Summary Notes on Gilded Age Content for OCR History Civil Rights
39 views 6 purchases
Course
Civil Rights Y319 (Y319)
Institution
OCR
summary notes on progress and lack of progress for each of the four key groups studied in OCR A Level History Civil Rights in the USA :
women
trade unions
Native Americans
African Americans
Gilded Age Content
Women
Progress
The economic expansion of industrial USA produced urbanisation and diversification. It offered more
opportunities for women outside traditional domestic work, for example:
- The number of domestic women servants fell by half between 1870 and 1900
- Clerical occupations increased ten-fold
- Factory work went from 18% of employed women in 1870 to 22% in 1900
1/3 of Atlanta labour force was women
Women also started unionising to defend their rights. In 1881, the Knights of Labour offered support to
women workers. Women became union organisers and by mid 1880s there were 113 women’s
assemblies and a female membership of 50,000
Lack of Progress
Industrialisation along with the influx of cheap immigrant labour, accentuated inequality and led to harsh
conditions and sexual exploitation.
In industry women were still concentrated in textiles and cotton mills. They were usually confined to
unskilled labour and had few opportunities for advancement
An 1890 Bureau of Labour survey showed that where 800 men and women were surveyed doing the
same work, majority of men received higher wages. The gap was also greater in the southern factories
In sweatshops, low wages, very hazardous and oppressive working conditions were common.
The expansion of cities brought the rapid growth of prostitution as some girls and women preferred the
dangers of sex work to the poor wages and conditions which were alternative in domestic service or
factories and sweatshops
Male trade unions offered limited support for female workers whom they saw as undercutting wages
- In 1882, a strike in a textile mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, over a 20% pay cut failed after 4
months due to no support from male unions.
Although KOL did promote women membership, its successor as the largest union, the American
Federation of Labour, was much less sympathetic to women in the 1890s and represented skilled
workers, something women couldn’t become.
By 1900, only 2% of all trade unionists were women
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Rubysowden. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
