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. However, for the average American, this was a time of despair and poverty. The Gilded Age brought much change, both political and economic to the US through worker unions, the many political controversies over party platforms, and most importantly, …show more content…
The people wished for a leader who would represent them well, but businessmen were the ones who persuaded both legislation and social rights. “The People's Party Platform” references, “We seek to restore the government… to the hands of “the plain people” with which class it originated,” (Omaha, Doc. 5). This excerpt shows the beliefs of the independent groups and how people were persuaded to agree and vote for them over large parties. They seek to fix business corruption in the government. McNeil references, “The railroad president is a railroad king, whose whim is the law. … he can control legislative bodies, dictate legislation, subsidize the press, and corrupt the moral sense of the community, (McNeil, Doc. 1).” While some might believe that political matters were not a large debate during the Gilded Age, due to segregation of the rich and poor, this was a topic of interest that truly mattered to all Black Americans and how they lived and dealt with independent groups. This quote describes the political battles due to businessmen controlling not only monopolies of companies but also state affairs. These political matters created tension between all communities, and hurt both society and the …show more content…
A political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives—money, political jobs—and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity. For example, the “The Bosses of the Senate '' photo gives the purpose of showing the corruption of government for businessmen to be in favor of legislation (Keppler, Doc. 3). Political machines can seem simple and complex, as most of them had underlying issues. The political machines provided avenues for Irish Americans to get jobs, food, or heating fuel in emergencies, and be rewarded through political appointments. However, the primary goal of political machines was to keep the power within themselves rather than provide good government. Carnegie states in his review, “Wealth”, “--the man of wealth thus becoming the mere agent and trustee for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could do for themselves,” (Carnegie, Doc. 4). Carnegie believes that those who are wealthy should use himself to help the community, but deserves those votes in return. They can build a loyal voter following, especially among immigrant groups, by performing such favors as providing jobs or housing. However, in the end, the political machines want loyalty at the voting polls.
The Gilded Age was an era of tremendous industrial expansion, driven by technological advances and the influx of immigrants; this period of rapid change had an immense effect on the country's socioeconomic landscape, transforming it from an agricultural to an increasingly industrial one and urbanized economy. Innovations in transportation, such as steamboats, railroads, and streetcars, enabled the rapid movement of goods and people, connecting distant regions and allowing for the rapid expansion of trade and commerce. The industrial revolution brought large-scale businesses, new jobs, and a surge in production, but it also created economic disparities between the wealthy and the working class. The Gilded Age saw social and political reform,
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.
The Gilded Age was a time of dramatic social and economic change in the United States. Rapid industrialization led to the rise of large businesses and the growth of a wealthy class of entrepreneurs and investors. This new class of wealthy Americans enjoyed a life of luxury, while the working class struggled to make ends meet. The Gilded Age was also a time of political corruption, as special interests used their money and influence to gain power in Washington. The era came to an end with the Panic of 1893, a economic crisis that led to widespread unemployment and poverty.
Carnegie believes that, because they are richer and have more money, they should have the highest of all things possible. For example, they should have the nicest clothing and the biggest house with the most extravagant furnishings. However, this did present problems when it came to the poorer people. Document 7 showed a cartoon. The characters in the cartoon were portraying two different things.
The Gilded Age, which occurred in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was characterized by a sharp rise in wealth, particularly among the wealthy. The term "gilded" describes the era's outward veneer, which hid the social and economic issues that persisted at the period. During the Gilded Era, economic expansion and rapid industrialization helped to create big company and advance new technology like the telephone and electric power. Political scandals, socioeconomic disparities, and widespread corruption were also prevalent at this time. One of the things that made the Gilded Age's output boom possible was technological progress.
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.
The Gilded Age was a time in the United States’ history where the country experienced radical changes and ideas following the Industrial Revolution. The Revolution introduced factories and fast transportation across the country, changing the U.S. forever. This caused many questions for our country to figure out, specifically questions surrounding the amount of government involvement in our economy. When there was too much government involvement, people complained because America is the “country of the free. When the government did not regulate businesses, things turned disastrous.
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.
Succeeding the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era, the Gilded Age was a time in the United States when the economy was experiencing a rapid growth, prompting wealth among businessmen and upper-class citizens. Therefore, since the beneficiaries were mostly those of greater wealth, those included in the Other Half did not get to experience the lavish lifestyle of the wealthy during the Gilded Age. As a result of their contrasting lifestyles, they experienced differences such as housing and how they spent their leisure time, yet also had similarities such as their interest in sports, and an appeal to being out in public among other Americans. First of all, during the Gilded Age, there was a stark difference in lifestyles between the poor and
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.
Imagine working sixteen hours a day in an unsanitary, dangerous, place for a big business gaining two dollars. This is what laboring-class Americans had to go through during the Gilded age. Politically, the first largest American labor union was formed during the Gilded age and many other organizations formed as well as violent strikes. Socially, different ethnics joined together to share their thoughts and realize the evils of big business and of the federal government. Mentally, most we 're losing their personal life while some were financially stable and glad.
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.
Philanthropists who believed in Social Darwinism, such as Carnegie, a wealthy person who had control of the oil industry, were able to fund libraries, concert halls, and schools for the American lower class. This concept, known as the Gospel of Life, is also exemplified in Document 5, which claims that large amounts of wealth in individuals should only be considered bad if it is used in a wrong way (Doc 5). The purpose of this document is important because it argues that the wealth disparity isn't necessarily bad and could be helpful to American society. Although all this may have benefited some, it
He also conveys that companies should be helping support communities that they are near to. Gompers also insist on the right to organize and that workers deserve to be paid adequate wages in that law should be passed to help with workers compensation. The financial cloud of railroads left employees helpless in many ways. Document E by Andrew Carnegie called "Wealth" explains how some business leaders believed in charity but also saw themselves as Superior compared to the common human. This shows how Business Leaders were not very humble and not often remembered where they came from and how they were once in the same position as these people that they are treating so unfairly.
Emily Veit Mr. Tubbs AP US History 24 January 2023 APUSH DBQ The Gilded Age was an age of political and economic growth that occurred after the Civil War and before the 20th century. The transcontinental railroad made travel easier and let people expand westward. Companies began to set up and mass produce products for cheap via production lines. Although the United States experienced great economic and political growth during the 1870s to 1900s, because of the working conditions and the government being influenced by large corporations, many Americans were dissatisfied with the effect of these corporations that caused this growth.