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Farmers
Farmers had migrated West knowing they would have to work hard in difficult conditions.The prices paid for their main crops like corn, wheat, and cotton had declined. At the same time farmers began accumulating debt. Declining prices made it harder to repay the debts. -
Chinese Immigrants Face Discrimination
Chinese workers migrated to the United States, first to work in the gold mines, but also to take agricultural jobs, and factory work, especially in the garment industry.Chinese laborers grew successful in the United States, a number of them became entrepreneurs in their own right. As the numbers of Chinese laborers increased, so did the strength of anti-Chinese sentiment among other workers in the American economy.The Chinese Exclusion Act, suspended immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years. -
Populism
During the election of 1896, the Populists hoped to gain the support of industrial workers. The economy had taken a turn for the worse and many were unemployed. William Jennings Bryan was the Populist candidate for President. -
Segregation
Racial inequality was a persistent problem during the Gilded Age. African Americans, other minorities, and women struggled in a losing battle as they sought to gain equality.Following the Civil War, during the Reconstruction southern states passed laws that separated blacks and whites. These laws were known as Jim Crow laws.During the same time states passed laws such as poll taxes and literacy tests that stripped blacks of the right to vote.