Essays on The 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 ...