Comparing The Gilded Age And The Progressive Era

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Throughout history, there have been many events that sprung up and unfolded. The decisions that were made by our past leaders, rules/laws that have been put in place, and most of all how much of an impact the people can have on the system if they see something they do not like or agree with. This can be seen through the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era. The start of these movements was the introduction of the many inventions being created. During the late 1700s and early 1800s factories and many innovations were used to speed up the development of the United States, but this will later cause the people to revolt. A story of a young immigrant that came to the US for a better experience for him and his family, sharing what it was like and the …show more content…

Immigrants faced very horrible conditions and through the late 1800s into the 1900s they wanted to increase public knowledge of the difficult living and working situations that people suffer and the outcry it created. From The Jungle, the statement, "Men were always weary; they slept on their faces, and woke up with their shoes full of water," (Sinclair) effectively conveys the demanding and unforgiving working conditions that the meatpacking industry's employees endured in the early 20th century. Prior to diving into the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, "The Jungle," authored by Sinclair, unveils the grim truths of the meatpacking sector in Chicago during the Gilded Age. The author vividly portrays the deplorable working conditions, unhygienic procedures, and exploitation of immigrant laborers within the industry. This literary work serves as a potent criticism of the uncontrolled capitalism prevalent at that time, highlighting the necessity for social and political changes. Throughout the Gilded Age, significant corporations and affluent individuals wielded substantial power and control over both the government and the …show more content…

The nature of workplace safety was that they were highly exposed to risk factors as the work was way below normal house labels. In contrast, women from foreign countries in the novel experienced hardships of their own. They worked in sweatshops or as household workers, earning low wages, working long hours, and taking on oppressive working conditions. The writer described the plights experienced by those female roles, including the prevalence of sexual harassment, discrimination, along with the internal struggle of juggling between work and family responsibilities. Also "The Jungle" showed a different angle on the gender experiences of foreign immigrant families. In it, the ladies went through several challenges, such as looking after children, managing households, and learning the ways of city living while waiting for their men in the meat industry to come home. In conclusion, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era had a profound impact on immigrant experiences in the United States, as vividly portrayed in Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle." The book talks about this tumultuous period of rapid industrialization and unchecked

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