U.S. President Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885 Republican New York Born: October 5, 1829 Died: November 18, 1886.

U.S. President Chester A. Arthur

1881-1885 Republican New YorkBorn: October 5, 1829

Died: November 18, 1886

I. The Political Aspects of Arthur’s Presidency

A. The Spoils SystemA. The Spoils System** (1) Garfield was assassinated-

causing Arthur to become the 21st president of the US

1. Remember: In the Election of 1880, the Republicans had nominated a Half-breed for Pres and a Stalwart for VP.

2. Garfield, the Half-breed presidential nominee (and winner!), wanted civil service reform, and Arthur did not!

3.3. Significance of Garfield’s deathSignificance of Garfield’s deatha. Pushed Congress to change the Spoils System

b. Arthur changed course and focused on creating a modern civil service system

c. Result? (3) Pendleton Act of 1883 i. Provided for open, competitive exams for applicants of governmental jobs classified as civil service positions

ii. Banned practice of requiring political contributions from civil servants

1883 14,000 out of 117,000federal govt. jobs became civilservice exam positions.

1900 100,000 out of 200,000 civil service federal gov’t. jobs.

Much more accountability in gov’t!

d. Effect of the Pendleton d. Effect of the Pendleton Act???Act???

B. Summary of Political B. Summary of Political Aspects Under Garfield and Aspects Under Garfield and

Arthur…Arthur… 1. Laissez Faire

2. Civil Service Reforma. Trying to create a honest and fair government in a time of corruption

b. Pendleton Act of 1883

II. The Social Aspects of Arthur’s Presidency

(9)(9) Old Immigration versus New Old Immigration versus New ImmigrationImmigration

1. Before 1880s, Old Immigrants-most immigrants were mainly from northern and western Europe- English Speaking

2. After 1880s, New Immigrants- most immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe non English speaking

3. By 1890, the new immigrants made up 70% of the immigrants coming to the U.S.

New immigrants did not assimilate into U.S. society as easily as the old immigrant groups, and they filled the jobs that many Americans would not take.

4.Resulted in (8) NATIVISM- a growing prejudice from people born in America against foreign born immigrants to America

Urban Growth: 1870 - 1900Urban Growth: 1870 - 1900

Which city had the biggest jump?

Who do you think most of its newcomers were?

How did the people of that area feel about the newcomers?

5. Most of the immigrants ended up with low-paying jobs, living in terrible conditions. It was common for them to end up in TENEMENTS (11)

cramped and overcrowded living areas

Dumbbell Tenement, NYCDumbbell Tenement, NYC

Tenement Slum LivingTenement Slum Living

Struggling Immigrant FamiliesStruggling Immigrant Families

B. Push and Pull Factors of B. Push and Pull Factors of Immigration Immigration

1. Pulled by the promise of the American dream. (jobs, land, freedom of speech, religion, etc!!)

2. Pushed by famine, racial/religious/political discrimination, lack of opportunity in their homeland.

(7)(7) Chinese Exclusion ActChinese Exclusion Act

1.Passed in 1882 2. Excluded all Chinese

laborers for 10 years3.First immigration law

passed in the U.S. targeted at a specific ethnic group

(2)(2) Booker T Washington Booker T Washington (1856 - (1856 - 1915)1915)1. A former slave,

Washington would rise to prominence in America during the late 1800’s.

2. He headed the Tuskegee Institute, a college for African Americans, which opened in 1881 in AL.

3. Advocated economic independence for African Americans through self-help, hard work, and a practical education

Imagine this in the heart of the South…

during the Gilded Age…

and Jim Crow…

Can you see the accomplishment

Tuskegee was????

Built by the hands and sweat of the tenants..

III. The Economic Aspects of Arthur’s Presidency

A.A. Manufacturing and Manufacturing and InventionsInventions

1. Technological advances altered the lives of ordinary people far more than political activities in this time period!

2. U.S. patent (the exclusive right granted by a government to an inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years) office recorded only 276 inventions in the 1790’s versus 235,000 in the 1890’s.

Growth of U.S. PatentsGrowth of U.S. Patents

1790s 276 patents issued1990s 1,119,220 patents

issued

3.3. Electricity and Electricity and Communications Communications Innovators: Bell and EdisonInnovators: Bell and Edison

a. 1876-telephone patented by Alexander Graham Bell

b. 1877 –Bell Telephone organized (1885: renamed American Telephone and Telegraph Company, or AT&T) and

first private phone line established!

c. 1879 -1st successful incandescent light bulb invented by Thomas

Alva Edison

d. 1882 – backed by J.P. Morgan, the Edison Electric Illuminating Company began supplying 85 customers.

Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell

Telephone (1876)

Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison

“Wizard of Menlo Park”

Phonograph- “sound recorder” used for music, entertainment

Imagine life before

electricity and the light bulb

B. Innovators in Organization:B. Innovators in Organization:Rockefeller and CarnegieRockefeller and Carnegie

1.(4) The Standard Oil Company was formed by John D. Rockefeller (NY) John D. Rockefeller (NY) after he recognized the energy after he recognized the energy potential of the oil industry potential of the oil industry

a. 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporated his various interests into the Standard Oil Company of Ohio

b.In 1882, all its properties were merged in the Standard Oil Trust, which had an initial capital of $70 million!

Standard Oil Co.Standard Oil Co.

*January 2, 1882 :The Trust was valued quite conservatively at $70,000,000 – the true value was about $200,000,000. The nine Trustees controlled 23,314 of the 35,000 shares with J.D. Rockefeller holding 9585 shares. ($2,000 each in 1882, with Rockefeller’s share worth $19,170,000!!!)

Rockefeller was known to use the following tactics to ensure Standard Oil was #1:• Monopolization — Bought up all of the

components needed for the manufacture of oil barrels in order to prohibit his competitors from getting their product on the market

• Rate Wars — cutting the price of oil, forcing his competitors to go out of business or sell out to him!

• Rebates — demanded a refund on public rates offered by the railroads, who agreed to this practice because of Standard's immense volume

• Intimidation — On more than one occasion, Standard Oil dispatched thugs to break up competitors' operations that could not otherwise be controlled!

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h957.html

c. Rockefeller used Horizontal integration – the expansion of a business’s ownership and control over other similar businesses/industries - a strategy used by a business or corporation that seeks to sell a type of product in numerous markets.(Thus, the creation of an oil monopolymonopoly)

d. He grew very unpopular until he began giving millions away to charity. Today he is known for his philanthropy.

2.Andrew Carnegie – born in Scotland, moved to PA at age 13. a. Intelligent and hard-working, he quickly worked his way up the ranks in every job he held.

b. In 1872, he began focusing on the steel industry alone, and he opened his first steel plant in 1875.

c. 1882 – bought out the Homestead steel works

d. Employed Vertical integration - The process in which several steps in the production and/or distribution of a product or service are controlled by a single company

Ex: an oil refining business would be vertically integrated if it owned or controlled pipeline companies, railroads, barrel manufacturers, etc.

(L) Rockefeller (R) Carnegie

(5) Captains of Industry? a business leader whose means of getting a personal fortune contributes positively to the country in some way. (new inventions… better quality products)

(5) or Robber Barons ?a. Were these men leaders in their industry

OR were they Robber Barons?

a robber baron dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries – a business-leader who abused their position and got rich typically as a direct result of unfair business practices

The “Robber Barons” of the Past

The “Robber Barons” of the Past

D. D. (6)(6) The Brooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge1. Overcrowding in Manhattan was eased by

a new bridge linking Manhattan with Brooklyn on 5/24/1883.

2. Why was the bridge important? It showed the superiority of the new Bessemer Process that strengthened metal into steel

(this was the first steel cable suspension bridge!).

(10)(10) The Northern Pacific The Northern Pacific RailroadRailroad

The signing of the charter for the Northern Pacific, a transcontinental railroad, by Abraham Lincoln in

1864 and the completion of its mainline in 1883 were major factors in the opening of the northern tier of United States.  

(8)(8) Establishment of Time Establishment of Time ZonesZones

1. Standard time was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the RRs on November 18, 1883.

2. U.S. Time zones were first used by the RRs in 1883 to standardize their schedules. If a train was to be in the depot at 2:00… all towns needed to know when the train would arrive and depart.

3. The use of standard time gradually increased because of its obvious practical advantages for communication and travel.

(12) Important New Farm inventions:

• 1. BARBED WIRE- kept competing cattle out of farmland

• 2. SOD HOUSES- used dried dirt to make housing since there was a shortage of trees