When Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” for the years 165-1900 he was doing more than giving a sarcastic name to this time period. Twain ingeniously combined both the era’s widespread corruption with its tremendous growth. It was a time of political upheaval, western expansion, transitioning roles of women, increased education, new forms of media, and urbanization, although while all of those factors were significant parts of the the time, one industry and technology saw a startling and almost unbelievable shift to its industry. During the Gilded Age the United States went through one of its biggest, most influential periods of growth and discovery in its history, although along with the tremendous expansion came huge companies arose unmatched in their size and corruption.
Following the tumultuous Civil War the atmosphere was ribe in America for unbelievable expansion and growth. The war had practically devastated the agricultural based South, with the South’s finances being reduced to almost nothing. Confederate bonds had become worthless and because of this the South couldn’t industrialize and nearly the same pace as the North. All these factors, coupled with slaves recently being freed from bondage led to a immigration into the North’s urban economy. Further there was huge immigration from abroad at this time to America major cities like Chicago and New York from all over Eurasia including China, Russia, and Italy. With them came an important supply of cheap
In science, we have been taught that for every action there is a reaction. However, this can also be applied to history. For example, after the French and Indian War, Britain had enforced the navigation laws and taxes in order to pay for the war debt. This had caused a huge reaction from the colonies from as simple as boycotting British goods all the way to declaring their independence in 1776. Individuals can also help bring forth these dramatic changes such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. who help fought for civil rights. Thus, throughout the United States history, the nation has gone through a variety of changes. Although presidents have played a significant role in the nation’s changes, many individuals have also brought changes to the nation's economy, government, and society. In addition to heroes like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr, another individual includes Upton Sinclair and his contribution to consumer protection.
Throughout the course of the Gilded Age, several influential figures rose impacting the economy, political factors, and culture of the United States. One of the most important figures of this time period was Frances Willard, born in New York in 1839. She held several important positions, exceeding as an educator, a women’s suffragist, and a co-founder of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The fact that Frances Willard held these positions indicates that she contributed to the improvement of the United States, specifically by educating Women, fighting for Women’s rights, and fighting for prohibition. These key roles were complementary to the issues associated with the United States at the time. For example, a significantly low percentage of the population attended college after completing high school. Most of the people that attended college at the time were men. Women were typically held to Victorian standards by society’s expectation of them to stay home to raise children, making it uncommon for them to attend college. In terms of alcohol, Christian churches completely disagreed with and despised the consumption of liquor, leading to the establishment of temperance reform. Frances Willard was the most influential figure of the Gilded Age because of her work through the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union that contributed towards the ratification of the 18th and 19th amendment, prohibiting the consumption or production of alcohol and
During the nineteenth century, there was a time of critical social problems we now know
The late 19th century of American history is most commonly known as the Gilded Age, because of its attractive appearance, but underlying corruption. Popular themes during this period were greed and guile. This can most clearly be seen in the nature of city governments and political machine systems. Political machine systems were made up influential men preying on the vulnerable for their own gain. A shining example of this unethical system is Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was a political force in New York City from its 1789 inception as a benevolent association to its infamous end in the early 20th century (Tammany Hall). Run by William M. Tweed, commonly referred to as Boss Tweed, this political ring gained its popularity by supporting immigrants and the lower class. Tammany Hall pushed for real improvements in hospitals, schools, and infrastructure (Burns). Although these examples are viewed as a good within the system, they are irrelevant and ineffective in the overall upheaval caused by Boss Tweed and his political machine. Tweed 's idea of city government and his political machine was a failure because it took advantage of taxpayers, used political graft and corruption to disparage the Constitution, and set a bad example for future political leaders.
The Gilded Age, a phrase coined by Mark Twain, refers to a post-civil war era that spanned 1870-1900. Large corporations grew significantly wealthy and influential throughout this time period, supported by unprecedented growth and profitability. These businesses also created a large wealth gap between powerful monopolists like Rockefeller and Carnegie, and thousands of urban factory workers. The great inequalities of wealth sparked factory workers, immigrants, farmers, and others not benefited by the vast transformation of the late 19th century to propose various reforms. Growing social and political involvement of educated middle-class reformers also pushed to effect change both locally and nationally. Rampant political corruption in this
The Gilded Age was flooded with sly tactics to help people in power maintain their authority, dishonest politicians who tarnished the integrity of the government, and big businesses that undermined the citizens. While the government tried, but failed, to justify the dishonesty with the immense progress shown through westward expansion, the corruption was pervasive. Mark Twain states The Gilded Age was, “Glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath,” and his analysis of the time period is an accurate representation of the extortion and dishonesty the American Government upheld.
After the end of the reconstruction in 1873, the United States entered the era of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution took place between the 1800’s and the 1900s were home-made produced technology was mass produced in factories at greater productions. Due to the new society in America, the United states economy prospered tremendously. This era was called the Gilded age. The Gilded age was coined by Mark Twain in a book he helped write with Charles Dudley with was called The Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was more than economic prosperity in the United States it was expressed by Mark Twain as a metaphor in which expressed that on the outside it was prosper but on the inside it was lead meaning that inside of all the business there was corruptness. in the
Without a doubt, the gilded era mocks a political corruption in post–Civil War in America. The term Glided era deserves the title for its rotten underlying system, marked by monopoly and oligopoly system, where the wealthy became richer and the poor disfavored. Although great economic growth occurred through railroads, technology, and industries, the working class was brainwashed to accept the idea of social Darwinism while the great tycoons like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie would get the biggest piece of the pie while controlling the worker’s class. The government’s laissez-faire’s attitude generated corrupted politics, whom considered only their personal interests. In other words, America was controlled by the wealthy and corrupted
After the Civil War and Reconstruction, America rapidly shifted from agriculture to a more industrialized economy. Coined by Mark Twain, the term “Gilded Age” referred to the opportunistic but brutal period that catapulted America’s economy to the world stage. During this time, many people came to the United States looking for a better life, but only few accomplished this. The influx of immigrants into America were following the ‘American Dream’, the idea that America’s wealth could be shared by many, given one’s hard-willed labor. Although the Gilded Age positively developed America as a world competitor, it came at the expense of the people due to corruption between businesses and the government, as well as divided the social classes, not
In American history during the period from 1865 to 1900 United state became the leading industrial nation in the world. This period is referred as ‘The Gilded age’ in American history. This term was coined by writer Mark Twain in the novel of ‘The Gilded age: Tale of today’ in 1873. The Gilded age satirized an era of serious problem masked by a thin gold gilding.
The Gilded Age was an interesting time in American history, it was a period in which businesses grew, cities grew, and American GDP immensely increased. But while that happened most of the American population lived in poverty while the 1 percent lived in luxury. Though I believe it is possible to say that America currently does not live in a second gilded age. To start yes poverty in America is still a problem but according to Courtney Blair, someone at the poverty line in the United States is in the top 14% of the global income distribution(Mic). Also,
Not everything and glitters is gold and this is something that can be said about the Gilded age. Taking place between the 1870s to about the 1900s this was a period that saw an influx of immigrants, mostly from eastern and southern Europe, adding much more diversity to the ethnic and religious composition of the United States. However, as these new immigrants came to the U.S.A. in search of the American dream, many of the Americans were seeing their daily lives begin to change with the urban boom brought about by the industrialization slowly taking place. This forced them to decide whether they wanted to get onto the train headed towards growth and industrial development or get run over by it.
During the Gilded -age, The United States economy grew at a rapid rate generating a massive amount of wealth, where railroads, telephone lines stretched across the country which created opportunities for business owner and required cheaper products for consumers. While the economic and political profited on America’s rapid expansion of wealth, industrial workers were struggling to survive ,while wages were low and work days were longer.
The Gilded age was named in a book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that was The Gilded Age:A Tale of Today. It was published in 1873 and was about politics. I think Theodore Roosevelt set the whole country on an unsustainable path to ruin. He did not save the lower class, he put them in bad conditions to work in. The meat factories that the lower-class people worked in work not sanitary, they were not safe and very dangerous. The people also got very low pay for this job . I don’t think it is right to treat people differently based on if they are low, middle, or high class. I don’t think it was right for him to make richer people pay higher taxes. Because they are working harder than other people to make more money for their family
During the Gilded Age some people were becoming very wealthy and everyone had an opinion on what they should do with this wealth, also who they should help with this money, and how much money they should give. This new wealth was not expected and along with it came opinions and judgment of all economic classes. The opinions range from Social Darwinism, which William Graham Sumner believed in, to Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth and to Walter Rauschenbusch’s The Social Gospel.