The Gilded Age was a time of new beginnings; new buildings, new jobs, and, most importantly, a new corrupt system. On the surface, this age was a major breakthrough for the United States. Steel and iron production rose and led to the creation of bridges, railroads, and skyscrapers. But under these shiny advancements are millions of poor, overworked, African American and immigrant workers. So while the Gilded Age heavily impacted the United States, it also forced thousands of people to work in unsafe, life-threatening conditions while covering up a corrupt system. Before this life-changing era, America was in the time of Reconstruction. This era started before the Civil War ended and focused on “the effort to restore southern states to the …show more content…
Businesses were at a high, but so was the corruption that came with it. It began when Republican Rutherford Hayes came into office; the Democrats were furious and threatened to boycott his inauguration. Instead, they created the Compromise of 1877, where the “Democrats conceded the presidency to Hayes on the condition that all remaining troops would be removed from the South and the South would receive special economic favors.” This compromise gave the Democrats power over the South and political advantages. The Democrats continued this corruption during The Populists movement, where people came together in attempt to improve farmers’ conditions and fight the government. Many Democrats decided to join the Populists, but “Southern Democrats, for their part, responded to the Populist challenge with electoral fraud and racial demagoguery” . With the Democrats in favor of white supremacy and bending the votes, the Populists had a tough time gaining supporters, eventually leading to their downfall. The Republicans were also corrupt in their own ways; since they dominated politics, they focused on business and growth in the United States. They gave millions of dollars of land to make railroads and cities, but the Republicans also “maintained a high protective tariff, an import tax designed to shield American businesses from foreign competition”. This tariff threw Americans deeper into financial debt but made the high powers richer. With the Republicans favoring business, it is no surprise that the government sided with the business owners when strikes broke out. An example of this is the Homestead Strike, where hundreds of steelworkers took over the mill. The operator, Henry Clay Frick, called in reinforcements to take back control, but they failed. As their last resort, “the Pennsylvania governor called the state militia, broke the strike, and reopened the mill.” This
The Gilded Age was a “term coined in the 1873 to critique an era of political corruption and economic inequality that stretched to 1900” as the book says, but what was the Gilded Age really? The Gilded Age was a time of era where we will always remember of the accomplishments of thousands of Americans, but it was also a gap between the rich and the poor. The Gilded Age had many important growth for the economy, which is industrialization, railroads, inventions, monopolies, Laissez-faire policies, labor unions, urbanization, settlement of the West, and the rise of the Populist. The Gilded Age was a time of social change and economic growth. “During the Gilded Age, 1876-1900, Congress was known for being rowdy and inefficient” said from sageamericanhistory.net.
They introduced various Reconstruction programs including: funding public schools, establishing charitable institutions, job training, and funding public improvements such as improved railroad transportation and shipping. A nationwide economic depression following the Panic of 1873 led to major Democratic gains across the nation. White Democrats calling themselves "Redeemers" regained control of the South state-by-state, often using fraud and violence to control elections.
Moreover, many whites did not trust the blacks to loyally serve them because they had often revolted in the past. Moderate Republicans were persuaded through bribes to not side with blacks. Republican presidents saw it in their best interest to allow southern Democrats to control the south as long as they endorsed the president. Eventually, even northern radical Republicans lost interest in helping blacks because of the sheer impracticality. They, a minority, would not be able to garner enough votes if there were too much southern opposition and northern bribery.
The Gilded Age was a time of chaos and new booming businesses. Many people were gaining wealth as well as losing it. The Gilded Age from above, showed a layer of gold, while underneath, showed chaos and dissatisfactory. Good work does not always come easy. For example, The Great Wall of China took about 20 years, and in those 20 years, more than 1 million people died.
The Gilded Age was an era of significant economic growth as the United States became a world power through industrialization. Before the Gilded Age, America was in the Reconstruction era. The country dealt with how to integrate millions of newly freed black Americans into all aspects of American life. It was a time of significant transformation within the United States. Just a few months later, the nation was expeditiously growing, factories, railroads, coal, and steel mining were all massive industries.
The Gilded Age is a figurative label of the 1870 to 1890 era dubbed from Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner’s novel (GML 615). The label attempts to address the deceivingly lustrous view of America that concealed the rampant corruption, oppressive treatment and gaping inequality experienced during the era. The luster derived from rapid industrial growth that came to be known as the ‘Second Industrial Revolution’. By 1880, the number of railroad trucks in the U.S had tripled. This facilitated expansion of mining and agricultural commerce and paved the way for a national market for manufactures commodities.
During the gilded age, America turned out to be more prosperous and saw exceptional development in industry and innovation. However, the Gilded Age had a more vile side: It was where covetous, degenerate industrialists, financiers and legislators delighted in phenomenal riches and richness to the detriment of the regular workers. Truth be told, it was well off moguls, not lawmakers, who subtly held the most political power during the Gilded Age The gilded age in 1866-1900 the laborers who were basically outsiders and slaves needed specialists association. All things considered, they were just left helpless before their bosses.
The Gilded Age in America's young history is characterized as a period of time in which America appeared to be this beautiful, prosperous solace. However, at its core, America was this corrupt and amoral place in which discrimination and hatred ran rampant. The Gilded Age occurred during the same time that a large stream of new age immigrants began to migrate to the country seeking out opportunity, prosperity, and freedom. The increase in immigrants was directly responsible for the urban growth that took place during this period. The immigrants may not have been able to bring much of their tangible possessions with them but the culture and traditions they would carry with them to the United States would forever impact the future of America.
The Gilded Age shines light on how the lives of the poor and rich contrasted each other in the era. During The Gilded Age, to be wealthy was a dream. They had lavish parties, big fancy mansions, and enough money to buy anything. And, if they were one of the most wealthy people in the country, they basically ran the U.S. Being poor was horrible. Oftentimes, they could barely afford food, worked ungodly hours, and were treated terribly.
The Gilded Age alludes to a period in American History where there was gigantic financial development, innovative advances, and improvements in popular culture. Indeed, even such a significant number of Americans felt that these advancements were misrepresented and that underneath this change and riches laid the brutal substances of urban areas, political defilement, and the abuse of workers. Be that as it may, there were endeavors to better those that blocked the glittery part of America. There was a gigantic development inside the urban populace. This was because of the ascent of movement and in addition Americans expecting a superior life in urban regions due to every one of the employments accessible.