Overview

The decades after the Civil War marked the transformation of the U.S. into an industrial powerhouse. Railroads, factories, and corporations reshaped the economy, while laborers and farmers fought to protect their livelihoods amidst widening inequality and recurring financial crises.

Key Themes and Events

• Industrial Growth: Innovations in steel, oil, and electricity powered a second industrial revolution. Figures like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller created vast business empires, sparking both admiration and criticism.
• Railroads and Infrastructure: The transcontinental railroad (completed in 1869) connected markets and encouraged westward expansion. It also enabled faster movement of goods, people, and information.
• Corporate Power and Monopolies: Trusts and holding companies consolidated industries. Critics labeled powerful industrialists "robber barons" and called for government regulation.
• Labor Struggles: Factory conditions were harsh and wages low. Strikes like the Great Railroad Strike (1877), Homestead Strike (1892), and Pullman Strike (1894) highlighted tensions between workers and employers.
• Farming and Populism: Farmers faced debt, falling prices, and railroad fees. The Populist Party advocated for silver coinage, government regulation of railroads, and political reforms like direct election of senators.
• Panic of 1893: A severe economic depression led to bank failures, unemployment, and a national debate over the gold standard vs. free silver. William Jennings Bryan emerged as a key populist voice.

Quick Tip

Understand the rise of industrial capitalism, the response of labor and farmers, and how economic hardship fueled calls for reform. CLEP may include questions about monopolies, labor strikes, and the role of the federal government in regulating the economy.