Gilded Age DBQ

“The politics of the Gilded Age failed to deal with the critical social and economic issues of the times.” Assess the validity of this statement. Use both the documents and your knowledge of the United States from 1865 to 1900.

After the soaring ideals and tremendous sacrifices of the Civil War, the post-War era of the United States was generally one of political disillusionment. Even as the continent expanded and industrialized, political life in the Gilded Age was marked by ineptitude and stalemate as passive, rather than active, presidents merely served as figureheads to be manipulated rather than enduring strongholds. As politicians from both the White House to the courthouse were deeply entangled in corruption and scandal during the Gilded Age, the actual economic and social issues afflicting urbanizing America festered beneath the surface without being seriously addressed.

The Gilded Age saw the United States shift from an agricultural to an urban, industrial society, as millions of Americans flocked to cities in the post, Civil War time zone. Nearly 40 percent of Americans lived in urbanized areas by 1900, as opposed to 20 percent in 1800s. Industrialization and the rush to the cities led to the development of consumerism and a middle class. The rich had many advantages to the new age.

Mark Twain named the 1870’s to 1900 the Gilded Age. He called this time that because gilded means covered in gold, this describes America, because if your looking at America from the outside in it looked good and business was booming. But if you lived in and worked in America you would have seen the problems and saw that everything was not good as it seemed. He called this time that because gilded means covered in gold, this describes America, because if your looking at America from the outside in it looked good and business was booming. But if you lived in and worked in America you would have seen the problems and saw that everything was not good as it seemed. The wealthy industrialists were robber barons because they paid low wages, poor working conditions, and there was manipulation of laws.

During the Gilded Age, industries, particularly in the Northeast, took off. The Civil War had transformed the North into one of the most heavily industrialized regions in the world. Businessmen became extremely wealthy from this new economy. Powerful corporations formed giant trusts to monopolize the production of goods in high demand. Post-Civil War, businesses grew controlling of the economy, influenced politics through corrupt acts, and changed societal views on labor.

The Gilded Age, from 1877 to 1900, was a period in history that showed the vast changes in the population and economy. However, underneath the surface of the seemingly improved society, many people were victims of corruption and unstable living conditions. The wealthy industrialists of the 19th century were rightfully named robber barons due to their low wages, unsafe working conditions, and the treatment of children in the work force.

The Gilded Age was a time period of immense industrialization. Also known as The Second Industrial Revolution, it took place between the late 1860s up until 1896. The well known era is when many industrial advancements that would influence the future of America were developed. A group of industrial magnates acquired massive fortunes in steel, transportation, oil, and other industries. The lives of many Americans improved dramatically however, this was not the case for everyone.

After the end of the reconstruction in 1873, the United States entered the era of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution took place between the 1800’s and the 1900s were home-made produced technology was mass produced in factories at greater productions. Due to the new society in America, the United states economy prospered tremendously. This era was called the Gilded age. The Gilded age was coined by Mark Twain in a book he helped write with Charles Dudley with was called The Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was more than economic prosperity in the United States it was expressed by Mark Twain as a metaphor in which expressed that on the outside it was prosper but on the inside it was lead meaning that inside of all the business there was corruptness. in the

The Gilded Age, a term coined by author Mark Twain, refers to the years 1879 through 1899. This was a time period of high extremes that included high immigration rates, rapid economic growth, poverty, concentrated wealth, and high urban violence often associated directly with alcohol consumption. Though wages were higher in America than across Europe, causing higher immigration rates, the influx of immigrants led to many of them enduring poverty and living in slums which was vastly different from the life they had imagined when traveling to America. “...tend to dichotomize Gilded-Age society into a few fabulously wealthy industrialists and a mass of impoverished workers…”1. During this time there was rapid economic growth, however the concentrated

The Gilded Age, though thought of as grand and gilded in gold, was in fact full of power hunger. The term “gilded age” originates from a book by Mark Twain entitled The Gilded Age: a Tale of the Day. He discusses the corruption of the government in the book and contrasts it with the amount of lavish amenities for the upper class. Hence it is the age where things are gilded in gold or corruption. Understanding the vocabulary of Gilded Age business, discussing the utilization of these, and finding an example of a businessman who accomplished these will aid in the best education about the Gilded Age.

The Gilded Age, as described by author Mark Twain and co-author Charles Dudley Warner, was a time of not only economic growth but also political corruption. The era was also filled with influential people who contributed to social causes, that the American people adapted to, led to the shaping of what America is today; a very powerful and influential country.

“In 1873 Mark Twain and Charles Warner wrote the novel, The Gilded Age: A Tale of of Today. The term the Gilded Age was later used for the era in American history that began in 1870 and lasted until 1900. This was a fitting description for this era because America appeared to be a great and amazing country, however many critics pointed out that the country has lots of poverty, corruption, crime, and great separations of wealth between the rich and the poor. The Gilded Age was rapidly growing in industry because of all of the inventions that were created. The cities grew in size which brought a high demand of housing. As a result of more housing skyscrapers, created by Andrew Carnegie, and mansions were built. At this time cultural activity

Between the 1830s and 1840s, organized, interlocking, and complex political machines mainly existed in large urban cities in the United States. The emergence of political machines is linked to 3 causes: near-universal white male suffrage, industrialization-induced urbanization, and the absence of a systematic social welfare system. Prior to the 1830s, voters were well-established merchant and were required to have property ownership; but most states revised their voting requirements after the 1830s, allowing males who had no property ownership to vote. With that, every male American citizen (excluding blacks) could exercise their voting rights, regardless of their social or financial status. So, political machines emerged to draw the support and votes of this newly enfranchised people.

The Gilded Age took place in the late 19th century. The term was donned by one Mark Twain in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. He said this because the United States appeared to be gold, or gilded, but was truly corrupt with problems. The era was a time of reform between the Civil War and World War I where many immigrants came. Also, the country had corruption in politics, as well as, corporate financial issues.

The Gilded Age became known as an era between the 1870’s and the 1890’s. The word Gilded Age was described by a well-known American Literature author named Mark Twain. Mr. Twain pointed out what the word means, claiming that although on the outside society may seem perfect and in order, below what we can’t observe, there is poverty, corruption, and many other matters between the rich and poor. While the rich were getting richer, the poor were getting poorer. The Gilded Age brought about a rise in technology, which transformed the United States both positively and negatively. As we approach the middle of the 21st century, we see a new Gilded Age, in which technology continues to transform the United States and change the lives of the American