1. A Timeline for the Gilded Age: 1860’s- Early 1900’s
By Matthew Hanes
Red box: Military Green box: SCIENCE and Business Blue box: Social/ Political
1862-1900’s Nov. 29th, 1864 1864
Credit Mobilier
U.S. Congress Colonel John scheme occurs.
passes the Chivington ordered Stockholders
Homestead Act, to make Indians contract a railroad
offering up to 160 suffer. In response, company to build
acres of Western his force descends track at double or
land to any family on 700 Arapaho triple the actual
for free. For the Indians camped at cost, pocketing the
next 40 years, over Sand Creek. His profits. Shares of
600,000 families,
force kills over 150 stock were donated
including African of the tribesmen, in political kickbacks
American mostly women and to prominent
exodusters from children. member of
the South, head
Congress, tarnishing
West to take the
the Republicans’
offer.
good reputation.

2. 1867 1868-1871 June 1876
The infamous NYC Col. George A. Custer,
Oliver Kelley starts political machine having led his forces
group known by known as Tammany into the Black Hills
farmers as the Hall, or the Tweed region in 1874 to find
Grange. The group Ring, forms under the gold, is met in combat
fights for the rights leadership of William by an Indian coalition
of local farmers, M. “Boss” Tweed. The force led by the
and pushes for group was responsible famous Sioux chief,
railroad regulation. for scams that gave Sitting Bull. The Battle
Organization them millions in
of Little Big Horn
inspires other pocketed tax money. results in the deaths
movements, Group brought down of Custer and the
including National by public outrage entire Seventh Cavalry.
Farmers’ Alliances. inspired by political Sitting Bull’s forces
cartoonist Thomas retreat into Canada.
Nast in 1871

3. 1876 1880 1880s
Inventor Alexander Inventor Thomas New entertainment
Graham Bell works styles begin to emerge.
Alva Edison patents
with Thomas Ragtime songs become
the incandescent
Watson to invent popular, later the
light bulb. Edison
the telephone. inspiration for music
works with another
Communication is genres like jazz and rock
inventor, George
revolutionized by and roll. Vaudeville
Westinghouse to
the idea that you performances entertain
provide safe and
could talk to the masses, bringing live
inexpensive
anyone at any electricity to every shows into popular
distance who was media. Ellis Island begins
aspect of American
connected to a operation, admitting
life and business.
phone line. over 17 million
immigrants over several
decades.

4. May 4th, 1886 1888 1890
On December 28th, the new
The Haymarket Photographer 7th Cavalry rounds up about
affair takes place. George Eastman, 350 starving and freezing
3,000 strikers already the inventor Sioux at Wounded Knee
gather in Chicago’s of camera film, Creek, South Dakota.
Haymarket Square introduces the Soldiers demand that
to protest police Kodak camera, Indians relinquish weapons,
brutality. A bomb finally making and shots are fired. Soldiers
is tossed into the photography a open up with cannon fire,
police line, officers practice available to killing roughly 300 Sioux.
open fire. 7officers all. Amateur Earlier that month, Sioux
and a few workers photographers are leader Sitting Bull was
die. 8 leaders and everywhere, and killed, marking the end of
radicals are photojournalism the Ghost Dance
arrested. emerges in the movement and the Indian
media. wars.

5. 1892 May, 1894 July 8th, 1896
The first Populist party Workers in George Former Democratic
convention takes place in Pullman’s railway congressman William
July. Platform is later company quit working Jennings Bryan
adopted by the Democrats. in protest. 250,000 delivers his famous
Segregation in the workers go on strike “Cross of Gold”
Southern states continues They are represented speech on the gold
to oppress blacks. Supreme by Socialist Eugene V. standard vs.
Court rulings like Plessy vs. Debs and his American bimetallism conflict, in
Ferguson make vote Railway Union. Riots favor of the latter
prevention tactics like start, resulting in 30 option. He wins the
literacy tests and the deaths and 80 million Democratic
grandfather clause dollars in damages. nomination for
completely legal. The Wells Strike ends,Debs is presidential candidacy,
lynchings take place, 3 arrested. for his dedication
black businessmen are improving the lives of
murdered. American laborers.

6. 1896 1899 1880’s-1900’s
John D. Rockefeller,
The 1896 presidential
campaign takes Scottish industrialist known as a “robber
Andrew Carnegie’s baron” for his rather
place. Republican
steel company selfish business tactics,
candidate William
produces more becomes one of the first
McKinley opposes
steel than the entire businessmen to achieve
Bryan. McKinley’s
British continent. a true monopoly.
superior funds allow
Uses 1850’s Rockefeller controls the
for easy campaign,
developed oil industry through
Bryan puts out great
Bessemer process merging with other
personal effort.
and new business businesses to destroy
Bryan loses, with 6.5
control methods to competition. From 1870
million votes to
seize control of the and beyond,
McKinley’s 7 million.
entire steel industry. Rockefeller’s Standard
Populist movement
Oil controls 90 percent
collapses.
of U.S. oil.

7. Sources
Google Images
U.S. Library of Congress
www.americaslibrary.gov