Imperialism In The Gilded Age

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In a time, in 1865, Reconstruction was ending. The Compromise of 1877 led the Republicans to end their fight for racial equality. This led to Rutherford B. Hayes, the President of the United States, to pull out troops from the South causing the Republican Party to dismiss. The end of Reconstruction brought America to imperialism. Imperialism allowed for America to gain more power by taking over territories aggressively. In the Gilded Age from 1865 to 1900, farmers and industrial workers responded significantly to industrialization by forming alliances and movements. From 1865 to 1900, the farmers responded to industrialization significantly by forming alliances and movements. The farmers responded by creating the Farmer’s Alliance. The Farmer’s …show more content…

The industrial workers responded by striking in the Pullman Strike. Pullman, Illinois was a company town, which meant that the workers had to pay rent to the company. The Panic of 1893 occurred, and there was a low demand for private railroad cars. As a result, the Pullman Company laid off workers and decreased wages but kept the rent at the same price. This led to the American Railway Union leading a strike. Protesters were furious and wanted to burn down the trains. This strike caused the Pullman Company to protect their train cars with guns. Eventually, the federal government was called to end the strike. Not only did industrial workers respond by uniting together for the Pullman Strike, but the industrial workers also went on strike at the Haymarket Square Riot. The Haymarket Square Riot took place in Chicago in 1884. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions announced a national strike for an eight-hour work day. The strike turned into a riot when a person from the crowd threw a bomb killing at least eight people. The bomb lit up the street with people on strike running for their lives. Eight radical labor activists were charged in connection to the bombing, even with a lack of evidence. The strike had a horrific impact on the labor union and caused it to lose its power. As the Knights of Labor declines, the American Federation of Labor rose to power. Samuel Gompers, American Labor Union leader, led the American Federation of Labor. The American Federation of Labor wanted eight-hour work days, no Asian immigration, and a day of celebrating labor workers for their hard work. Once the Knights of Labor declined in power, the American Federation of Labor was only for craft unions. African Americans and women were not welcomed. Samuel Gompers shifted to strikes and boycotts instead of focusing on “bread and butter” issues. Industrial