...“Neither a rich man or a poor man gets to enjoy his money. One is too busy trying to hold on to it, and the other is too busy trying to get it.” During the Gilded Age, the American economy kept boosting up, but that did not assure the lower class improvements in their living conditions. At this time, life was tough, but for the upper class, luxuries came easily. The public was either economically sturdy or they were trying to at least get a meal per day. During the Gilded Age the lavish lives between the prosperous and the less fortunate were distinguished vastly through their living conditions, however, they both shared the same dissatisfaction within their lives. Above all, the lives of the wealthy included fortunes expanding...
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...The Gilded Age was to describe America in the late nineteenth century. The outside of the US seemed glamorous and splendid alongside industrial development and massive economic growth. However, the dark sides were hidden beneath it. Some may argue that we are currently living in another Gilded Age, while others advocate that we have already reached a new era. In my perspective, I side with the former point of view. I strongly believe that we are living in the 2nd Gilded age. Here are four reasons why. Initially, wealth concentration and inequality were severe problems and are still now. Back then in 1870-1900, it was a period of wealth concentrated by many “Captains of Industry”. Social Darwinism was used to justify the extremes of wealth,...
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...Provide historical context/background for each document, connecting the individual accounts to the larger historical themes of the era. Compare the experiences and attitudes of each author. Based on the textbook and the videos, explain how all these documents relate to the social and economic developments that occurred in the United States during the Gilded Age (1865-1900). Ida B Wells described her bad experiences during the Gilded Age. She described how blacks were killed and lynched by the KKK. She states that whites would lynch blacks for any reason and see them as inferior. She was a journalist and a civil rights activist. The two documents relate to the social and economic developments during the gilded age. During the gilded age, there...
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...While the elite of this time period enjoyed unheralded success, many of the lower classes were exploited. The Gilded Age was a time of economic growth for the U.S.; the industrialization of the country and the technological advances made it possible for certain individuals to achieve extraordinary amounts of wealth. However, this wealth came at the cost of the general population. This economic and social inequality is what led to the terrible living conditions as described in Jacob Riis’ How the Other Half Lives. In his pioneering work of photojournalism, Jacob Riis draws attention to the horrifying living conditions in the poor slums of New York. Although there were many reasons for the terrible living conditions, three of the most influential...
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...The Gilded Age The purpose of this essay is to show how the Industrial Revolution of the Gilded Age contributed to increased problems in gender, race and class in the latter half of 19th century America. Mark Twain coined the term "The Gilded Age" between the years 1870 and 1900 America in reference to the gold gilding that became popular in the era, but also masked very serious social conflicts that arose across the country (Twain, 1996). Ultimately, with economic growth came wider income gaps and brutal social issues with gender, race and class that divided the country. Throughout the Gilded Age, swift financial growth simultaneously increased the size of the labor force, which in turn increased wages (Roediger, 1991). Given that these wages were higher than in Europe, people immigrated to America en masse, which then increased the overall poverty rates (Roediger, 1991). The Gilded Age also transferred industry from independent craftsman toward railroads, factory manufacturing and mining, which created less skilled and more regimented labor forces. This meant that people were forced to work under poor conditions, which stripped workers of their independence, which was the American way prior to the Industrial Revolution (Twain, 1996). These mass-production methods were created as offshoots of the steam engine with technical advancements expanding the size of workforces, making them larger and set up to accommodate more production, which created new jobs with a higher...
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...of variety in manufactured goods and improved standard of living. Most workers in this time period went through grim employment, and horrible living conditions for the poor and working classes. At the same time this time, an age known as the Gilded Age, was an era of rapid growth, especially in the North and West America. In addition to Gilded Age, came a movement named the Progressive Movement. The Progressive movement's main goal was to wipe out corruption in government. At this very key time in history, there were many...
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...During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the Industrialization Era took place and changed the way America and Europe produced merchandise forever. America and Europe continually grew more urban and factories transformed the entire way the typical working man spent his work day. The Gilded Age followed the Industrialization Era and represented the large economic growth in America. After the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era occurred. The Progressive Era began in the late 18th century and political reform and social activism became the active goal during this time. During the Progressive Era, environmental protection was needed in order to save the Earth from the rapidly increasing urbanization. It was people like Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford...
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...Shift To The Progressive Era Following the Civil War, the mid-19th century brought a second industrial revolution. Many technological advances took place during this time, which gave way towards the beginning of the Gilded Age. Although the Gilded Age brought great economic improvement, many suffered. The economic development that this era brought to America was very appealing to immigrants, and America experienced a large influx of European immigrants towards the latter part of the 1800’s. Despite the technological and economic improvements of the Gilded Age, only a small percentage of the population in America reaped the benefits of this. Living and working conditions were abysmal, and tensions rose within the large, yet poverty ridden middle...
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...The Gilded Age: History and Effects on Society The Gilded Age, which lasted from 1870 to around 1910, was an extremely influential period full of hardship for the poor and women of the United States and the creation of monopolies as well as reformation of government and accomplishments in the United States. The name “The Gilded Age” comes from Mark Twain when he referenced the fact that the period was polished and golden on the surface, yet unethical and foul underneath. Despite the appearance of prosperity, the era was marked by income inequalities and political corruption. Despite the corruption, consumerism, and capitalism that characterized the Gilded Age, it was also a formative period for new America, one in which an agriculture-based...
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...HQ: During the Progressive Era and Gilded Age how did the government affect child labor, food sanitation and immigrants? Thesis: Throughout these time periods the government attempted to resolve the problems of child labor, food sanitation and immigrants to the best of their ability and in result helped the environment. Boys and girls only the age of 10 through 12 worked in dangerous working conditions for 10 hours and to only get paid 10 cent per day (Doc A). Most children didn't have a education, but very few could read at low level. However, there was night schooling for them but after working those long hours, most children didn't go because they were overworked and tired. For example, in 1910 a little girl only 11 years...
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...Fashion in the Gilded Age: A Profile of Newport’s King Family The Gilded Age in America lasted from 1870 to 1914. The Gilded Age has typically been defined by the decadent and lavish standard of living enjoyed by America's most wealthy and influential families. The complexities and sartorial transitions of the age can be seen through a lens focused on the King family of Newport. On the surface, David and Ella King were 'Old New York Society' industrialists who spent their summers in the fashionable seaside resort of Newport, Rhode Island and appeared to be the ultimate perpetrators of behavior and spending. The whirl of social activity that David King was involved in suggests that Ella King would have needed an extensive wardrobe in order to be appropriately attired for her diverse social obligations. The wealthy engaged in such social rituals because they understood that their participation was pertinent to maintaining good social standing. In addition, the King’s had established a household in Paris, which was also used as a starting point for their extended travels within Europe. This gave Ella access to a wide variety of couture and custom-made sportswear, which was fashionable during the Gilded Age. The houses of Worth, Doucet, Paquin, Redfern, Felix, Rouff and E. Raudnitz were some of the famous couturiers of the time that dresses Ella. Clothing expenditures at all social levels are driven by the need for a respectable appearance rather than by the more basic need of protection...
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...Prior to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, America’s working population had been battered by the conditions of the Gilded age. The Gilded age had thrust corruption into the American economy, tying together politics and big business, harming the poor working class. Even before Roosevelt was elected, parties formed towards the end of the Gilded age had aimed at reforming the various problems within the country, but had immense opposition. The Greenback Labor party later to be known as the populist and progressive party, aimed victory to local and state levels, slowly just surely climbing the ladder of reform. However, Roosevelt’s election made enormous waves in the progressive movement, ultimately leading to a better society and country....
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...Social hierarchy has existed from the start of time it seems, as in the medieval ages you always have the royals and the peasants. In the United States of America there is a system in place showing the social hierchy which consist Elites at the top, only making up one percent of the population, use the government to extort the rest of the population by using the law in their favor against the middle class, immigrants, and those suffering from poverty. This form of hierarchy is supported by Social Darwinism; the idea that the wealthy are the fit, and the poor are the weak so they are not to be helped. Is society’s way of taking out the weaklings, and further validates the corruption during this time period, disappearing middle class, and the...
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...essentially trying to build itself and find itself, thus leading to vast growth. Too much of a good thing is not such a good thing, however, and this lead to the Gilded Age. A Period of political machines, monopolies, harsh industrial conditions, and many other horrendous happenings. The goal of the Progressive Era was to fix these issues. (Contextualization) Progressive reforms were remarkably successful in achieving the improvement of society, primarily by implementing more tolerable working conditions and ending corruption in politics....
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...The Gilded Age was inspired by the ending of the Reconstruction Period. Mark Twain named this age in one of his books because it meant it brought in wealth and business to powerful white men and left the lower classes in poverty. Though on the surface it seemed like the gilded age would bring in good business and wealth, and it did, behind the wealth was corruption. During 1870 to 1900, big business were controlled by political bosses and they were able to have the economy and political system in the palm of their hand. As a result, they were allowed to regulate labor conditions and influenced the political system, and in return the people of America created labor unions and fought to improve the working conditions of the growing lower class. During the overtake of big businesses in America, the government took a laissez-faire approach and didn’t take action to stop the growing monopolies. It would take a couple years for the government to finally take action with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which would limit the monopolies power. But this proved to have little impact because of its ambiguous writing of the law the Supreme Court was able twist the law as it...
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