x The Gilded Age: Only what this Term Suggests? Mark Twain wrote in his biography, “I like the exact word, and clarity of statement”. Upon examining the parameters of this self-reflection, it bounces back onto his famous characterization of the 1870s to 1890s period, ‘the Gilded Age’. This particular wordplay implied (and referred) to the “glittering, deceptive” appearance of America’s current political and economic expansion (Foner 528). Although naturally certain societal views are held more strongly than others, with how much certainty could this term be used to accurately describe all of this period’s major events? Despite the inevitable negatives produced from the Second Industrial Revolution, the achieved growth and benefits balanced …show more content…
The then most important political ideas were Social Darwinism and self-government, which directly led to the problem-causing negative leadership. During the Gilded Age, the government was not “equipped to deal with the problems created by the economy’s rapid growth”, and as such, efforts were placed on more large-scale issues as the elections and international trading (Foner 531). Of course, this wayside-push of more integral problems like the product-producing companies’ governing, subsequent widening of social classes, and ignored labor movements, only led to these smaller problems quickly becoming too large to ignore. As reflected in this case, ignorance can often cause the worse consequences. The previously implied consent of self-government by corrupt politicians and employers was what led to the outrage-inducing protest, concluding in the previously mentioned employee …show more content…
In any case, while Twain and supporters might conclude the period had a deceptive quality, it would be incorrect to say its core had “little real value” (Foner 528). As such, while America entered the cusp of a new century, filled with both positive and negative results impacting upon the nation’s psyche, the Second Industrial Revolution and Gilded Age served as more than a proclamation of another corrupted era of expansion…in essence, it revolutionarily defined life in all factions destined to become a part of the modern era. In spite of the Gilded Age being filled with the hardships expected to litter American history, in all essences, it continued to serve as something fundamentally
Ultimately, the last part of the book, “The End of the Second Gilded Age,” gives the ...
5. Perry, Elisabeth Israels, and Karen Manners Smith. The Gilded Age and Progressive Era: a student companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.
The main problem encountered by the Gilded Age era was the administration of wealth, at least according to Andrew Carnegie. In his piece, “The Gospel of Wealth,” he proposed a solution for the abuse of wealth, and assigned duties to the rich in regards to how they should handle the responsibilities brought on by excessive wealth. However, he also addressed the concerns of the working class. He stressed the welfares of individualism and argued that it was: contemporary and innovative, enabled the affordability of luxuries to all classes, and thus ensured that money controlled by a few people would be more effective for the prosperity of the economy than it would to equally distribute national wealth amongst citizens. Carnegie intended to clarify the reasons why the newly industrialized economy and the new administration of wealth were ultimately for the benefit and harmony of both rich and poor.
The Incorporation of America sets a high standard for itself, one in which it doesn’t necessarily meet; however, the work is still expansive and masterful at describing the arguments of the Gilded Age.... ... middle of paper ... ... “Machines employed in production under the present system are “absolutely injurious,” rendering the workman more dependent; depriving him of his skill and of opportunities to acquire it; lessening his control over his own condition and the hope of improving it; cramping his mind, and in many cases distorting and enervating his body.”
The Gilded Age was was an era that saw rapid immigration. This along with an explosion of Americans moving from farms to the cities, causing more people migrating to urban areas than ever before. The growth of cities gave rise to powerful political machines, that stimulated the economy, and gave birth to an American middle class. It was a time of highs and lows.
To most it will be seen as the Gilded Age but also to most it is just seen as a period of great
During the Gilded Age activists tried improving the conditions of workers and the poor in many ways. In a few ways they were moderately successful but mostly philanthropists didn’t succeed. Between 1875 and 1900 the organized labor, overall, didn’t improve the position of the workers, making them unsuccessful.
The gilded age of the United States is an extremely interesting era that generally gets diluted in the teaching of American history. However, this age was very critical in the development of many modern ideas and institutions we utilize today. Change and continuity are both prevalent in this time, but change is the primary element from 1877 to 1900.
The popular culture on the Gilded age became a very important subject due to the increase of recreations and leisure. “Most Americans knew no more about the lives of the very rich than what they read in their newspapers and magazines, and these media were developing as never before.” Readers enjoyed romantic, sentimental and love stories such as Horatio Alger, Jr. and his successful “rags to riches” young heroes; and Lew Wallace and his sensational epic success, Ben Hur.” These novels frequently offered the reader to escape from the real world.
During the Gilded Age, primarily in 1870 through 1900, America continued to grow a corporative power. Leading industries such as Carnegie’s steel, Rockefeller’s oil, and Vanderbilt's railroad boomed during this era with the use of trusts to monopolize the country. Although corporations were a success, they also created many problems. Nethertheless, industrialization significantly influenced the country’s economics and politics and transformed the American outlook on labor.
It is often said that history repeats itself. Whether this is true or not is a subject for a doctoral dissertation, but it can be shown that there are many similarities between the original Gilded Age and the recent past. The Gilded Age, which was the time from the end of the Civil War to the end of the 19th century, was a remarkable time of unprecedented economic growth and industrialization, coupled with numerous social problems. The façade of economic prosperity covering the corrupt, unequal society underneath led to that period being termed the “Gilded Age”, referring to a thin layer of gold gilt covering a cheaper material. This pattern of economic upheaval coupled with social ills and new political debates is also present in recent history,
After reading, multiple documents on topic such as “Populism” “Strikes” and “Chinese Exclusion Act“ it is lucid that the Gilded Age was an era where it could be said “ All that glitters is not gold.” The Gilded Age was an era in the late 19th century, also a time in which America’s farming society transitioned to an urban society, which then industrialized industries took over. “Autobiography of a Chinese Immigrant” by L. Chew and “Emma Goldman Autobiography” by Goldman all explain the idea and development behind the Gilded Age.Basically, during the Gilded Age, is when America began make changes economically and transitioned America into an “economic powerhouse.” The quote, “all that glitters is not gold” could easily be used to describe the
Social Darwinism and The Gospel of Wealth were two late 19th century ideas that helped shape America’s views on social, economic, and political issues. The former applied the theory of natural selection to sociology and politics while the latter outlined a way for the country’s newly minted rich to redistribute their surplus wealth to the needy. Both concepts offer insight into the 1877-1900 period in American history known as the Gilded Age.
During the 1890s and 1900s America was seen as a thriving country when in actuality it was rotten. Mark Twain gave this period a title, “the gilded age”. Other countries saw America as an industrialized nation and a world power. America was thought to be a country that had advanced into a desirable place that was booming with work opportunities and offered a better life. America was a booming country with work opportunities, but those opportunities were not ideal. Although other countries saw America as an excellent country, the people in other countries did not know the truth of America at its core.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, frontier was secure and the United States was on the edge of becoming a world superpower. The quick rate of industrialization and expansion westward certainly helped produce this situation. As Mark Twain called the late 19th century the “Gilded age”, which satirizes the greed and political corruption after the Civil War in America. This was the Industrial revolution, the modern America formative period when an agrarian society of minor producers were transformed into an urban society dominated by industrial corporations. Industrializtion