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 …show more content…
With changing societal values the Progressive Era would bring pressure to the United States of America government from the two opposing sides on the sensitive topic of child labor, which begs the question: what are the effects on child labor due to changing socioeconomics? With changing attitudes towards child labor what are the rights people believe children should be given at birth? How was the need for change addressed by progressives? Getting a first person perspective form children working, the progressives advocating for change, and those against changing regulation on child labor through newspaper articles, and magazines about changing regulations and the public opinion. Alongside the new lifestyle of the industrial worker came a sense of empowerment that permitted workers to have more free time to themselves, especially for children so that they have time to explore the nuances of childhood and get themselves an education. In line with this empowerment, strikes were orchestrated, along with the formation of unions, to obtain more …show more content…
With the backing of social Darwinism it was easy for the industrial leaders to argue against the need for a change in the regulations regarding children, suggesting that child labor gave the children character and benefited them by giving them perspective in finances. The gilded age began with the end of the reconstruction era, after the United States of America’s Civil war that left the south devastated, brought a wave of jobs and expanded railroads with the industrialization in full swing, new employment opportunities attracted immigrants looking for work to support their families. Given the density of the population, living conditions were poor and cities were filled with diseases. The middles class became aware of the poor living and working conditions of the immigrants, women who were abused, and homeless children and created safe and enriching spaces for women and children, such as the Hull House set up in Chicago by Jane Addams. Progressives cared because they hoped to end the vicious cycle of poverty as children were just being raised to go to work mindlessly with no sense in