilded Age and Industrial Revolution

America's Transformation: 1870-1900 From Rural to Industrial Society Grade 8 History

The Transcontinental Railroad: Connecting a Nation

Connected the East coast to the West coast Completed in 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah Allowed people and goods to travel faster across the country Connected eastern cities to western towns Helped America expand westward Created thousands of jobs for workers

The Homestead Act: Free Land for Settlers

Passed in 1862 during the Civil War Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers Settlers had to live on the land for 5 years Had to farm crops or build structures After meeting requirements, received the deed to the land Encouraged westward expansion but displaced Native Americans

The Dawes Act: Breaking Up Native American Lands

Passed in 1887 Broke up reservation lands into smaller individual pieces Gave each Native American family 160 acres Sold remaining land to white settlers Tried to force Native Americans to assimilate into American society Native Americans lost millions of acres of land

The Assembly Line Revolution

Big Business and Monopolies

{"left":"John D. Rockefeller controlled most of the oil industry through Standard Oil\nAndrew Carnegie controlled most of the steel industry\nThese companies became so powerful they could control prices","right":"The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) was passed to break up monopolies\nA trust is a group of companies that work together to eliminate competition\nThe government could now break up large companies that acted unfairly"}

Labor Unions Fight for Workers' Rights

Workers faced long hours (12-16 hours per day) Low pay and dangerous working conditions Widespread child labor with no protections No benefits or job security Labor unions organized workers to demand better treatment Used strikes, collective bargaining, and boycotts

Immigration and Urbanization

Millions of immigrants came from Europe and Asia Push factors: poverty, war, persecution, lack of opportunities Pull factors: jobs, higher wages, freedom, established communities Most immigrants settled in cities where factory jobs were available Cities grew rapidly but became overcrowded Tenements provided cheap but unsafe housing

Fill in the Blanks: Gilded Age Review

Work with a partner to complete the guided notes worksheet Use your presentation notes to fill in the missing information Focus on key terms: Transcontinental Railroad, Homestead Act, Dawes Act Discuss how these policies affected different groups of people Be ready to share one interesting fact you learned

Understanding the Gilded Age

The Gilded Age (1870-1900) appeared golden on the surface but hid serious problems underneath Rapid industrial growth created great wealth for some but poverty for many This period shaped modern America through technological innovation, immigration, and social change