President Encyclopedia 1877-1889

President Encyclopedia 1877-1889 — page 3 — 6 America in the Industrial Age Immigrants arriving as contract laborers in a U S port in the 1800s The immigrants came mainly from southern and eastern Europe Most of them were unskilled laborers who were willing to work for low wages They settled in the rapidly expanding cities of the North and the Midwest With this growth however came slums crowding disease and crime Immigration and the rapid growth of cities had some political consequences as well Most immigrants supported the Democratic Party In many large cities Democratic Party groups tended to needs of these new Americans making sure that they had housing and jobs The newcomers expressed their gratitude by loyally voting for Democratic candidates In Boston Massachusetts and New York City for example the large immigrant Irish populations supported and eventually controlled local Democratic politics On the presidential level however the Republican Party continued to dominate The Republicans had the support of many small-town Americans farmers and even though they still did not have the right to vote African Americans But the Republicans also had the support and sometimes found themselves under the control of big business These special-interest groups included manufacturers railroad owners and wealthy people in general They opposed government intervention in the economy except when it benefited their own businesses for example government grants of land on which to build railroads Politicians often used their positions to amass fortunes and corruption was rampant at all levels of government

President Encyclopedia 1877-1889 — page 4 — America in the Industrial Age 7 The South in the 1870s and 1880s Civil War devastated the economy of the South Agriculture especially the production of cotton took years to recover Cities were ruined transportation was destroyed and what little industry had existed was wiped out Reconstruction the period of rebuilding the South that followed the Civil War came to an end in 1877 with the inauguration of Rutherford B Hayes as president Federal troops withdrew from the South and white politicians most of whom were southerners took control of the state and local governments The political gains that African Americans had made during and after the war were soon erased After receiving the right to vote with the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1870 they were now systematically excluded from the polling places Those who attempted to exercise their right to vote were usually beaten and sometimes murdered African American children were denied access to white schools and what education was available to them took place in poor run-down segregated schools Their parents were forced to work at the most menial jobs Thomas Kelley depicted former slaves celebrating their lives and the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment granting the right to vote in 1870

President Encyclopedia 1877-1889 — page 5 — 8 America in the Industrial Age Working Women in Industrial America In 1870 only about 13 percent of all women in America had jobs outside the home Those who did worked mainly as domestics such as maids cleaning women and cooks The hours were long and the pay was low Most of these women were very unhappy with their work When new industries began to develop after 1870 however growing numbers of women left their jobs in and out of the home for work in factories principally in the food-processing and clothing industries These jobs paid slightly more than domestic work did and were considered to be more respectable Women joined the workforce during these years for a number of reasons Farm women for example sought work in the factories because agriculture was undergoing change and because their families often needed the extra income Immigrant women were eager for most any job regardless of what it paid Because of the intense demand for jobs by women factory owners were able to pay extremely low wages A woman working in a clothing factory in the late 1800s for example rarely made more than 5 a week Despite the low wages many women enjoyed the independence that their jobs in industry brought them Although they used their income to help support their families some had a little money left over to spend on themselves In the 1870s two new inventions came into practical use that would forever alter the way women worked the typewriter and the telephone Women with high school educations and typing skills could move into secretarial and clerical jobs which up until that point had been held mainly by men Secretarial work was a major breakthrough for women in the workforce It was safe and clean and it paid better than factory jobs did Women experienced continued exclusion from management positions because most people still felt that a woman’s place was in the home cooking cleaning raising children and caring for her husband In spite of this more and more women entered the workforce By 1900 twenty percent of women in the United States worked outside the home Factory workers making rifle cartridges in the 1870s

President Encyclopedia 1877-1889 — page 6 — America in the Industrial Age 9 With the end of Reconstruction the South once again became a Democratic stronghold White southern voters supported the Democratic Party almost unanimously as they felt the Republicans were synonymous with the war and with the military Reconstruction governments The Democratic Party therefore consisted of an unusual alliance of northern immigrants and southern whites The Democrats had a difficult time capturing the presidency during this period The Presidency 1877 1889 A total of four men occupied the White House during this period of enormous change in American history Rutherford B Hayes James Garfield Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland With the exception of Cleveland all were Republicans In many ways these men differed very little from one another People often commented that they even looked alike In general the four were responsible and honest men They shared similar beliefs about the role of government and their duties as president Not one of them believed that government should play a big role in the economy or in people’s lives The best kind of government they thought was local government The men who served as president during this period are not especially well known today Americans easily recognize the name Abraham Lincoln but not as many remember a lot of information about Rutherford Hayes or Chester Arthur This book will examine their contributions to American history These presidents played an important part in the development of American politics and culture during the crucial decades following the Civil War OUR COUNTRY'S CHOICE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES Democrats hoped that associating Cleveland and Hendricks with the great leaders Jefferson Washington and Jackson would help them win the presidential election

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