The Gilded Age highlighted many issues with America's government, economy, and social life. While it may have appeared fine from the outside, the truth is that America was running on the bare minimum amount of regulations, the governments were riddled with corruption throughout and it was not sustainable. Political machines were running parts of the government essentially controlling votes, and lack of economic regulations led to trusts growing out of control. These big businesses had very few rules on how they had to treat their employees, which enabled them to be subject to harsh working conditions. The Progressive movement was a time to move forward and ignited widespread political change which led to social reform and lesser corruption. …show more content…
Their goal was to make this change during the gilded age. Powerful associations such as the NAACP stood up to these inequalities, such as segregation. Document 5 contains a letter written to President Woodrow Wilson by the NAACP, in which they mention their distaste for the new segregation policies in the Department of Washington. They believe that this policy is unjust, and it is unfair to give departments wholly to colored employees, and as a result, colored workers are stigmatized. However, the workers were aiming to create change by sending the letter directly to the president. Therefore, the reader can tell that the workers are advocating for themselves and aiming to create political change that treats workers more fair. This document is written from the point of view of leaders in the NAACP. This is significant because their interest is promoting and ensuring the advancement of colored people, and they believe that this policy is bringing them in the opposite direction. Sadly, segregation wasn’t the only problem in businesses. During the Gilded Age and the beginning of the Progressive movement, businesses were also preventing the formation of unions, which removed the employee’s main protection. However, the Clayton Act was passed in 1914 which was a step in …show more content…
Document 2 includes a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in which he speaks of the danger of trusts and why the government needs to regulate them. This was a fairly new idea as laissez-faire was a popular idea during the Gilded Age, and it was believed that businesses did not need regulations. However, now the president realizes that trusts gain too much power and they need to be supervised and regulated. This was an important understanding to come to, and one of the most important political changes throughout the Progressive Era. The point of view of this document is the president of the United States. This is significant because it highlights how powerful these trusts were, and how important it was that they were regulated since the president of the entire country was telling the people that it was necessary. Similarly, the people also called for more regulation in all businesses, including the police force. Document 6 brings up the issues that the people had with the Detroit Police Department, and what they did to change it. It stated that the people wanted more order and they wanted to be sure that the laws were enforced. The police force gained new regulations, and in turn, became more organized in an effort to solve the people’s problems. This shows that the Progressive movement often led to
As the Civil War came to an end, the U.S. entered into the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was characterized by industrialization, urbanization, and immigration, but it also consisted of poverty, labor unions, and political and business corruption due to the significant change of industrialization in U.S. society. In order to change and fix the troubles of the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era began in 1897, where progressives believed that it was the responsibility of the government to bring positive change for the working class. As businesses were becoming wealthy and powerful, they were also corrupt due to monopolies and trusts, while also influencing the government, factories also had no cleanliness or safety, and only white men held the majority
During the Gilded Age, America went through positive and negative events which shaped America greatly. Primarily, the growth and conflict in America was, in the end, positive. The Gilded Age was a time of great growth, but with growth comes conflict just as the good comes with the bad. The bar graph showing the manufacturing workers in the United States from 1850 to 1900 represented that from 1850 to 1900 there was an increase of workers and these workers were mainly immigrants who had immigrated from their home country to America.
The Gilded Age was a time where the rich continued getting richer, and the poor poorer. Along with these economic effects came the second industrial revolution. The population in cities grew, and all throughout the country, factories which had production and manufacturing capabilities that could not even be imagined decades ago sprung up. The population of America was greatly effected by this industrialization, especially farmers and the industrial workers themselves. The farmers experienced a populism movement, while industrial workers created unions to protect their rights, and reform civil service.
The late 1800s and early 1900s was a time of many different racial issues, this issue was not new to anyone, and it had been going on for several years and would continue to do so. However, during this time, there were many different African American’s that decided to take a stand, some with different views than others, which would result in some issues of agreement. Though there are differences, it seems the main objective of these different leaders, is to make life better, and create some type of equality among white and black Americans.
The United States experienced significant social transformation and economic expansion throughout the Gilded Age and the early years of the 20th century. The Gilded Age, which roughly corresponds to the period from Reconstruction to the start of the twentieth century, was characterized by rapid industrialization, urbanization, the building of massive transcontinental railroads, advances in science and technology, and the emergence of large businesses. Then after, progressivism, a progressive political movement that sought to address some of the faults that had developed during the Gilded Age, dominated the first years of the new century that followed. However, this new era of economic prosperity would not last as the United States stock value
Americans viewed the role of government vary differently in each time period. During the Gilded Age, corruption spread like a plague through the city, state, and national governments. It had a very weak government and was at an all-time low in power and influence. During the Progressive Movement, Americans were interested in establishing a more transparent and accountable government that would work to improve U.S. society. They believed that the government needed to undergo a major change in order to solve these problems.
The Gilded Age was a period in American history characterized by immense wealth and prosperity for a few but also marked by corruption, inequality, and political dysfunction. The Progressive Era emerged in response to the problems of the Gilded Age, providing a solution to the corruption, inequality, and other issues that plagued American society during that time. This essay will describe the issues of the Gilded Age and explain why the Progressive Era was a solution to these problems. One of the key issues of the Gilded Age was the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few wealthy industrialists. The captains of industry, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, amassed immense fortunes, often at the expense of the working-class people who toiled in their factories.
The book "The Gilded Age and Progressive Era: A Student Companion" by Elisabeth Israels Perry and Karen Manners Smith discusses the historical context and factors that led to the Progressive Era. These included the growth of urbanization and the emergence of a middle class that was concerned with social justice and reform. It was characterized by efforts to address the social, economic, and political problems that had arisen during the Gilded Age. The Progressive Era was marked by a number of significant reforms, including the regulation of business and industry, the expansion of voting rights, and the promotion of social welfare. These reforms were aimed at creating a more just and equitable society, and they laid the groundwork for many of the policies and programs that continue to shape American society
After the end of the era of reconstruction following the civil war, the gilded age began. The gilded age was characterized by it’s rapid economic growth, however it was also defined by the political corruption and social inequallity that arrose from that growth. As companies grew at an unpresedented rate, they took a central role in shaping the political landscape and economy during the gilded age. The growth of big businesses during the gilded age changed the economy to be more focussed on industry even at the expense of the working class, contributed to most of the corruption in the government, and led to many inluential protests and movements well into the progressive era.
The conservatives worried that the government is, and will continue to gain more control and power over areas like business, denying this form of labor freedom. Freedom also includes individual freedom, continuously denied to African Americans. Due to this ongoing issue, the NAACP took a key step to gain equality. The NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, established in 1909 in response to ongoing violence against Black Americans in the United States. The NAACP fought for a change.
The Progressive Era From 1890 to 1920, the progressives intended to change society by addressing the issues presented. The Gilded age had germinated corruption in businesses, the government and poverty. Big businesses controlled various industries, harming the rest of America. Women's suffrage, sexual inequality had to be addressed. Social issues such as working conditions, child labor, and alcohol and crime worried the people.
The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, although chronologically adjacent, were two of the most wildly different periods in American History. The Gilded Age brought forth the rise of big business thanks to laissez-faire capitalism, allowing for a handful of wealthy elites to climb to the top of the social, political, and economic food chain and steamroll everyone else in their way. Meanwhile, the Progressive Era solved some of the issues the Gilded Age created and made life in America more suitable for all types of people. The Progressive Era was different from the Gilded Age because of the work of muckrakers, the ratification of progressive Amendments, and presidential interference with big business.
The early twentieth century was not a pleasant time for African Americans; they didn’t have many rights and they lost any gain that they made from their huge positive influence in the Civil War. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois both saw all the issues that African Americans faced, and they both had the same goal: success for blacks in America. Washington’s approach was to accept the social inequality but in return get equal economics as whites. Du Bois wanted a more aggressive approach and wanted both social and economic equality, and he was hostile towards Washington because he didn’t demand social equality. In the time period, African Americans who demanded their social and economic rights sided with Du Bois because he would provide them the leadership to gain rights equal to whites.
The Gilded Age saw the rise of a new class of wealthy industrialists and a prosperous middle class. The Progressives sought to solve many of the social injustices of the Gilded Age. Upon the completion of the transcontinental railroad, it led to heightened racial tensions in California. After the railroads were completed, white workers from the East Coast and Europe could travel more easily westward where immigrant laborers were prevalent. The Progressive Era was a time when reformers sought to solve many of the social injustices of the Gilded Age.
Early action had come about during both the 1920s and 1960s. In the 1920s, “civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph founded the first predominantly Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, to draw attention to the discriminatory hiring practices and working conditions for Blacks” (Hayes). By Randolph attempting to take action, it was able to help out his fellow African Americans in getting what they thought they deserved. This is significant because he knew it was time to take action because of the unstable conditions and employment that was occurring for African Americans. This proves that it helped to shape society because of how it marks some of the first steps.