The 18th century marked the beginning of an intense period of revolution and rebellion as the nation started to expand into newly established territories earn from the Mexican-American War. In the process, many Americans were encouraged to move west where debates over slavery and other economic issues rose that led the nation into Civil War. After the Union’s victory in the Civil War, many African-Americans slaves were finally now free while the South faced sets of challenges during the contested Reconstruction Era in 1865. Roughly spanning the years between Reconstruction and the dawn of the new century, the Gilded Age saw rapid industrialization such as the construction of great transcontinental railroads and the rise of big businesses as money maker of America’s economic growth. However, not only did it changed how goods were manufactured and consumed, but it also had far-reaching effects on societal groups and rising labor union tensions by the end of the 19th century.
What did the gilded age consist of? The gilded age was a time period that took place during the late 19th century and early 20th century and it consisted of economic prosperity for many Americans while for others economic growth was not so prosperous. The industry was expanding significantly and that changed the American society. The American industry boomed; consequently, a division between the workers and the owners grew and that created what is known as a social divide. The social divide was the division of the rich from the poor.
The era commonly known the “Gilded Age” received this descriptive name for several reasons. One reason the term “gilded” was used was to describe how society appeared shiny and unblemished from the outside, however, the inside did not reflect the same condition. Jacob Riis’ novel, How the Other Half Lives, written amid the Gilded Age in 1890, explored the hardships of the unappreciated populations that embody the unpolished appearance responsible for the name, “the Gilded Age.” Riis used photojournalism to uncover the realities of living in the cramped tenements of New York City along with the causes of exploitation of these inhabitants. As a Danish-American, Riis was set on trying to improve the lives of the immigrants who populated the overcrowded
The time period from when the Second Industrial Revolution was beginning, up until President McKinley’s assassination in 1901, is known as the Gilded Age. After the Civil War, many people headed out West to pursue agriculture, and many immigrants moved to urban areas to acquire jobs in industrial factories. It is in this context that farmers and industrial workers had to respond to industrialization. Two significant ways farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age, were creating the Populist Party and the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
In the book “The Gilded Age and Progressive Era” William explained that the introduction of railroads brought about the expansion of the United States. The engine of the new industrialized economy, eased the fast transportation of raw materials and finished goods from one part of the country to the other. As the railroads grew in power, it increased the economy of the country. He further explained that the problem the economy was facing is that workers were maltreated. They were forced to work in bad weather conditions and were paid very
The Gilded Age became significantly popular in America during the 19th century. The term “Gilded Age” was coined by the American author Mark Twain based on the presence of corruption and exploitation during the time period (Sayre 1049). The Gilded era was marked by the growth of industrialization, urbanization and a high immigration influx of nonnative Americans (Sayre 1048-1049). Furthermore, the Gilded Age proved to be significant in westward expansion as many individuals migrated to the West in order to fulfill their aspiration of obtaining land and to avoid any form of impediments instituted by other individuals living in those areas (Sayre 1048). In addition, New York City served to be an agora for the growth of industrialization and urbanization
During this Era there was quite a few new inventions that came out. A couple were television sets, newer radios, telephones, and (of all things that was produced at this time this item was the biggest) which of are automobiles. Automobiles were new to that mark and they boomed everyone who saw them off ads or television ads wanted one. But, with this large boom America started to be affected by these changes.
---. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. American Publishing Company, 1873 Written by the team of Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, was written to comically portray the political corruption in the United States after the Civil War. The plot consist a Tennessee family, with an adopted daughter of great beauty, trying to sell their 75,000 acres of land.
During the Gilded Age wealthy people lived by an unbendable social calendar. Most wealthy people spent their time going to fairs, circus, sporting events, etc. Many Women spent an enormous amount of time hosting parties. One host actually offered their guests a cigar wrapped in hundred-dollar bills. A fairly small percentage of wealthy people lived in luxury homes.
In the 1850's into the early 1900's everybody was trying to improve life through becoming consumers, mass culture, and entertainment. This time period was when the people of America really got an identity for ourselves. This time period was known as The Gilded Age. Mark Twain wrote a book in 1873 named “The Gilded Age.” Twain looked at the American society as having a rotten core but covered with gold paint, or gilded.