Essays on Gilded Age

During the period in the US from 1890 to 1920, the so-called Progressive Era contributed to an enormous amount of social change. Because of Progressivism, unregulated capitalism came to a grinding halt, and governmental regulations began to help alleviate poverty, especially in large, industrialized urban areas. Nearly one hundred years after the Progressive Era has ended, it appears more than ever that the people need strong governmental regulations to help keep many of the negative effects of capitalism, such as environmental pollution, in check. The Progressive Era ushered in a new role for government in America. For example, many ...

The different perceptions of who was to blame for the aftermath of the Homestead Steel Mill Strike of 1892 are evident in Emma Goldman and Henry Clay Frick’s accounts on the case. On one hand, political activist Goldman informs her readers that the incident involved protests that ended with the “slaughter of steel-workers by Pinkertons” after the latter group, to control the former, “opened fire, without warning” (Doc A par.5). In his book, “Give Me Liberty!” Eric Foner explains that the mentioned Pinkertons were “300 private policemen” that the Homestead Steel Mill officials hired from the “Pinkerton Detective ...

Industrialization after the Civil War Final Paper

Strayer University This paper was prepared for HIS 105 Contemporary U.S. History

Taught by: Dr. James Allen

Introduction This paper will discuss some aspects, affected groups and effects of the industrialization of the US after its civil war. Particular attention would be on the change from a primarily agrarian economy to an industrialized one in what was called the Gilded Age or the Second Industrial Revolution.

Growth of Transportation and Manufacturing

After the Reconstruction revived the economy and society of the South to bearable levels, the nation shifted its energies to expanding the industrial base of the North to the rest of the country. The railroad industry paved the ...

In A People's History of the United States, Zinn devotes chapter 13 to socialist movements during the early 1900's. Is this justified or is he overstating the impact of the socialist movement? Socialist movements gained tract in the turn of the century, and many workers were keen getting a fair share of their efforts from the employers. Also, people demanded more from the government, pushing for the protection of the old, sick and poor through programs that would reach out to the people. The formation of the National Civic Federation by Ralph Easley spelled doom and hard times for ...

Book Review – New York Exposed: The Gilded Age Scandal that

New York City in the late 19th-century has been shown through scholarly research and historical investigation to be a den of vice, with police-sanctioned brothels and unchecked political graft taking place on a large, systemic level. This matrix of criminal protections and laissez-faire attitude toward criminality led to the origins of the New York mob, and is a considerably important subject for historical scholars. Daniel Czitrom’s latest account of this early corruption, New York Exposed: The Gilded Age Police Scandal that Launched the Progressive Era, demonstrates the forces that began to identify the Gilded Age as one of ...

In the late nineteenth century, America went through a time of progress that was later dubbed the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age is known as a time of economic prosperity, industrial advancement, and population growth. However, the era included many dark times that are masked under the guise of progress and prosperity. The economy took a downward spiral, discrimination was rampant, and corrupt politicians worked with wealthy businessmen to concentrate the country’s wealth in a small population of people. Despite the tough circumstances that were caused by a boom in population growth, immigrants remained a large portion of ...

After the American Civil War of between 1861 and 1865, the United States witnessed a rapid transformation in its societies as the people shifted from an agrarian-based economy to industrialization. The development of better transport and communication infrastructures across the States paved the way for the fast and profitable transition that made up the Second Industrial Revolution during the Gilded Age. The federal government supported the developing industries by imposing high tariffs to protect the interests of industrialists from foreign competitors. Subsequently, the high taxes on imports and exports guaranteed that the local markets were favorable for both the ...

Thesis/ Argument: During the Second Industrial Revolution, industrialists recorded multiple profits at the expense of their workers and the federal government could not intervene because the laws and privileges of the country applied to both factions.

Background: The economy of the Gilded Age

The country ushered in a period of extensive trade and manufacture as the government imposed high tariffs to protect American factories from outside competition.

The westward expansion created more lands for railway construction to boost transportation.

Factory owners thrived on the given opportunities, but those without capital and access to the productive industry-based economy suffered. According to a study that the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted in1881, workers hired in the textile factory of ...

Particularly on matters of race relations, federal law no longer recognized the absolute superior position of the white man over persons of African descent and for the first time in history, blacks could theoretically claim a higher social and economic status. However, the States did not want to cooperate and fought hard to make new rules to combat the modifications socially, politically, and economically. When the Union's victory in the American Civil War moved Congress to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, the action destroyed the country’s cultural norms by endorsing equality for all persons. As a result, ...

Source

The book “The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield” by H.W Brand tells about the real life murder of Jim Fisk by Josie Mansfield’s lover, Edwin Stokes. In 1867 Josie was an unemployed actress who made her way in the world by using her looks and charm. This set her apart from most other women who were wives and mothers by Josie’s age. She had a penchant for playing the victim and getting men to “save” her. She had previously lied about her parents using her in a blackmail scheme. This led to ...

THE SOCIAL DARWINISTS

Argument: Social Darwinism promoted trends of economic inequality, hierarchical societies, and the political favoritism witnessed in the United States during the Gilded Age.

BACKGROUND: The Second Industrial Revolution

Industrial based economy: While factory production expanded rapidly, mining efforts and the construction of the railroad throughout the United States transitioned the country to an era of manufacturing and trade.

High tariffs protected industries from foreign competition.

The removal of Indians in the West availed land for construction of the railway and industries. The industry-induced social problem: Hard work no longer guaranteed wealth; on the contrary, only those with business skills and money could generate more income while the rest of the people ...

When the film Titanic was released, it was released to an audience that was unsure about the potential success of the film. James Cameron, the director, had approached the film with such fastidiousness that caused the release of the film to be delayed significantly, and caused it to become one of the most expensive movies ever made up to that point (Maslin). There is no doubt that Titanic was a landmark piece for James Cameron, and Cameron’s ability and willingness to broach the hard subjects of death and class during the film made it even more powerful. While ...

First of all, the 1800s in the West are characterized as the period of opposition between the White American and local indigenous people who had been living on the territory of the United States for centuries. During the second half of 19th century the White Americans started expanding their settlement to the western part of the country. The government was supporting the settlers, which led to the several civil wars between the government and the Indians. Since the Indians lost, they had to live afterwards on the special territories provided to them and known as reservations under the control ...

When something is considered to be gilded, it means that it is very attractive on the outside but unsatisfactory on the inside. Charles Dudley Warner and Mark Twain are the individuals behind the name Gilded Age. They came up with the term referring to the naming the period after the civil war. During these years, the American economy had grown at an extraordinary rate and an unprecedented level of wealth was generated. Telephone lines and railroads stretched across America, creating opportunities for business people and consumers of cheaper goods (Benton-Short, 2014). However, the society was composed of many poor ...

The Gilded Age, the period in American History directly following the Civil War was a departure from other earlier periods in the young country’s history. Mark Twain in the book by the same name tries to make this abundantly clear, the new age was one that was driven not by military expansion nor for the need for land but for the need for investment and goods. TWealthy Eastern families and tycoons made their fortunes in the Gilded Age by joining in the spirit of the age which was a call to the great wide open frontier. The spirit ...

The history of American economy has been a long battle since the time of the Gilded Age through the Progressive era and into the Great Crash or Depression of October 1929. During these years, from 1877 to 1929, class conflict was largely observed. The Gilded Age and the Great Crash were the notorious periods in which poverty and economic inequality skyrocketed reaching all-time highs in the American economy. The Gilded Age came at a time when there was widespread greed, corruption in the political systems, and speculative elements of the market. Of great interest is the absence of government restriction in ...

Around the World in Eighty Days is an early example of an adventure novel written by Jules Verne (1873). Although now best known for his science fiction, this adventure novel set at the time of its publishing was Verne’s most popular work during his lifetime (Lottman, 1995). This story glorifies the recent advances in transportation and brings the newly opened world, now made smaller and more assessable, to the attention of a popular readership. It is difficult in this time of globalization and instant ability to communicate anywhere in the world to try to perceive how adventuresome and amazing ...

Regaining Southern Power: Comparing Whites in the South after the Civil War with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

It is common to hear people talk about the Civil War as a war that was fought to abolish slavery. It is cited as an example of American determination to bring freedom to all regardless of past wrongs. This narrative continues with the northern states-- the Union-- as the victor, and the eventual abolition of slavery. However, the American Civil War, its causes, and its eventual effects are much more complex than this narrative belies. After the American Civil War, there was a power struggle in the South; white Southerners used many tactics to regain power after the war officially ended. ...

The Gilded Age was the period between the 1870s and the 1890s in the history of the United States of America. The term was coined by the famous Mark Twain meaning that the country was glittering on the surface but suffering from corruption from the inside. In simple terms, this was a period in which the country was facing corruption and various social evils in the high levels of governance. “These social behaviors include vulgar behavior, scandalous-plagued politics, shady business practices, corporate buccaneers and unscrupulous speculators” (Oakes, James, McGerr, Lewis, Cullather, Boydston, Summers, and Townsend, 167). Though, it could be ...

During the late 1800s, also known as the “Gilded Age” of the United States, there was a huge divide between the rich and the poor. Unlike the society of today, which admittedly still has a large class and income divide, there were no real programs that existed to protect the poor from the exploitation of the rich; in the Gilded Age society, there was massive economic growth in the United States, but it came at the cost of those who worked for the rich. Today, there are legislative protections and social welfare programs that exist to help the indigent and the ...

Edward Bellamy was an economist who disliked the socio-economic conditions because many laborers got a subsistence pay. Bellamy wrote a book called Looking Backward, which focuses on Julian West who is an upperclassman, lived in Boston. It is important to note that Bellamy lived during the industrial revolution in the US. His book talks of West being induced to sleep because of his chronic Insomnia. The author records accounts of laborers striking because the capitalists and the landlords enjoyed all the profits and interests respectively. Bellamy writes, “The producers of the nineteenth century were not, like ours, working together for the ...

Introduction

During this time, the American economy grew at an extraordinary rate that generated high levels of wealth. Railways and telephone lines were developed creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and cheaper goods for consumers. America viewed itself as a peaceful nation but later turned to be a nation divided between the haves and have-nots. It became a society where the poor struggled and worked extremely hard to survive in the society while the industrial and financial upper-class people lived in palatial homes. There are Americans, who celebrated the new wealth while others complained about this wealth, but the overall profound change was taking ...

Introduction

The industrial revolution took place in England in the late 18th Century and early 19th century, but during that time, America was more dependent on hand labors and small businesses served the local market. Investors did not have the capital to serve a larger market and also the transportation was not developed to serve a larger market quickly and efficiently. From the 1930s onwards, there was more focus on building better transportation system, and a river transportation system started developing, followed by an increasing focus on railroad expansion. By the time the Civil War ended, already many thousands of miles of railroad ...

The Gilded age is the period in the United States characterized by time of many social, political and economic problems. The term Gilded age was first established by Mark Twain in his novel to satirized the situation of America during the 19th century using the concept of gold gilding. In the industrial process, gilding refers to the coating of thin layer of gold in any solid surfaces such as wood, metal and stone. It is a process of making the material to become glamorous and elegant which greatly symbolizes the rapid economic growth of the United States. The economic growth ...

Introduction

The Gilded Age, as it came to be known, was a period between 1870’s and early 1900’s. It spanned three decades of the late nineteenth century and was characterized by one of the most contentious, volatile and dynamic scenes in the American history. The word “Gilded” was lifted from a book by Mark Twain immediately after the civil war. This was as a result of the widespread greed that was evidenced at the time as well as speculative nature that the markets had coined. Further, there was rampant corruption that pervaded politics and Mark Twain together with his colleagues employed ...

According to Mark Twain, the 19th century was the period of “Gilded age” that was characterized by greed. The 19th century is described as the era of liberated capitalism and corruption (Upchurch 28). It marked the formative period of America. This paper answers the question whether; the new mass culture of the late 19th century marked an increase in freedom or a new form of social control. In America, the 19th century contributed to the creation of the modern industrial economy. Communication and transportation network were created. In addition, corporations and the managerial revolution created transformed business organizations and ...

No matter what time period of history you consider, the perspectives of the people living through that time vary significantly depending on such factors as social class, ethnicity, religion and culture. If you think about life in ancient Rome during the early days of the Empire, life was fairly pleasant for those in the wealthier classes. There was an advanced system of plumbing that served public baths and homes, set up through the aqueducts; if you were among the wealthy, you likely had a servant or two around the house to cook for you and keep things clean. However, if ...

Gilded age is defined as a period when rapid economic growth took place, especially in the west and the north. Many social conflicts also supplemented the period. During this period, the skilled works in the United States were highly paid as compared to the skilled workers in Europe. This resulted in a massive increase in the number of immigrants in the north and the west, hence resulting in the globalization of the United States. The real wage grew by 60%, despite the rapid increase in the amount of a labor force that was available. The period is also considered as the ...

1. NATURE OF OPPOSING FORCES OF SOCIAL REFORM AND WHITE SUPREMACY (1880-1900) Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain identified the last years of the 19th century as “Gilded Age”. At this time, population grew and economy boomed in the United States. In 1890, the earnings of Americans overran those of their counterparts in other countries. This was also a time when immigrants were allowed inside United States to balance the human workforce in large industries. Around twenty two million people are said to have migrated to the U.S. between 1880 and 1914. The Gilded Age and the first ...

The Gilded Age refers to the period in history in the United States between the year 1869 and 1896 which was also coupled with political paralysis. This period which occurred after the civil war and the reconstruction era was marked with sheer ineptitude and corruption. The two dominant parties at the time were rooted in religion and ethnicity with fierce competition for offices and votes. In return, they dished out benefits to veterans in politics and other special interest groups in reward for their loyalty. This paper shall argue that politics in the Gilded Age sunk to a low level ...

During the time period of 1870 to 1900, industrialization in the United States brought great changes to the life of the average US citizen. Not only was where and how they worked changed by industrialization, but the structure and values of society changed as well. Additionally, the government’s role in industrialization was markedly different than it had been in the pre-industrial era. As factories, mills and mines were built throughout the nation, people began to migrate to the nearby towns and cities to take advantage of the new economic opportunities presented. (Tindall and Shi, 672) During the ...

‘Instructor’s Name’

The Gilded Age The period that immediately followed the American civil wars is famously termed as the ‘Gilded Age’, a name coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner. The period roughly starts from the year 1870 and ends with the turn of the twentieth century. This age was marked by the brisk industrialization, erection of huge transcontinental rail connectivity and the enormous growth of commerce. This economic growth however showed a slump during the great depressions of 1873 and 1893. Most of this expansion and prosperity were concentrated on the Northern and Western part of the country, while the ...

1. for a long time, American historians have interpreted the Reconstruction of the South a failure for the newly freed slaves. However, historians today are explaining the events of the Civil War and Reconstruction as nothing less than revolutionary. In the following essay explain why historians have seen this period in American history as a failure, and then explain how they can now interpret it as a success. American historians have interpreted the reconstruction of the south as a failure for the newly freed slaves, Lack of political focus also influenced the failure. In this case, the process of eliminating the freed slaves ...

Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, originally published in 1959, depicts a world that has nothing in common with the one of Boss George Washington Plunkitt and 19th Century New York City. Set in the distance future, when the world has become united under the Terran Federation and humanity has voyaged out into space, it deals with issues and concepts that would never have occurred to Plunkitt and his contemporaries. Obviously they would have had no reason to give any thought to space travel or encountering alien species, such as the hostile Skinnies and Arachnids who are at war with Earth ...

American historians have long agreed with Eric Rauchway’s central thesis that the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 was a fortuitous event that opened the door to the Progressive Era of the next two decades. Theodore Roosevelt and other Progressives used this assassination by a self-described anarchist immigrant named Leon Czolgosz as a warning that the American political and economic system had to be reformed and become more equitable for the working class or revolution would be inevitable. Roosevelt did “set himself the task of implementing radical changes for conservative purposes", by which he meant that the conditions of the small ...

The federal system of the United States of America is very important in outlining the history of the United States of America. This country has undergone a lot of political changes from the date of the formation of the government (Lawrence 13). It should be noted that this form of government was formed with a lot of critics from the opposition side. However, the proposers of this system seemed to be more powerful to advocate for it. Even at the time of the civil war, the federal system still existed in the United States of America. The constitution of this country ...

An Unlikely Medium: Comparing Film and Reality in ‘Jesse James’

Criticism of movies based on history, such as Jesse James, raises an interesting point about the purpose of moviemaking. Those who panned the film for being “notorious for its historical inaccuracy” overlooked the entertainment factor, which, after all, overrides all other artistic considerations. Even a “historical” film such as Lawrence of Arabia, widely considered one of the finest movies ever made, is more concerned with adventure and exploring the chaos that can arise from the ambiguities of human morality than with a strictly linear recounting of events in the Middle East ...

HIS-105

America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains Introduction Between 1865 and 1900 in USA there was speedy progression in economic, industrial, and agricultural supremacy. Barney, (2006), estimated that the income of employees rose by 75% in the same period. 1865 is seen as the era where the country was united and dominant, having a strong federal government. Therefore, the turning point periods that would be selected for analysis in this paper are the reconstruction and gilded age. In their analysis highlights of why the eras were a turning point would also be explained.

The Reconstruction Era

It was a very important era symbolizing the unification of ...

History of the United States: to which is prefixed a brief historical … Published by Noah Webster is a book that begins by giving the creation account as well as men’s dispersion on their attempt in building Babel; gives a description of the ancestors , Japheth’s descendants as they were seen before the era of christianity. Saxon ancestors were briefly discussed since they conquered Britain hence improved their art life which eventually led to their reformation. The peopling of America and the aboriginals character was also put into account in this book. Puritan’s origin and cause of migrating to America was ...