Unit 1

1865-1890: The Emergence of Modern America: From Reconstruction to an Industrial Power, 1865-1890

Between the end of the Civil War and 1890, America experiences a period of rapid change which forever altered the social, political, and economic life of the nation.

In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the victorious Union had many important decisions to make.  How would they reintegrate white Southerners (who had just failed in their bid for independence) into the American political discourse?  How could the newly freed slaves be assimilated into the fabric of American life?  And what was the best way to revitalize the Southern economy to uplift the region?  The failure to effectively address these issues during Reconstruction would plague the nation for years to come.

This period also saw the closing of the frontier – the ultimate realization of the antebellum dream of manifest destiny.  The raw materials and agricultural products of the plains and the West would help fuel the industrial revolution and feed America’s new urban society.

This, of course, was the most important change in the latter half of the 19^th century.  The rapid growth of industry and the rise of large metropolitan areas forever changed the United States.  But rapid change is never easy.  The rise of big business also led to an era of Robber Barons, violent labor disputes, corruption in government, and absolutely horrid living conditions in the burgeoning cities.  But at the same time, the shift to the production of consumer goods, the rise of a strong, educated, and suburban middle class, and more available leisure time in the cities led to a flowering of urban culture and the creation of modern America.