What was the Gilded Age and why did Mark Twain refer to it as such? To help understand this question, one must know the meaning of the word gild. Per Merriam Webster, the term gild means to “to give an attractive but often deceptive appearance to” (Gild, n.d.). After the Civil War the American people had become tired of all the corruption and simply wanted to see an end to it and to have a stable economy. The Gilded Age was fashioned to be prosperous times for all Americans, promising wealth, and an end to past political corruption. However, what was supposed to be a prosperous time for all would become only a period of deception to many. The Gilded Age was the post-civil war period from 1878-1889. During this period of history, there …show more content…
In regards to positive impacts, the mass of immigrants brought new religions into the American culture as many of the immigrants were Catholic or Jewish. As the push westward continued, the discovery of gold and silver gave hope to many who were poor that they could stake a claim and strike it rich. However, unknown to them, their chances of striking it rich were slim. Hence, the California Gold rush. America also experienced major economic growth in both industrial and agricultural areas. On the other hand, were negative impacts as most people would not become prosperous. During this time the rich would become richer and the poor would remain poor and struggle to make ends meet. Many of the jobs that were available were dangerous, required long hours, and paid low wages. This forced many workers to live in “urban slums” where cholera, typhoid, and tuberculosis were found (Shmoop Editorial Team, …show more content…
The citizens of the United States felt they had the best form of government and culture and felt the obligation to expand it across the nation. Manifest Destiny had both positive and negative effects on social and political values during this time. Americans felt because they were experiencing such growth that God was blessing them and that by incorporating others into their culture they would be blessed too. However, greed eventually took over and the belief that the white man could destroy anyone or anything that got in the way of its progress led to many wars and lives lost over the acquisition of much needed land. Nevertheless, without Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion, America would not be the country it is
Gilded age 1878-1889 was the age of fast growth of industry and immigrants in America history. The production of steel and iron rose radically than other time. In contrast, the Western resources increased such as silver,lumber, and gold. As well as the transportation also improved. Railroad develop and move goods from resources rich west to east.
New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, 1865-1905 written by Rebecca Edwards provides readers with many different individual accounts to illustrate the transformative time of America during the Gilded Age. The work shows the cultural, social, political and economical elements of the age that aided in forming the America we have today. Edwards’s purpose in writing New Spirits is to offer readers new insights on the era by eliminating predetermined stereotypes one may have established before reading the work. Edwards wants readers to put aside their prior knowledge to understand just what it was like to live in the Gilded Age by providing readers with the consequences and achievements of people during the time.
The Gilded Age was the period 1870 to 1900 were Industries grew exponentially and working environments for employees decreased. Coined by Mark Twain, it was a satire phrase to describe the increase social problems that were the result of a few businessmen becoming rich. The Progressive Era began as a social movement and grew into a political movement in the United States, spanning from the 1890s to 1920s. This was an era of political reform and social activism.
Jessica HillisMr. GillardAP US History5 January 2007Essay 16: Gilded AgeThroughout history, certain periods of time have been given certain names based on thehappenings that occurred. Many have called the period of 1865 to 1901 the “Gilded Age”, be-cause it was “shiny and pretty” on the outside but it was “rough and ugly” underneath. The term“Gilded Age” was actually coined by Mark Twain who satired the Gilded Age with a GoldenAge.
“Manifest Destiny,” a term invented by reporter John O’ Sullivan, was a popular belief of many nineteenth century Americans in the United States. This was the belief of the people that it was the United States’ “destiny” to expand its boundaries further out west coast. The Manifest Destiny was a belief that was used to justify and rationalize the enlargement of the States westward. It was immensely beneficial to the States, but harmed the Native tribes and were forcefully removed from their rightfully owned land. It was a violent act that was justified by many Americans with immoral values.
The benefits of the Manifest Destiny outweighed the consequences. This is because the U.S was able to get more resources, increase population in the west, advance trade, and improve technology. These benefits have contributed to the economic development in the U.S. Furthermore, as the U.S were fulfilling the Manifest Destiny, they also imposed the Homestead Act, which helped evolve frontiers. The discovery of gold in the west, specifically, in California lured more people to the west.
Manifest Destiny changed the United States socially, economically and politically. It was affected socially because it became more culturally diffused; it also affected relationship with the Native Americans due to the Americans belief that they were the better race and others were inferior to them. It was affected economically because there was more land to profit off of and politically it damaged the United States and Mexico’s foreign relations. Those who believed in the manifest destiny forcefully removed Native Americans from their lands in order for the United States to gain more land. America was shifted politically, due to new tense relations with Mexico, as an effect of the Mexican
The Gilded Age lasted from 1870 to World War 1, “1900s.” The Gilded Age was a period of fast economic development, but also much social struggle. Mark Twain in the late nineteenth century founded the “Gilded” Age, which means covered with gold on the outside, but not really golden on the inside, for example, tin. This period of time was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath. In other words, the outside looked beautiful, but the inside looked old and trashy.
The time of Manifest Destiny was a time of true American brotherhood and comradeship. With Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk being the leading presidents of the cause during this time, it not only led to continental expansion but homicide as well. While the Americans believed they were expanding into free land, Native Americans had already settled the land centuries earlier. This led to the dark side of Manifest Destiny. Native Americans were forced to pick up their homes and resettle in areas that were less than sufficient to meet their basic needs.
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. In my perspective, I believe we are living in the 2nd Gilded age.
The Gilded age was a period in the late 1800s (1865-1900) that showed tremendous increase of wealth caused by the industrial age. The lifestyle of the rich during this period hid the many problems of the time that eventually brought about the progressive era movement. This was a movement for reform between 1900-1920s. Progressives typically held that the irresponsible actions of the rich were corrupting both public and private life. Forces such as immigration, the Populist Party and industrialization that led to the progressive era also impacted the American government both in its activeness and its democracy.
In a lecture we saw gold Rush population statistics and it said that in one year California’s population of Americans grew from 14,000 to 100,000 people. The population grew so fast because gold provided many economic opportunities. Gold could be sold for money and there is a big gold mining market such as manufacturing shovels, pans, etc. This motivates Americans to move westward because of access to gold and other resources. Many Americans moved westward for economic benefits from being able to access new and valuable resources such as gold, otter pelts, lumber, and buffalo that could be used to establish trade.
Manifest Destiny was the belief in the 19th-century American expansion westward, which stated that it was the nation's divine right to expand its borders and spread its democratic values. This belief emerged in the 1840s and was fueled by religious and economic factors. Americans believed they were required to expand westward to fulfill their destiny and increase their wealth and prosperity. The result of the westward expansion was the acquisition of vast territories that led to significant economic growth, but it also had negative impacts and consequences for the Native Americans, Mexicans, and Chinese immigrants directly affected. Body Paragraph 1: Manifest Destiny and the American Desire to Move West
The decade between 1890 and 1900 expressed a crucial time in the United States of America’s history. Many people experienced struggles throughout this time while others prospered. Mark Twain suggested that despite the significant achievements of the United States, Americans experienced poverty. This statement is an accurate description of the lively hood people experienced in their daily lives during the Gilded Age whether it was positive or negative. Many people during this time period focused on the positive outcomes that resulted from the Gilded Age such as new inventions, the gospel of wealth, additions of land to the country, urbanization, and middle-class improvements.
Welling on the article “The components of Manifest Destiny,” it had many components that were behind it such as religious influence, sense of mission, and how it was negative. Many Christians believed that God wanted them to expand America. In the sense of mission many saw Manifest Destiny as a form of domination. They were able to dominate more territory in the North America. The negative side of the Manifest Destiny was that it was a selfish was to expand.