How Did The Chinese Immigration Affect The Economy During The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was a time of rapid industrialization, internal improvements, acquisition of new land, and population growth. The Civil War left the United States in a fragile state, but this time period improved the nation significantly. Cities in the east were growing rapidly and the economy needed to keep up. Major and notable corporations sprung up during this era between the 1870s and 1900s and a railroad was being built to connect and east and west coasts. This all led to the United States becoming the world’s leading industrial nation at the time. On the other hand, not everything was so great during this time, hence the nickname: “gilded”. Corruption was rampant in business and politics, and the gap between the rich and poor widened. Additionally, cities were overpopulated and unsafe for some to live in. With the

Many Chinese people came to America to seek work on the railroad and other places. The cheap labor they provided angered the European immigrants, and tensions grew between the Americans and Chinese-Americans. An act was passed that stopped the immigration of Chinese people to America and the government forced them to wear identification badges at all times. It was very difficult to be of this race during this time period. Therefore, Chinese immigrants faced many adversities through discrimination in the work force, government, and daily life.

Chinese people came to America for opportunities to support their families in the 1800s. It all started when slavery was abolished. The sudden lack of labor created a shortage of workers in the nation’s economy. The immigrants rushed into the country to fill the empty positions at plantations. Many of them came as indentured servants, which were men who recruited workers and paid for their transportation in exchange for a period of labor with little to no profit. Years later in 1849, about ten thousand Chinese