Development of the MIDDLE CLASS [APUSH Review Unit 6 Topic 10] Period 6: 1865-1898

Summary

This video from Heimler's History series dives into the rise of the American middle class during the Gilded Age, a period marked by significant changes in business practices. Large corporations developed a three-tier structure: executives, laborers, and a new managerial class known as white-collar workers. The growth of this managerial layer, along with the advent of the typewriter, led to increased opportunities for women in clerical roles. The middle class, earning more than the working class but less than the elite, found themselves with surplus income and leisure time, which they spent on new forms of entertainment like Coney Island and emerging sports. The video also touches on the philanthropic efforts of wealthy individuals like Andrew Carnegie, who advocated for the rich to reinvest their wealth into society to create opportunities for the less fortunate, as outlined in his 'Gospel of Wealth.' Carnegie's philosophy, along with that of other philanthropists like Phoebe Apperson Hearst, aimed to reduce social disparities by funding cultural and educational institutions, thereby providing a path for some to ascend into the middle class.

Takeaways

• 🏭 The rise of the middle class in America during the Gilded Age was marked by the development of a new managerial layer in large corporations, known as white-collar workers.
• 👔 The managerial class included professionals such as accountants, legal services, and health care workers, with women's roles growing significantly in clerical positions.
• 💼 The advent of the typewriter led to a surge in women learning typing skills, which opened up new job opportunities and wages in the industrial economy.
• 👩‍🏫 Women were also increasingly hired as school teachers during the late 1800s, contributing to the expansion of educational opportunities.
• 💰 The middle class earned more than the working class and worked shorter days, leading to increased leisure time and disposable income.
• 🎢 The increase in leisure activities for the middle class resulted in the construction of amusement parks like Coney Island, which was the largest in the U.S. at the time.
• 🤹‍♂️ Alongside amusement parks, P.T. Barnum's circuses and new spectator sports such as baseball and American football gained popularity during this period.
• 💰 Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth advocated that the rich had a duty to reinvest their wealth into society to create opportunities for the less fortunate.
• 📚 Carnegie believed in investing in cultural institutions like public libraries, universities, and concert halls to provide opportunities for self-improvement rather than providing handouts.
• 🏫 Philanthropists like Phoebe Apperson Hearst shared similar beliefs, focusing on education as a means to elevate the poor to the same level as the upper class.
• 🚶‍♂️ The Gospel of Wealth philosophy indeed created opportunities for some individuals to rise into the middle class, reducing the societal gap between the rich and the poor.

Q & A

What was the significance of the development of the middle class during the Gilded Age?

The development of the middle class during the Gilded Age was significant as it represented a new social stratum that was neither working class nor elite upper class. This class was characterized by white-collar workers, such as managers, accountants, and clerical staff, who played a crucial role in the operation of large corporations. Their rise also led to an increase in leisure activities and consumer culture.

How did the structure of large corporations change during the Gilded Age?

During the Gilded Age, large corporations restructured themselves into three distinct layers: top executives, middle managers, and laborers at the bottom. This new managerial layer was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and came to be known as white-collar workers.

What role did the invention of the typewriter play in the growth of women's roles in the workforce?

The invention of the typewriter allowed many women to learn the new skill of typing, which in turn led to an increase in the number of women employed in clerical roles. This development was a significant factor in the growth of women's roles within the burgeoning middle class.

How did the middle class spend their increased income and leisure time?

With more disposable income and leisure time, the middle class began to engage in leisure activities and consumerism. This included visiting amusement parks like Coney Island, attending circuses and sporting events, and purchasing new goods, which contributed to the rise of consumer culture.

What was the Gospel of Wealth as proposed by Andrew Carnegie?

The Gospel of Wealth was Andrew Carnegie's philosophy that the rich had a duty to use their wealth to benefit society, rather than simply passing it on to their children. He believed that the wealthy should invest in cultural and educational institutions to create opportunities for the less fortunate to improve their lives and potentially rise into the middle class.

How did the philanthropic efforts of the wealthy impact the lower classes during the Gilded Age?

The philanthropic efforts of the wealthy, inspired by the Gospel of Wealth, provided opportunities for the lower classes to access education and cultural institutions. This investment in social infrastructure helped to reduce the societal distance between the rich and the poor and offered some individuals the chance to elevate their social status.

What was the role of P.T. Barnum's circuses in the leisure culture of the middle class?

P.T. Barnum's circuses gained wide popularity during the period and were a significant part of the leisure culture of the middle class. They provided entertainment and were a form of leisure activity that the newly affluent middle class could enjoy.

How did the concept of the 'white-collar worker' emerge?

The term 'white-collar worker' emerged to describe the new managerial class that developed within the structure of large corporations. These individuals were involved in administrative and management roles, as opposed to manual labor, and were often dressed in formal business attire, hence the term 'white-collar'.

What was the impact of the rise of the middle class on the American economy?

The rise of the middle class had a significant impact on the American economy. With higher wages and more disposable income, middle-class consumers fueled economic growth through increased spending on goods and services, contributing to the expansion of the consumer market.

What was the role of women in the middle class during the late 1800s?

Women in the middle class during the late 1800s began to take on roles in clerical work, particularly after the invention of the typewriter. They also found employment as teachers, which expanded their roles and opportunities within the workforce.

Who was Phoebe Apperson Hearst and what was her contribution to the middle class?

Phoebe Apperson Hearst was a millionaire and a radical philanthropist who was also a supporter of the women's suffrage movement. She contributed to the middle class by investing her wealth in education, establishing schools that aimed to provide the poor with the same level of education as the upper class.

How did the middle class's lifestyle differ from that of the working class and the upper class?

The middle class had a lifestyle that was more affluent than the working class, with higher wages, shorter working hours, and more leisure time. Unlike the upper class, the middle class did not have excessive wealth and was more focused on maintaining a comfortable standard of living through their professional careers and consumer activities.

Outlines

00:00

🏭 The Emergence of the Middle Class and White-Collar Workers

This paragraph discusses the development of the middle class during the Gilded Age, a period marked by significant changes in how businesses were run. Large corporations created a three-tier structure with executives, laborers, and a new managerial class in the middle. This class, known as white-collar workers, included managers, accountants, legal services, health care workers, and clerical staff. The growth of the managerial staff led to increased roles for women, especially with the advent of the typewriter, which allowed many to learn typing and earn wages. This new class earned enough to place them above the working class but below the elite upper class, leading to the rise of the middle class. Their wages rose more sharply than the working class, and they had shorter working days, which allowed for increased leisure time and spending on activities and goods.

🎢 The Rise of Leisure Activities and Philanthropy

The paragraph highlights the increase in leisure time activities that accompanied the rise of the middle class. With more disposable income and time, the middle class indulged in new forms of entertainment, exemplified by the construction of Coney Island, which was the largest amusement park in the United States at the time, featuring electric lights and roller coasters. Other parks and entertainment forms like P.T. Barnum’s circuses, baseball, and American football also gained popularity. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the phenomenon of philanthropy among the wealthy, inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth. Carnegie believed that the rich had a duty to invest their wealth back into society to create opportunities for the less fortunate, with a focus on cultural institutions like libraries, universities, and concert halls. Philanthropists like Phoebe Apperson Hearst shared this vision, using their wealth to establish schools aimed at providing education to the poor, thereby creating opportunities for social mobility.

Keywords

💡Industrialization

Industrialization refers to the period of social and economic change where production shifts from manual labor to machines, typically powered by an external source of energy. In the video, it is mentioned in the context of its social effects and how it led to the development of a new middle class in America.

💡Immigration

Immigration is the movement of people from one country to another with the intention of residing there. The video discusses the social effects of immigration alongside industrialization, implying that both factors contributed to the changes in American society during the period discussed.

💡Middle Class

The middle class is a social group that falls between the working class and the upper class, often characterized by moderate income levels and employment in white-collar jobs. The video's main theme revolves around the rise of the middle class in America during the Gilded Age, highlighting their increased wages, leisure time, and consumption habits.

💡White-Collar Workers

White-collar workers are employed in non-manual work, typically in offices. The term is used in the video to describe the new managerial layer that emerged within corporations during the Gilded Age, distinguishing them from the laborers who performed manual work.

💡Clerical Workers

Clerical workers perform administrative tasks, often involving paperwork or data entry. The video mentions the growth of clerical roles, particularly noting the increase in women's participation in these positions with the advent of the typewriter.

💡Typewriter

A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device for typing on paper. The video highlights the typewriter as a technological innovation that enabled many women to learn the skill of typing, thereby entering the workforce and contributing to the rise of the middle class.

💡Leisure Time Activities

Leisure time activities refer to pursuits engaged in during one's free time for enjoyment or relaxation. The video discusses how the middle class, with their increased income and reduced working hours, indulged in leisure activities, such as visiting amusement parks like Coney Island.

💡Coney Island

Coney Island is an area in Brooklyn, New York, famous for its amusement parks and entertainment venues. The video uses Coney Island as an example of the increased leisure time activities that became popular with the rise of the middle class.

💡Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the act of promoting the welfare of others, typically through the donation of money to good causes. The video touches on philanthropy as a phenomenon among the wealthy, inspired by Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth, which advocated for the rich to invest their money in society for the betterment of all.

💡Gospel of Wealth

The Gospel of Wealth is a term coined by Andrew Carnegie to describe his philosophy that the rich have a duty to use their wealth to improve society rather than pass it on to their children. The video explains how this idea influenced philanthropic efforts and the creation of opportunities for social mobility.

💡Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals or groups to change their social status within a society. The video discusses how the Gospel of Wealth and philanthropic efforts aimed to create opportunities for those in the lower classes to rise into the middle class, thereby reducing the societal distance between the rich and the poor.

Highlights

The development of a new middle class in America during the Gilded Age.

Significant changes in business conduct with the rise of large corporations structured in three layers: executives, laborers, and a new managerial layer.

Introduction of the term 'white-collar workers' for middle managers who managed day-to-day operations without manual labor.

Growth of managerial staff accompanied by an increase in supporting roles such as accountants, legal services, healthcare, and clerical workers.

The rise of women in clerical roles, especially after the advent of the typewriter.

The emergence of women as teachers in the late 1800s.

The middle class was characterized by wages rising more sharply than the working class and shorter working days.

Increased leisure time and income led to a boom in leisure activities and consumerism.

Construction of Coney Island, the largest amusement park in the U.S. at the time, as a symbol of middle-class leisure.

Popularity of P.T. Barnum's circuses and the rise of spectator sports like baseball and American football.

Philanthropy among the wealthy, inspired by Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth.

Carnegie's belief in reinvesting wealth into society to provide opportunities for the less fortunate.

The Gospel of Wealth's philosophy of using wealth to create opportunities rather than providing handouts.

Carnegie's investment in cultural institutions like public libraries, universities, and concert halls.

Phoebe Apperson Hearst's radical philanthropy and focus on education for the poor.

The establishment of schools by Hearst aiming to provide education to the poor at the same level as the upper class.

The Gospel of Wealth creating opportunities for some individuals to rise into the middle class.

Advice for students on how to excel in the AP U.S. History class and exam.

Transcripts

Hey there and welcome back to Heimler’s History.  So we’ve been going through Unit 6 of the AP U.S.  

History curriculum and in the last few videos  we’ve been considering the social effects of  

industrialization and immigration. All while that  stuff was going on, a new and burgeoning middle  

class started to develop in America and that’s  what we’re going to talk about in this video.  

So if you’re ready to get them brain cows  milked middle-class style, let’s get to it.

So during the Gilded Age, the way business  was conducted changed significantly in  

many industries. One of the most significant  innovations had to do with how large corporations  

structured themselves. What I mean is, a  large corporation basically divided itself  

into three layers: the executives on top, the  laborers who worked the factories on bottom,  

and a new managerial layer in the middle. These  middle managers kept the day-to-day operations of  

the company going, and since they got dressed  up in their suits and never got their hands  

dirty with manual labor, they were referred  to as white-collar workers. And right along  

with the growth of the managerial staff came  a host of other workers to support them, folks  

like accountants and legal services and health  care, and many other kinds of clerical workers.

Men and women both filled these  roles, although on the clerical side,  

women’s roles began to grow.  When the typewriter came around,  

many women learned the new skill of typing  and all of the sudden you had thousands  

of women typing away and earning wages in the  new industrial economy. And just as a side note,  

women were being hired in droves to teach  school children as well during the late 1800s.

And so all of these folks taken together made  enough money that they weren’t consigned to the  

lower, working class. But they didn’t make enough  money to be considered among the elite upper  

class. And so, baby, you got yourself the rise  of the middle class. Now the wages of the middle  

class tended to rise more sharply than did the  working class and they had a shorter working day.

And so what are these people going to do  with all this excess income and time? Well,  

what does anybody do with excess time and  money? They buy stuff and play. So along  

with the rise of the middle class came an big  increase in leisure time activities. This was  

the period when Coney Island was built in  New York, which at the time of its opening  

was the largest amusement park in the United  States. It boasted three massive amusement  

parks filled with the latest technology like  electric lights and roller coasters. And while  

Coney Island was the largest of the breed,  many other similar parks were being built  

around the country. Additionally, P.T. Barnum’s  circuses gained wide popularity during this time,  

as well as many new spectator sports  like baseball and American football.

Okay, so we’ve talked about the middle class,  let’s just dip our toes into a phenomenon going  

on in the wealthy class, namely philanthropy  inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of  

Wealth. I mention this in the video on the  middle class because as a man with a filthy  

buttload of money, Carnegie saw it as his  duty to reinvest his money into society  

in order to provide more opportunity for those  less fortunate than he was, thus providing the  

occasion for some among the lower classes to have  a chance at a more comfortable, middle class life.

Now, by definition, the Gospel of Wealth  was Carnegie’s idea that for those like  

him with extraordinary riches, it was their  God-given duty not to hold on to that wealth  

and pass it to their children; rather, it  was the duty of the rich to invest their  

money into society in order to produce a more  just and equitable future for the many. His  

ultimate goal was to reduce the societal  distance between the rich and the poor.

Now Carnegie believed that hard work led  to wealth, and so under the auspices of  

the Gospel of Wealth he wasn’t interested  in providing handouts for the poor. Rather,  

he believed that using the money to  create opportunities for the poor to  

better themselves was the best way to help them  better themselves. And that philosophy is clear  

when you see what he did with it. He invested  his money in cultural institutions like free  

public libraries and universities and concert  halls, and many more institutions like these.

And it wasn’t only Carnegie who believed these  things. Another millionaire named Phoebe Apperson  

Hearst, who was also a radical philanthropist  and a crusader for the women’s suffrage movement,  

likewise gave her money away. And one of the  most worthy causes in her eyes was education.  

In her mind, the poor ought to be educated at  the exact same level as the upper class folks,  

and with her fortunes she established schools  that aimed to do just that. And in many cases,  

the results of the Gospel of Wealth  actually did create the opportunity  

for some folks to rise into the middle class.

Okay, that’s what you need to know about Unit  6 Topic 10 of the AP US History Curriculum.  

If you need help getting an A in your  class and a five on your exam in May,  

like this one, then go ahead and subscribe,  and you know me: I shall oblige. Heimler out.