Gilded Age DBQ

Toward the end of the 19th century, the population of cities among the United States rapidly increased due to vast immigration from several countries around the globe and prominent migration from rural areas within America. Cities were seen as the gateway to connectivity and luxury as they proved, in early years, to advance lifestyles and grant citizens with greater opportunities. Although urbanization provided convenience for those seeking jobs, leisure activities, and educational advantages, it posed consequences to the public on issues surrounding poverty, disease, and corruption.

The growth in cities was due largely to the fact that factory jobs became widely available. Industrialization provided those who were unskilled and inexperienced

to earn a decent salary. This prompted an immense flood of immigrants into the United States. Not only were they eager to work for a wage that, in many cases, was considered higher than what they could earn in their home country, but American cities offered immigrants with the ability to connect with native-born Americans and other ethnicities. The economic and social opportunities available in the city gave even the poorest immigrant the ability to make a life for himself.
This theory rang true for African Americans as well. Southern United States saw a considerable migration to the North where factory work was located. African Americans were astonished by the advantages held in cities that were unavailable in southern regions. Chicago became a hotspot for African American migration, especially for men seeking higher wages. (Doc. J) While African Americans took advantage of the economic connections available to them in northern cities, they were, at the same time, escaping racial segregation and Jim Crow laws of the South.
Along with jobs came the need for greater educational opportunities. And because of their dense populations, cities, rather than rural areas, provided the perfect environment for improvements. Better education became a rising factor that drew people into urban locations. With the influence of media and the spreading of ideas, cities made education available for all classes of people, unlike rural areas which only provided a full education to those of a higher class. (Doc. F) Education brought an array of people together into cities to gain knowledge that was unavailable to country-folk of the South or cowboys of the West. This not only altered the social atmosphere of cities, but it also introduced to many what it was like to live in a culturally diverse location.
Urban nightlife and leisure time became another aspect of cities that arose toward the end of the nineteenth century. As shorter work days emerged in the late 1800s, new opportunities appeared in metropolitan areas that were not available anywhere else. Shopping, dancing halls, vaudeville, and sporting events are among the most notable activities that became available to all social classes and ethnicities. The importance of leisure time grew considerably as it was recognized for helping people to improve their emotional and spiritual well-being.
These factors became so important to immigrants and Americans that when referring to a map of the United States in the year 1880 and comparing it to the year 1920, a substantial population increase occurred in cities from the west coast all of the way to the east. Cities such as San Francisco and New York went from having a population of 40-60%, to a population well above those numbers. (Doc. A) While this significant increase helped to improve cities’ cultural identity, the downside to urban life was experienced by many due to an overpopulation of people.
Over time, the population in cities skyrocketed, leaving a limited amount of space for those living in urban locations. With overpopulation came a rise in poverty, which, in turn, led to a demise in housing conditions for the poor. Tenements, as they were called, lined the streets of major cities such as Boston and demonstrated the crowded, unsanitary environment in which the poor were faced with. (Doc. H) Public agencies could provide little relief for the poor due to the unfortunate theory that offering assistance would create dependency and that those in poverty were at fault. However, as conditions worsened, welfare organizations such as the Salvation Army worked to offer the poor with food, shelter, and employment.
Disease erupted as a response to urbanization. Because of technological advancements such as the electric light bulb, cities now had the ability to run all day and night. No longer did people have to rely on gas lanterns to illuminate the streets, but instead Thomas Edison’s creation of the lightbulb would take their place. (Doc. B) This allowed factories to run for a full twenty-four hours, which presented a dilemma for air quality. The pollution floating up from skyscraper chimneys sparked concerns. Pollution was being released into the air, which caused soot and smoke to travel into the lungs of many. (Doc. D) Concerns regarding pollution heightened as respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and carbon monoxide poisoning became apparent health issues.
Not only did pollution affect the air in cities, but it made its way into the water as well. Human and factory waste was being disposed of into rivers and streams, which infected drinking water. Disease spread throughout urban areas, creating a growing concern for cities’ health. In order to prevent the consumption of infected drinking water, sewage and drainage systems were established. (Doc. E) These systems were initiated in attempt to eliminate infections and diseases, and also to promote the idea of urban areas being clean and safe.
Corruption stands as one of the most notable aspects of the Era.

The Gilded Age is known for its rise in political machines and political bosses who gained control and power by a system of bribery. Bosses provided citizens and immigrants with patronage in return for a support of votes. Additionally, big business owners adopted a system of lobbying in which workers were essentially the people holding up big businesses. (Doc. I) The poor were faced with wage cuts and high rent, while, what are known today as the Robber Barons, maintained their political, social, and economic power. The gap between the rich and the poor deepened as corruption continued. Reformers and strikers rose up in an effort to change the lives of consumers, and as time progressed, the government eventually stepped in to assist with the growing concerns of machines and bosses.

With corruption and poverty, also comes opportunity. The trick, as many of those who traveled to the city soon discovered, was the vastness of urban life. With such an array of opportunities came what was, and still is, known as the “dark side”. Without proper guidance, women, especially, could face consequences to urban life. Whether it be the danger of gangs, persuasive business bosses, or the lure of suspicious social opportunities, all cities held a dark side that proved to be much different from rural areas. (Doc.

G)
Despite the understanding that this type of growth is unavoidable and has been unavoidable throughout history, one of the most easily illustrated examples are the years following World War II. Prior to the War, the United States was suffering an economic depression that saw a country-wide implosion regarding its finances. Banks closed. Homes, farms, and small businesses alike were shuttered and dismantled. And in the midst of all of the chaos, the country was plunged into a world war.
This type of upheaval brought the nation together. It forced people to combine their efforts for the greater good of the country. Upon arriving home from WWII, the government took immediately to re-imagining and reinventing America. And like the re-invention of education, politics, and the nation’s infrastructure toward the end of the 19th century, they began paving the way for improvements that would someday provide a culturally and economically stable environment.
The years between 1880 and 1920 proved to have a lasting impact on America as a whole. Out from under the masses struggling to survive and overcome obstacles came a new generation of morals and principles that began to lay the surface for yet another era of stability. For the Americans that lived through the changes brought about during the late 19th century, urbanization, despite its consequences, was the key to ensuring that those seeking employment, educational and leisure time, proved to be the tools they required.