The timespan from 1872 - 1900 is characterized by a series of "Forgettable Presidents" whose administrations contended with rampant political and economic corruption by members of their cabinets, members of Congress, railroad barrons, and stock speculators to name the most prominent. Explain the metaphor that Mark Twain coined to describe this time period, that this was the "gilded age" - what was the thin layer of value covering what depth of corruption? In your response, explain the extent to which this time period was corrupt and in what ways it had redeemable qualities. Use specific examples from Chapter 23 to develop your response.
Remember, too, that I am will be assessing you on your use of at least one correctly used and correctly identified rhetorical device in your response. In order to ensure that I grade you correctly, you need to identify the device that you use by bolding it. If you do not do this, I will not be able to give you full credit for your response.
DUEDATE: Monday, January 14, 2013
Word Count: 500 words minimum
Series of Videos on Youtube Covering Major Aspects of The Gilded Age:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0bwcppAGFc&playnext=1&list=PL67928E6ED0A35DA0&feature=results_main
66 comments:
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 & 4
America’s Gilded Age was a time of rampant corruption and deceit. However, it did contain a few redeemable qualities that provided the gilding the age needed to cover its vile depths. First, the decent captains of industry created an industrial superpower that would prove itself during the World Wars; second, the pain of Reconstruction was finally concluded and the South and North were completely reintegrated; third, the lessons learned about corruption and graft during this time would prevent America from having to learn these lessons during the World Wars and conflicts where a politically corrupt America would now be speaking German. The Gilded Age was the Indoctrination Age for America where it finally caught up with the European countries who had already gone through their own political strife. Before this age, America was a recently reunified country that had finally surpassed the colonial stage of development. After this age, America would be one of the world’s great powers.
The Gilded Age was a time of enormous industrial expansion thanks to the excellent captains of industry that brought America up to par with the rest of the world. While there were a few mercantile anti-capitalists who tried to use government support to make a profit, there were many more decent men who built industry from the ground up. James J. Hill, for example, built the Great Northern Railroad without any government funding. While Jay Cooke and the Credit Mobilier were taking government funds and spending recklessly, James Hill used sound capitalistic market practices to grow and build his Great Northern Railroad which continued to make profits and succeed while the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific floundered and struggled. Another example of a capitalistic entrepreneur who built his company through hard work rather than wasteful government spending was John D. Rockefeller. He used vertical integration to reduce his dependency on inefficient external companies and kept his costs low by doing everything in-house. His lower costs allowed him to lower prices which attracted more customers which increased his profits which allowed him to lower prices and so on and so forth. His Standard Oil Company continued to prosper through sound economics, supply and demand, and capitalism until the lazier companies around it became very jealous and appealed to the government, the primary source of their profits, to rule Standard Oil a trust that must be destroyed. While Standard Oil had used the competition of a capitalist market to benefit consumers with more products at lower costs, while improving the working standards of its employees, corrupt government officials, under pressure from less successful companies, targeted Standard Oil with antitrust regulations which would stop its progress. Despite the corruption, the Gilded Age did produce many successful examples of the progress of capitalism.
Reconstruction was ended during the Gilded Age, despite the pain of the aftermath. Reconstruction had never been what it was supposed to be and its end finally reconciled the North and South. Despite the fact that much of the progress of the Civil War was undone with the end of Reconstruction, much of the progress had already been lost beforehand. However, the removal of federal troops did much to heal the rift between North and South. The enactment of the Jim Crow laws was a negative, but they were better than slavery. The Jim Crow laws were also much easier to remove and transcend than slavery had been. The end of Reconstruction really made America whole. (Bold) Did not the Gilded Age improve America if we were able to move past it better than we had been? (End Bold)
(Continued)The Gilded Age was a necessary period of growth for America to catch up with the progress made by the European nations. America is a very young country and has not had time for the Hundred Years’ Wars and Crusades that allowed the European countries to develop politically the way that they did. America had to base its development off of the conflicts that the European countries had already faced. Until this point, America had no ability to contend with the European nations on any field of battle, be it warfare, politics, education, or culture. Americans still went to European schools to become experts in these things. After the Gilded Age, America was able to mark itself as nearly equal to the European nations, with the advantage of thousands of miles of ocean. American politics went through the period of corruption that the European nations had already experienced the in Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the different revolutions of each nation. American industry finally completed the Industrial Revolution to the extent of the Europeans. American war power grew to the point where it could produce the Great White Fleet after the Gilded Age. American education and culture finally became defined during this period as comparable with that of Europe. The Gilded Age provided many valuable lessons that America needed to learn quickly if it was going to survive the onslaught of European expansion in the 20th century. If not for the lessons learned in the Gilded Age about the value of a meritocracy, a strong military presence, and independent education and culture, the sophisticated Europeans would have crushed America during either one of the World Wars and incorporated it into one of the Empires or Reichs. The Gilded Age granted to America the internal strength it needed to survive the external threats of the 20th century. (Bold) Should we not be grateful to the men and women of the Gilded Age for the lessons we learned? (End Bold)
The “Gilded Age” was a time of ignorance, gullibility, and clever deceit that spanned between 1872 -1900. Despite the mass corruption to be found, the Gilded Age was also a time of exponential growth and advancement in industry. At this time the U.S. had just become reunified and the nation was recovering from the war and the stress of “reconstruction”. The desire to connect the West and East coasts inspired the nation to relay the establishment of constructing the trans-continental railroad. The private developers in both the East and West took instant advantage of the funds offered by the government, starting a race to reach the other side, however with the money being held chiefly in mind, the developers planned routes that would prove to be the most advantageous to themselves, rather than the project itself. Despite this dishonest means of business that was all too common, men like James J. Hill, upright men, men of honor and inherent wisdom, strove to rise above the ill tides and work towards greatness (bold), Hill completed the Great Northern Railroad independently, without government funding, this allowed him to finish it without delay or temptations to do otherwise. Another businessman who became successful from honest and humble beginnings was John D. Rockefeller who devised a plan to seize the market in oil while appealing to everyone, including the government, excluding the competing companies. President Abraham Lincoln’s ideals that pertained to America’s reconstruction process were anything but his by its end during the Gilded Age. Lincoln’s plan of mercy left both North and South in states of bitterness, hate, and malice, only by the end of this “reconstruction” was order finally restored and tensions between the two sides finally settled. One matter that contributed to African American Rights were the Jim Crow laws, despite their nature, they furthered the process that would later give these people full rights later and were quickly revoked and done away with to be replaced later. All and all this uncomfortable and strenuous time was really necessary for the United States to advance at the rate that it did and continues to, without this pace, we might have found ourselves re-colonized, or re-conquered so-to-speak by a European nation with any number of causes anywhere from the Confederacy succeeding in obliterating the Union or the North keeping the South separated from the North and held as a forced labor under military backings, sort of a Hunger Games feel about it, thankfully, this was not the outcome and we progressed. By the beginning of the “Great War” or World War One, America was up to par with leading European nations such as Germany, Great Britain, and France, by the end of the war America had surpassed them, coming into World War II the U.S. was a full industrial machine and the “American Dream” was established and many still strive towards that goal. The Gilded age was a time of corruption to a great extent due chiefly to the will and desire to expand and collect a large profit from it. It was a redeemable to a large extent as well, with the growth in business invested in minerals and inventions, it was a strangely productive age in America’s history.
The Gilded Age, as defined by Mark Twain, can best be described as an Era of Good Stealings because administrations following the Civil War were immensely corrupt. Many view Gilded Age, which spans from 1872 to 1900, as a depraved time in U.S history because of the skewed morals of Washington but during this time the U.S industry skyrocketed. The Gilded Age can be defined as a time when scandals were rampant; politicians are corrupt and there were meager differences between political parties; but this age was a time of large scale economic expansion. These reasons are what compromise the modern interpretation post-Reconstruction America. The first President to take helm of the United States during the Gilded Age is the esteemed Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant but his outstanding military career failed to produce an effective politician. Grant’s largest downfall as being President was his corrupt administration and Grant’s unquestioning loyalty his cabinet’s bilk actions earned him the nickname General Corruption. The Grant Administration was well known for the Black Friday Scandal. Jim Gould, a market manipulator, hatched a plan to corner the gold market but his plan was botched when Grant found out and flooded the gold market with 4 million dollars’ worth of gold, thus crashing the market leaving many people in ruin. This crash can be attributed to Grant’s ineptitude in economics and cabinet appointments. Grant’s Treasury Secretary at this time was George Boutwell, a politician who had almost no experience in market finance. With this being said why Grant would accept advice from him on economics? This is only one of the many scandals that cabinet undertook and it shows political expediency can destroy a nation. The Grant administration was responsible for collapse of the gold market and financial ruin of everyday Americans. The falling out of that specific scandal and
other escapades by the Grant administration attribute to the unfavorable view of the Gilded Age.The political landscaped during the Gilded Age was unimpressive and the American Presidents were forgettable at best. The political parties of this time were sown from the same cloth and political campaigns were extremely dirty. The American metropolis began to take form and many lucrative contracts were up for grabs. This explains why the G.O.P and Democrats ran dirty elections because they were fighting for control of the valuable construction contracts in the city which would be extremely profitable for the politicians and their supporters. The political arena instead of being dominated by ideas was dominated by special interest and private equity. This caused the degeneration of the American political system during this time. The fight over spoils was so dominant that it even causes infighting in the G.O.P between the Stalwart faction and moderates over patronage. In a time of decadence and excess wealth political ideology is irrelevant. The political discord during this was petty and insignificant and partisan tensions were only elevated when there was at risk losing their spoils. These types of actions in a time of which a majority of Americans are poor can only hurt the image of Washington and these trivial fights over who gets to keep more of the tax payer’s money for themselves definitely gave this era a tainted reputation. The Gilded Age was a time of political corruption because of the growing power and influence of American Industry. The immediate consequence of a rapid ascension to wealth and power was corruption. That was a small price for the booming American economy which saw a rapid rises in GPD, real wages and an increase of over %200 in both Wheat and Corn production. This time will lay the foundation for the most powerful and influential hegemony since the Roman Empire. Many will declare that this was a dark time in American history but without this adolescent era in American history, America would never would have never ascended to be a world superpower. This was a time of essential growing pains and lessons to be learned. Humans go through adolescence and make many mistakes and experience great amounts of pain in trying to reconcile with the reality of growing up and this can be applied to America at this time because America at this time has to reconcile with the reality that they are a wealthy world power. The nation must find a way to reconcile their newfound wealth with their humble roots and this take many years but once this process is over America will be reputable world power just rebellious teenagers will eventually grow into responsible and respectful adults. This time in American history should be viewed as an exciting time that had its drawbacks and short comings.
Rhetorical question:why Grant would accept advice from him on economics?
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3 & 4
(Pt. 1)
The so-called "Gilded Age” of United States history was absolutely full of corruption and deceit, [BOLD]but can a nearly 20 year time span be filled with only negative?[BOLD] Mark Twain’s clever name for the time period itself clearly shows that there had to be at least some positive attributes of the era, even if they were coupled with, to some extent, less than desirable features. First, the technological advances of this country were great during this period, and allowed the United States to enter into the 20th century as a major world contender; Second, without the advent of unions, workers were forced to occasionally disregard their differences, if only for a short time, and unite as laborers when they felt that they were being treated unfairly; Third, the immoral actions committed during this time period provided Americans with a very clear example of a time period that should be repeated. Thus, for technological, social, and moral reasons, the time period from 1872 to 1900 had advantageous characteristics as well as detrimental ones.
As this era wore on, advances in technology were, of course, achieved. The booming factory systems improved their efficiency and provided new opportunity for economic growth. The expansion of American railroads and other modes of transportation provided fertile breeding ground for future technological development in that field, and additionally improved travel time to and from virtually any destination in the United States. [BOLD]The American factories continued their work tirelessly throughout the “Gilded Age”.[BOLD] The owners of these factories, desiring to increase their profits, not only attempted to fix any problems in regards to the efficiency of their factories, but were also constantly searching for bigger, better machines to aide in every aspect of factory life. In response to this search, individuals and groups were forced into coming up with creative, cost effective machines, such as Herman Hollerith’s 1890 punch card reader, which streamlined the process of checking workers in, and would later be the first item produced by International Business Machines [BOLD](IBM)[BOLD].
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3 & 4
(Pt. 2)
Additionally, by furthering the use of one of Eli Whitney’s brainchildren, interchangeable parts, in both production line and product, profits and efficiency soared, while the cost of production was lowered. The efficiency of factories and the economic wealth that surrounded them would prove to be incredibly beneficial in the future, but most notably in the two wars that engulfed the entire world in the first half of the 20th century. Railroad companies during the Gilded Age were all the rage, and usually made a high profit for their work. Although many were wrapped up in corruption, some were able to function superbly and remain honest, such as the Central Pacific Railroad. Despite the deceit that sometimes seemed to counteract their worth, the huge expansion of railroads during this time was invaluable all over the country. In the East, both citizens who were born here and immigrants were enchanted by the idea of the West by offers of cheap land and the quick transportation that railroads provided, and so took the journey. This exchange of people thus led to the exchange of inventions, such as the telegraph, which allowed western farmers to remain connected with eastern markets, allowing the farmers, and the United States as a whole, to increase profits. Furthermore, in the East, and eventually in the West, more advanced transportation allowed for the advent of suburbs. Cities were overcrowded with immigrants and other economically disadvantaged, causing a rise in pollution and general discontent among the middle and upper class residents. As a result, those able to do so moved out of the cities and relied on transportation such as trains and trolley cars to get them to and from their jobs in cities, further stimulating the growth and expansion of technology. These advances in technology, which in turn had major effects on the economy, were vital developments for the United States during the Gilded Age, and allowed this nation to be able to realistically jockey for a spot among the elite countries of the world in the 20th century.
(2nd Body Paragraph)
With the growth of factories and the corruption that captured many of their executives, workers were forced to occasionally abandoned their clashing ethnic, religious, and/or political backgrounds and come together to fight for the things that they, as workers, felt that they needed or deserved. For example, the 1877 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad strikes were debilitating because the majority of workers refused to show up for their shifts when two pay cuts were made in rapid succession. Although the country was in the midst of an economically unstable period, the railroad employees felt as though they and their well being had been unfeelingly cast aside. Additionally, the Homestead Steel Strike saw practically an entire town work together for what they believed was right for the both the town that housed the factory and the workers who manned it. Unfortunately, these successes in uniting people across faiths, ethnicities and political loyalties were also sharply contrasted with ethnic clashes, specifically those in San Francisco among the Irish and Chinese workers who settled there once the California Gold Rush had subsided. Still, even these conflicts have a positive light, even if it is a relatively dim one. While the Irish and the Chinese were not united with each other, the people involved within those groups proved that loyalty to fellow immigrants from the same country, same religion, or same political alliances was very strong even as immigrant groups were increasingly integrated into American society.
Olivia Brophy
Per. 3 & 4
(Pt. 3)
[3rd Body Paragraph]
Lastly, the rampant corruption and deceit that took place within the Gilded Age had a silver lining in that it eventually gave the American people an example of tactics that should not be fallen back upon. While their ruthless actions may have benefitted them for awhile, scammers such as Boss Tweed eventually were caught, and suffered consequences such as jail time. President Grant’s almost complete disregard of the corruption of essentially everyone around him showed us that just because someone is cut out for military victory and giving orders to troops does not ensure their competency in managing an entire country. The nation additionally learned that karma is a potent force with the destruction of the lives of Jim Fisk and Jay Gould after they were so wrapped up in greed that they attempted to gain complete control the United States gold supply for themselves. With the assassination of newly elected President Garfield, the United States government was forced to confront the issue of politicians promising high paying jobs to anyone who would support them. However, even when this issue was reformed, politicians and businessmen still managed to wiggle around the rules and bend them slightly to their will.
Therefore, although there was an indescribable amount of detrimental, negative aspects of the Gilded Age, there were also redeemable qualities in the ability of workers to, on occasion, disregard some of their differences for the purpose of bettering the conditions for all workers in their field, the extensive development of technology during the time, which in tandem spurred economic advancement and by setting an example for future generations as to what NOT to be like.
Rhetorical devices in order:
Rhetorical question
Personification
Parentheses
Personification
The term “Gilded” means to cover in a thin layer of gold. The famous American writer, Mark Twain, used this word to describe the years following the civil war all the way up to 1896. Mark twain called this era the “Gilded Age” because although it looked like America was having time a prosperity on the outside, that prosperity came from dishonest, conniving, traitorous, malicious, underhand, selfish deals (asyndeton). This is best seen in another of Mark Twain’s quotes; “What is the chief end of man?–to get rich. In what way?–dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must.” -Mark Twain-1871. The infamous “Black Friday” is a perfect example of this “get rich quick” scheme. The fighting duo of Gould and Fisk hatched a plan to drive up the price of gold, then acquire a monopoly on it. This whole plan centered around the government NOT selling gold from the treasury to drop the prices back down, which the president,Grant, was not about to do. Gould provided the brains for the operations, while Fisk provided the energy and leadership to round up followers to help drive the stock prices. Eventually, after driving gold prices up to ridiculous levels, the treasury did the unthinkable, it released around 40 million dollars of gold. Forcing the price of gold to drop like a rock, causing some investors to lose thousands of dollars. Driving most into bankruptcy. This crash shows corruption in the businessmen who drove up the price of gold for their own benifit, often at the exspense of others, as well as the stupidity of president Grant. Grant could have easily seen the crash coming, yet did nothing, and did not control the treasury, which panicked and dumped all the gold it was willing to get rid of onto the market. The crash could have easily been avoided if Grant had instructed treasury to loose gold over a period of time to gradually lower the price of gold. The crash that would have followed would still hurt, but not nearly as bad as the one that affected the entire rest of the U.S.
The Gilded age did not only affect finances, it also affected the world of politics. This was a time of “Tiptoe-Politics,” or that congressmen and the like were very calm and quiet. No politicians emerged and shook congress with their charisma or skill with politics. Political records were often meager and trivial and most often political positions were won by a “waiving of a bloodied shirt.” Which meant that a politician bragged of a past military position to win him a political occupation. The republican and democratic parties were somewhat evenly balanced. Presidents who won in the Gilded Age won by a hair’s breadth. This balanced was because of a deal that the democrats had struck with the republicans. Right after the civil war and President Johnson’s term was up the democrats would put Grant, a republican, into the white house ( the presidential election went to the house of representatives as there was no candidate with an electoral college win) as long as the republicans agreed to take out the troops out of the south. The troops were carrying out reconstruction that the radical republicans had planned for the south after the assassination of president Lincoln. The reconstruction plan was harsh at best and the South wanted to go back to how it used to be. Throwing up its arms in frustration, the north finally gave up trying to “help” the south and took the deal for the White House. By taking this deal, the north’s commitment to equality for all was left in the air and the north went back to what it does best, scheming and making money.
All in all, this was not a auspicious time for America. It was corrupt to a great extent and it showed that Americans are a truly greedy and wish to gain power for themselves, even at the extent of others. The “Gilded Age” is exactly as Mark Twain describes it. Shining and brilliant on the outside, worthless and dull on the inside. ( Parallelism)
During the period 1872 to 1900 in the United States, corruption grew in its industrial cities to a very large extent. However, while there was indeed a significant influence of corruption on American economics, politics, and social factors, this “Gilded Age”, as Mark Twain sarcastically remarked, did posses important honorable qualities amidst the false actions in America’s people. This period encountered both advantages and disadvantages of corruption in the US government’s active support of deception finance of politicians; the growth of financial issues after political party differences collapsed; while increasing American economic activity reached an abundance. Though the initial view of the Gilded Age may have held simply corrupt practices, such actions constructed the future superiority of American economic power in the world.
The late 1800s brought many ”unnoticed” presidents as corruption grew under their administration, whether they knew or not, as presidents such as Grant blindly supported deception in his own cabinet. These actions bilked many out of their money through government funded projects consciously stretched the US Treasury, such as the overextended construction of the US railroad by two companies to extend their funding. This shows that the early signs of corruption influenced the coarse of the United States since the railroads could never have connected. Early deceptions to get rich would only follow after seeing the US government act as a bigot system while businessmen reaped the benefits (synecdoche). This pattern of deceit only entered the daily life of politics as a result.
Corruption dictated action in American politics as loyalties between political parties was even stretched, and many questioned Congress’s decisions under Grant’s presidency. The deceit had grown so much it became enough to where the Liberal Republican Party formed apart from the Republican parties, called to end the corruption within the Branches of the U.S. as they supported Horace Greeley in his run for the presidency, along with Democrat help, confirming the few differences, as they both followed similar objectives. The small differences between parties created less powerful politicians, and political disputes were unimportant, such as race and finance. Politics stayed reduced until decades to follow, when true major issues would form.
Amidst the political and financial chaos, American industry continued its exponential growth as manufactured goods became more and more common, along with other familiar economic goods. Tariffs were placed to tax farmers and prevent them security in the trade of their own personal goods, while industry influenced the trade of good in the people of the U.S. amidst a growing financial depression. With a large labor force still established in the South (still mostly African Americans forced into the sharecropping business), a great output of American trade birthed a requirement for efficiency, yet at the cost of the common people’s lifestyle. American Industry would soon become as recognized as it would be in the 1920s following World War 1.
While corruption was a leading issue in this time period, given its sarcastic nickname, “The Gilded Age” helped establish the modern U.S. economy and political polices to adjust to its advancements in so many areas of lifestyle. Among many evils, the United States advanced into a new age of recognition with some bumps along the way.
The time from 1872-1900, coined as the “Gilded Age” (TO COVER WITH A THIN LAYER OF GOLD) by American author Mark Twain, was mainly characterized by a large amount of political and economic corruption. During this time many people emphasized anything relatively good (the tin layer of gold) to distract from the many problems (the worthless metal) occurring. There were several underlying problems in America during the “Gilded Age”; first, there was strong competition between the Republican and Democratic parties; second, the rich were becoming even richer at the expense of the poor; finally, women and incoming immigrants were seeking equal rights. Therefore, to a large extent, this time period was completely corrupted in terms of political, economic and social factors, but it has many key redeeming factors.
The Gilded Age of 1872-1900 was an era where corruption, scheming, and scandals reached an all-time low. However, despite deception being a recurring aspect of this late nineteenth century life, it was because of such corruption that good and helpful features were able to come out of the Gilded Age. First, political injustices engendered the need for more effective reform movements; second, problems posed by unregulated businesses led to the introduction of new policies in order to harness a degree of control over industries’ monopolies; third, social unrest between disputing groups galvanized the government into attempting to mend what was crooked. Therefore, because of political, economic, and social reasons, although this time period was, to a large extent, very corrupted, the Gilded Age still brought about crucial reform movements that did much to benefit the American nation.
Politics during the Gilded Age proved to be inconsistent and shaky. Corruption was so widespread in this time that not even the White House ranks were exempt from it, as seen in President Grant’s administration. From members of Grant’s cabinet (bold) to his private secretary to his Secretary of War and even to his own vice president (end bold), Grant’s organization was severely tainted upon the unveiling of numerous scandals that his administration had been participant to, one of which included the infamous 1872 Credit Mobilier scandal where government officials accepted bribes in exchange for covering up the railroad corporation fraud. Grant’s toleration of dishonesty within his administration as well as his loyalty to crooked friends further revealed how deeply corruption penetrated the country. Amidst “bloody shirt” campaigning and personality platforms utilized for post-war presidential elections, a “shady” aspect of politics remained the spoils system, which ultimately resulted in unqualified people being granted federal offices merely for being faithful political supporters. However, when this system inevitably spiraled out of hand (as in the assassination of President Garfield by office seeker Charles Guiteau), Congress addressed the problem of federal jobs by passing the Pendleton Act in 1883 that created the Civil Service Commission. This civil-service reform act helped set up a fairer political system for the future of the American people.
During the Gilded Age, American industry continued to flourish, partly because big American businesses were protected by the high tariffs enacted from the Civil War. Out of all these businesses, however, the railroads especially were able to enjoy an extensive, no-competition monopoly over interstate transportation. This wide control that they possessed further opened up opportunities for scam, and often, those who purchased bonds pertaining to the railroad industry were exploited by the promoters. As a result of this rampant abuse of monopoly, the Interstate Commerce Act was passed in 1887, which established the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad business, and that also prohibited rebates. Three years later, the government continued with the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, attempting to further curb corruption in businesses by ordering trusts to be broken up. Thus, in the midst of all this deceit and scheming, it was the effects of the corruption that spurred action to be taken by the government.
(Last paragraph)
In 1872, a third party known as the Liberal Republican party took form. Bonded together by their common desire for government reform after the shameful Grant administration, the Liberal Republicans bravely went up against the regular Republicans in the next presidential election. With the Liberal Republicans’ candidate being New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley and with the regular Republicans fighting to reelect Grant, the two parties went head-to-head in the mudslinging campaign of 1872. Grant prevailed for a second term, but although the Liberal Republicans lost the election, the unrest that they caused between them and the regular Republicans was enough to make the regular Republicans move to clean up some of the unwanted things currently happening in the government. This was done by instituting a “mild civil service reform” and by “removing political disabilities” from most of the Confederate leaders. Therefore, even though corruption dominated the majority of the Gilded Age, crucial and redeemable progress was made in that era.
Mark Twain was one of the first people to ever refer to the years succeeding the Civil War as the “Gilded Age” taking place from 1872-1900. A majority of the threat was predicated upon the underlying sense of corruption disguised covertly beneath a transparent blanket of worth. The truth behind this codename allowed it to carry on to the present day, hence the reason why we refer to it this way even now. However, despite numerous complications arising during this time period, there were a few constructive qualities thrown into the mix of chaos. First, the country had become increasingly divided between “haves” and “have-nots”, yet still developed at an admirable economical rate; second, politics were becoming more fraudulent by the day as religion was brought to the attention of the public, while at the same time radically centered uprisings altered various relations for the better; and third, the technology of the era both endangered and aided the United States’ potential for greater challenges on a much larger scale. Thus, for these political, economic, and technological reasons, the Gilded Age was a time of not only extraordinary national unrest, but so too of major advancements to a historical and scientific extent. First, because the country had split into two distinct sectional groups, the “haves” and the “have-nots”, the unparalleled upsurge in wealth was contested by the nation itself. For instance, railroads and telephone lines created new entrepreneur prospects in addition to less expensive consumer goods. Although, due to the tight economically fragmented state of society many of the devastatingly poor workers were barely able to hold their own ground under this novel disunion, while others lived in luxurious homes and grew completely immersed in their prosperity. This sharp and sudden increase in affluence (though beneficial to the later technological innovations) proved to be the nation’s undoing as is displayed through the every twenty year panics and eventual Great Depression of the late 1800’s under President Grover Cleveland. (BOLD) It is best described as somewhat of a delightful burden overall (BOLD). Second, the politics developed a knotty situation when religion was brought into the fusion of progression and vice. Legislation, was energetic and looked forward to, after much enfranchising, voter participation rates were reaching an all-time high. Nevertheless, even though Democrats and Republicans had quite a few identical ideas, they were still primarily dissimilar. For instance, Republicans traced their lineage all the way back to the Puritans(consequentially bringing up witchcraft), Democrats were much like Lutherans and Roman Catholics, and lastly, Democrats had strong southern support, while Republicans held robust northern backing. Stark differences such as these led to turbulence when James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur who had opposing religious views stepped into office, changing the course of presidential religious stances. Most of the future revolts as a result of the harsh seizing under prosperous elites took a rather violent turn, disturbing the landscape and supporting absolute class warfare. But whether they realized it at the time or not, they had begun to usher in a new age of optimistic labor relations and under this new political order, the oil empire was built. Though, at the end of the day, there is a lesson to be learned. (BOLD) Three words for politicians: frustration, tools, consequences (BOLD).
And third, the technology of the age was both a benefit and a detriment to the country as a whole. For example, the growing expanse of factories was favorable in terms of industry, but risky and hazardous to workers, leading to more social outcries. These previously renowned farming techniques and long term craftsmen were being confronted by the arrival of society’s newest industrial financial gentry, piloting insightful changes in modernization and discovery.(BOLD) If there is something to overlook, than in overlooking, the event itself is entirely overlooked.(BOLD). Due to these partisan, monetary, and industrial reasons, this façade of perfection with an underlying sense of the truthfully darkened reality of the matter is the defining essence of the Gilded Age, notwithstanding the positive aspects of the American widespread epidemic and progression. (BOLD) The Gilded Age was not entirely enjoyable, but at least it was not unbearable (BOLD).
Antiphrasis
Brachylogy
Polyptoton
Antanagoge
BLOGS ARE LATE AFTER THIS ENTRY!
Mark Twain was the first person to ever refer to the years succeeding the Civil War as the “Gilded Age” taking place from 1872-1900. The Gilded Age was a period of rapid economic growth but also much social conflict. The Gilded Age, which spanned the concluding three decades of the nineteenth century, was one of the most dynamic, contentious, and volatile periods in American history. America's industrial economy exploded, generating unprecedented opportunities for individuals to build great fortunes but also leaving many farmers and workers struggling merely for survival. Record numbers of citizens voted in national elections, but the politicians they voted for were often lackluster figures who turned a blind eye to the public interest. It was, as Dickens might have said, the best of times and the worst of times. But even that train of thought did not hit the bull’s-eye. It's not sufficient to say that the Gilded Age was a time of high highs and low lows; the highs and lows were actually often deeply intertwined parts of the exact same developments. In other words, the highs often were the lows, and vice versa. In the Gilded Age, every dark cloud had its silver lining… and every silver lining had its dark cloud. Reformers decried the way urban politicians turned corruption into a way of life—but those same crooked politicians also provided vital services to working-class and immigrant neighborhoods. The Gilded Age was a dynamic age of incredible economic opportunity, just as it was a harsh era of incredible economic exploitation. The Gilded Age has been often portrayed as one of those dark periods in American history—a period of greed and corruption, of brutal industrial competition and harsh exploitation of labor. But buried beneath this one-dimensional representation is a much more complex set of facts. There is no purely negative side and no truly positive side of this age, it blended in together to become one. For starters, even the harshest aspects of the period possessed their more positive elements. Monopolies brought order and efficiency, and wealth allowed philanthropy. But perhaps even more important, oppression itself inspired creative responses that helped to build modern America. Industrial workers were exploited, but they responded by forming the organizations that would gradually improve their wages and working conditions. Farmers lost money and much of their traditional influence on national affairs, but they too worked to establish the organizations and methods that would preserve their place in American life, and they are still around today so one would say they kept their place well. Businessmen faced devastating competitive forces and financial chaos in the marketplace, but they developed the new structures and strategies that would allow contemporary American corporate capitalism to flourish, which in turn means they flourished in their business of choice. And citizens endured antidemocratic rule by corrupt machine politicians, but they began to push for the reforms that would soon restore a measure of democracy to urban politics, meaning they were going to be more involved and have a say about what goes on in the government.
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
Characterized by consecutive “Forgettable Presidents” with flawed administrations, The Gilded Age of 1872-1900 was an era of excessive controversy and scandal. However, the recurring corruption that erupted during the Gilded Age allowed for positive effects in the late nineteenth century. First, political misconduct resulted in a growing demand for more competent reform movements; second, social turmoil amongst opposing groups stimulated the governments attempts to improve society; and thirdly, issues brought about by uncontrolled businesses engendered new regulations in order to grasp some control over small businesses in industry. Thus, for political, social, and economic reasons, corruption during the Gilded Age was commonplace, but the positive qualities that emerged redeemed the negative aspects to a great extent.
The government was shown to be quite unpredictable and insecure during the Gilded Age. Corruption, although seen in society frequently, was so extensive that even the White House authorities were included. President Ulysses S. Grant's administration is an example of this, as members of his cabinet, his private secretary, and his own vice president took part in numerous scandals during his two terms. The perverse 1872 Credit Mobilier scandal was just one of the many controversial issues that arose during this time period, in which government officials approved bribes in order to conceal the railroad corporation fraud. President Grant tolerated the dishonesty to a surprising extent, a representation of the widespread corruption that existed in the United States. Post-war presidential elections proved to be a crooked aspect of politics, with “bloody shirt” campaigning and new party platforms. The spoils system resulted in incompetent employees working superior professions in federal offices for simply being loyal political followers. It did not take long for this illogical system to get out of control, and Congress passed the Pendleton Act of 1883 in order to create the Civil Service Commission and establish a more equal political system for the American people. Industry in America during the Gilded Age thrived abundantly in part due to large businesses that were preserved by high tariffs. Railroad monopolies were especially successful as they did not see much competition and had a leg up over interstate transportation. The vast control they maintained resulted in numerous opportunities for exploitation and scam. Many who bought bonds related to the railroad industry were often cheated by the promoters for financial gain. In order to gain control over the aggressive abuse of the transportation industries, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. This act established the Interstate Commerce Commission in order to control the railroad industry and ban rebates. The government passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act just three short years later, forcing trusts to be broken up in order to rid business corruption.
Therefore, the rampant corruption that erupted during the Gilded Age era eventually led to positive outcomes, including additional regulations enabling the government to better its policies. Its previously pessimistic connotation may be looked at in a different light, knowing that had the corruption not existed, the positive results could never have become a reality. (BOLD) The Gilded Age was not particularly pleasing for most, but at least it wasn't intolerable. (BOLD)
DO NOT FORGET TO BOLD THE RHETORICAL DEVICE YOU USED and then LABEL WHAT IT WAS.
Tristan Mauricio
Periods 1&6
1/14/13
The following decades after the Civil War up until the beginning of the 20th century would not be all that pleasant but absolutely crucial to the growth of the country. "The Gilded Age" is a metaphor for how rotten the Country really was under the table, it was characterized by corruption, but constructive corruption, an age of major Industrialization and exponential growth. Socially, new laws that the Civil War that would defeat the purpose of the Civil War would take place in the South; politically, the country would face politicians and Presidents that were characterizing forgettable; and economically we would undergo the growth that would put us at the top perhaps one of the most crucial stages of our growth. Therefore socially, politically, and economically the Gilded Age was awkward but essential to us in a weird way.
After the Civil War Abraham Lincoln would assure that there would be a Reconstruction of the South up until he was assassinated at the beginning of his second Presidential term. His plan was meant to reunite the North and South as smoothly as possible with zero conflict, however despite his efforts the North would not be united as he had foreseen and whatever the Civil War had been fought for would have no implication whatsoever. The Reconstruction that had taken place in the South should not have been called a success because in fact it was far from that, to the point where the North had decided to abandon the project. The South could not be repaired over night and the main purpose of the Civil War was not taken seriously and just showed how much the North wanted to keep moving forward. Soon after the War had ended thousands of newly freed began to move North to move into the cities and one would think the North would take them in right away but in fact it was the opposite with laws that would restrict Blacks from moving out of the South. As oddly as it sounds, if Congress had remained in the hands of the Republicans then our industrial and size of the country would have been delayed. By the time the Reconstruction had lingered for about 20 years the South had successfully re-implanted its leaders back into Congress and would control the White House, even the Presidency despite all of the efforts the Republicans had done to prevent that. With Congress back in the control of the Southern Democrats the Reconstruction would end and the Blacks would not be granted the rights that they were promised. With politics and social developments out of the way the largest impact the Gilded Age had and the reason to its name would be from all of the confusion Economics had caused. During this time period many people would invest in their personal lives and devise very cunning and sneaky plans to make it rich and fast. For example the Transcontinental Railroad had begun construction during the Civil War and had to be completed. Two different companies would take up that challenge but both had convinced Congress to fund the construction yet both would simply pocket that money and cheat just about everyone but themselves to gain a quick buck. The Railroad could have been constructed in mere months but the companies had purposely taken years to complete the task. But in the end the major Industrialization of this period would allow us to become a major superpower and prepare for the Wars to come. The "Gilded Age" may have been an age of corruption but it was one of the most important.
Kyle McCormick
Period 1/6
In the years following the civil war, the renowned author Mark Twain Coined the time period of 1872-1900 as the gilded age. This time period produced a series of unadorned presidents, many corrupt politicians, and entrepreneurs looking to earn a large income as fast as possible. During election years the men who would run for President would often run smear campaigns attacking the opponent’s personal life, religious beliefs, and even in one case eating choices. It was common for the candidates to bribe fellow pollutions with money or with better political positions. During this time of extortion and greed, there were however a few positive consequences due to the voracity of the wealthy. The greed of many would vastly skyrocket the industry in the United States, The increased industry created jobs, the creation of these jobs allowed more cash flow which allows increased spending per individual household; the increase in spending largely improves the economic standing of the country.(anaphora) One of the most noteworthy achievements of the “gilded age” is the construction of the transcontinental railroad connecting the east and the west United States allowing for easier travel. Nevertheless the building of the railroad was not of ease, it took many negotiations between the government and the railroad owners to receive funding to build the railroad. The government would pay the builders for the amount of track that was laid down therefore the central pacific railroad would build the tracks in a “S” with as many turns as possible in order to revive more government funding. The original agreement with the government was that the railroad companies would receive $16,000 for every mile of track laid down in the flat lands, $32,000 for every mile of track laid in the foothills, and for in the mountains the government would pay $48,000 for every mile of track. However one year later the railroad companies and the workers we able to negotiate for a higher pay; the government agreed to double the amount paid for every mile as well as give hundreds of archers of land that by the time the project was finished and the Central Pacific rail road from the west and the Union Pacific from the east connected there tracks, the government had given away enough acreage to take up all of California and Minnesota combine. We now see similar effects in modern day workers’ unions and it is possible that the building of the rail road contributed to that.
Mark Twain refers to the time period after the civil war are the “gilded age” to gild something means to lightly cover in gold, in other words he is sarcastically calling the time form 1872 through 1900 the golden age. But was he wrong?(rhetorical question) Because although this was a time of corrupt government and rapaciousness the industrialization of the United States America skyrocketed as well did the economy.
Period 3&4
Anthony luna
From 1872 to the 1900’s there was a virus of political and economic corruption infecting members of cabinets, Congress, railroad barons, and stock speculators. Mark Twain called this time period the gilded age because corruption and greed was covered with a coating of gold. This time period had rapid economic growth which generated vast wealth, new products and technologies came about that improved the quality of life for the middle class, however industrial workers and farmers did not share in the new prosperity, politicians were largely corrupted, and Americans wanted reforms but couldn’t decide on what kind. America’s extraordinary levels of wealth during this time led to railroads, telephone lines, and created greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and cheaper consumer goods. Society increasingly became divided. Poor workers would have to struggle to survive against an emerging industrial and financial aristocracy. However, whether rich or poor all could tell that changes were occurring in America. During this time voter participation greatly increased but corruption infected American politics. Politicians took bribes and rewarded their supporters with posh government jobs. Elections had high turnout and extraordinarily close results, but neither major party pursued ambitious policies. These politics believed that the economic elite should be allowed to pursue its endeavors with small government interference. Urban politics were controlled by powerful organizations that would exchange jobs and contracts for political loyalty. The politicians running these organizations always took a bit of the top for themselves. These political and economic elite capitalized on Americas greatly expanded wealth and these generated more corruption. Industrial workers received low wages and worked in dangerous conditions. These workers often went on long and violent strikes. Farmers during this time also capitalized on the new technologies but they suffered with increased competition, saturated markets, and falling prices for their produce. Their share in the American wealth had declined. There were some positives during the gilded age. Most of these positives were advances in technology. The train system was also very good for America because it connected the west and the east, and the companies laying the tracks made anywhere from $16,000 to $48,000 for every mile per track. These train tracks made transportation to towns easier and safer. Thus during the gilded age the government was very much corrupted and often politicians looked for opportunities for their own gain. There was a greater divide in the social classes and many problems for farmers and industrial workers. However technology advanced greatly, but corruption still infected the government. Was this era filled with corruption in the government? Rhetorical Question
Michael Wakeley
Corrupt and decrepit, the Gilded Age was a putrid era, but it shone with the acts of a few. Impressive on the surface Mark Twain coined the term for the decade, and although the core was rotten, the golden surface must represent some of the positive attributes of the time. The time period was an era where the nation was changing in a major way, moving forward into the 20th century into a major contender in the world. Technological advances allowed for the creation of an American powerhouse of industry through both world wars and on to today; secondly the changes in labor united the workers to allow for a brighter future for them and their children, benefiting the nation and its poor; and thirdly this time period was a backboard that allowed for the nation to improve and to create a reputable government with this era as a representative of the corruption to strive against. Therefore for technological, social, and political reasons the gilded age was a time period of improvement rather than a beacon of unrest and depravity.
The advancement in technological and electrical advancements would help bring the budding nation into the world theater. The creation of widespread industrialized factories allowed the nation to produce with such fervor that it would carry the American cause through two world wars. As well as cause a robust and steady stream of income that would elevate the American people onto a level of wealth that would far exceed the standard for the common person in most of history due to the production and availability of work in these factories. And with the creation of interchangeable parts in these factories the cost of production plummeted and efficiency soared, raising stock and drastically improving profits, further benefiting the American economy. The production of the railroads although corrupt at its source, provided an invaluable service to the nation. Not only by creating a vast influx of jobs for the ever growing nation the railroads opened the unity of the whole of the continent, for the first time the idea of a continental nation felt genuine. The railroad also allowed the nation to be colonized at a far faster rate by scattering its people all along the continent. With the spread of ideas so rampant, the creation of important inventions owe this era to their birth, with creations that would shock the world, like the telegraph.
The factories at their birth were a dark and corrupt place, but the influx of the population brought more and more to their doors. And in time these constructs united its people of all different faiths and races to one common cause and brought them together to fight for what they felt they were owed and deserved for their work. In order to get their rights whole groups fought to bring about a change. By uniting they not only eventually gained their lifestyle increases by bringing about a platform of unity that would allow many groups in their future to gain the entirety of the rights they feel they deserve. The unity of the people brought about a new sense of nationalism for the masses in addition to their pay raises, the people felt a sense of hope on the horizon, and a brighter future.
(part Two)
The idea exists that history repeats itself, unless you observe your past and learn from your mistakes. The large scale corruption of the political elite would eventually tumble and actors in its creation such as Tweed would never gain in the end. Tweed and his likenesses would suffer jail time and lose the platform they had created. Bringing about a colossal change in the current regime, with the corrupt displaced, a whole new group would take their place with the ideas of this movement fresh in their minds, the newly reformed parties would bring about a change for the better and light a beacon of change and reform that would shine into the future.
The unity caused from this time period, the social, technological, and political changes would unite the nation as a whole; it was the gilded age where we began our metamorphosis from diverse groups into the single most powerful nation in the history of mankind.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
The period between 1872 and 1890 in America was called the Gilded Age, coined by Mark Twain. A time of great economic prosperity and brotherly love on the outside, but underneath was corruption and scandal. However, the extent to which this scandalous behavior was utterly corrupt is slight when the benefits and growth are juxtaposed with the fraud for three main reasons. First, the economic gap between rich and poor allowed for the creation of a larger and more prosperous economy; second, had the shortcuts taken in many industries – especially the meat industry – (parenthesis) not have been discovered, health codes would not have been put into existence; third, the prejudice that most immigrants dealt with was the start of not only anti-segregation laws but it allowed for the eventual assimilation of different races and cultures that make the US the melting pot. Therefore, for economic, nasty, and social reasons, the Gilded Age had more gold than it is usually given credit.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
The period between 1872 and 1890 in America was called the Gilded Age, coined by Mark Twain. A time of great economic prosperity and brotherly love on the outside, but underneath was corruption and scandal. However, the extent to which this scandalous behavior was utterly corrupt is slight when the benefits and growth are juxtaposed with the fraud for three main reasons. First, the economic gap between rich and poor allowed for the creation of a larger and more prosperous economy; second, had the shortcuts taken in many industries – especially the meat industry – (parenthesis) not have been discovered, health codes would not have been put into existence; third, the prejudice that most immigrants dealt with was the start of not only anti-segregation laws but it allowed for the eventual assimilation of different races and cultures that make the US the melting pot. Therefore, for economic, nasty, and social reasons, the Gilded Age had more gold than it is usually given credit.
With the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 came the formations of the first unions, or “trusts.” These trusts cornered the railroad business and gave all the profit to those involved while smaller competitors were, well, not competition. The creators of the first railroad trust were Huntington, Stanford, and Crocker. They all made millions by cheating their workers and passengers as well as by having no competition. These corrupt dealings, although painful for the poor, paved the way for a much stronger economy. With the trusts keeping things running as quickly as possible, goods and people could be shipped cross country for cheaper and quicker. Trade boomed which increased the cash flow and strengthened the American economy as a whole. People could also go west quicker. The railroad tracks quickly became the veins for the lifeblood given by the iron horse (goods and people for the highest bidding towns.) (parenthesis.) Those who looked to the flesh and blood horse as their life supply quickly realized it was outdated. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was published in 1906. It was a tragic tell all tale (anaphora) that uncovered the dirty – literally – (parenthesis) secrets of the meatpacking industry. He was a muckraker to those whose careers he severely injured. However, to the general public he was a discoverer, a hero, a savior! (auxesis) Thanks to Sinclair’s revealing book the authorities became aware of the disgusting situation and in the same year The Jungle was published, the Pure Food and Drug Act was put into place. Without the gristle of this industry being uncovered the government would not have put a stop to it. Disease would have continued spreading in both animal and human populations. Had cattle populations decreased, less could’ve been shipped and sold, ending many people’s livelihoods. The health codes that were formed after the Pure Food and Drug Act are a large reason for the United States having one of the highest rates of people living longest. Finally, the suffering that most immigrants went through in the early 1900’s with segregation led to the eventual legal end of it. America is now called the Great Melting Pot, where all races are accepted and assimilated into one culture. Had all these immigrants had an easy, instant, American dream kind of experience, the ethic of hard work would not have been built into the culture. Overall, the corruption, underhanded dealings, and difficulties that were faced by most pale in comparison to the powerful changes it made in America for the better. The Gilded Age was the dawn of a new century and as corruption becomes more evident, so do the benefits.
(this program does not allow bolding or I am just not computer literate enough to figure it out - sorry, hopefully the parentheses were clear)
Annika Newman
Periods 1 &4
I forgot to identify which rhetorical device I used in my essay....It was Antanagoge!
Krizelle DeGuzman
Period 1 and 4
The time frame from 1872-1900 was dubbed the “Gilded Age” by Mark Twain meaning that the times may have seemed alright from the outside but all of that was achieved through dirty deeds. In order to cover up all of the corruption and deceit during this time, there was a fine layer of value that was unfortunately coupled with some undesirable features. First, the rich became even richer from the cheap labor but this made room for a more thriving economy; Second, political immorality led to the growing demand for more appropriate conform movements; Lastly, social differences between brawling groups left the government trying to mend the situation. Therefore for economic, political, and social reasons, the Gilded Age did have a few redeemable qualities that were able to cover the rest of the turmoil.
The corruption in this age becomes apparent with the dawn of the life changing railroad business (hyperbole). The vast power they were able to control led to many possibilities of scam. Railroad promoters were famous for cheating gullible customers and in 1872 a railroad construction company overcharged for construction costs to taxpayers and manipulated the share prices; this became known as the Credit Mobilier Scandal. Grant, who was president during this unfortunate time, happened to be the president and turned a blind eye to the corruption surrounding him. Although the railroad was constructed through twisted ways, the railroads were still completed. This opened up the possibility for a flourishing economy. Farmers could extend their crop quantities for larger profit because they could be brought to a greater expanse quickly for a cheaper price. In this way the food would not spoil. In general the railroads brought about a boom in trade which produced an increase in cash flow. People were also able to transport quicker too. More people had the opportunity to travel to the West because it was more affordable.
Politics was especially affected by the tempting power and or wealth that corruption could offer. Post-war elections now included the new election war tactic of waving the “bloody shirt”. Unqualified employees began to take the jobs in federal office just because they were simply loyal, committed members of a particular party due to the increasingly used spoils system at the time. As predicted the spoils system eventually got too chaotic and out of control leading to the Civil Service Commission in 1883 after Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, who believed that Chester Arthur (the current vice president), would offer him a high paying job for his crime.
In 1877 the leaders of the 4 largest railroads unintentionally got their laborers to rise against them in protest by deciding to cut back pay by 10%. At first, the railroad strike was somewhat successful since progress on creating the rails stopped. Then things began to fall as ethnic friction made it too hard to cooperate and President Hayes was forced to send in troops as things began to get violent. The labor movement was weak but it persevered for their cause of better working conditions.
The Gilded age, 1872 - 1893, is one of the most infamous time of American history because it marked a time of political and economic instability and a series of “Forgettable presidents”. The Gilded age was a time of enormous growth that attracted many families from Europe and Asia. The more prominent industry of the time was the railroads, but factories, mining and labor unions also gained importance. The Panic of 1873 and 1893 were two of the famous depressions that interrupted the great growth of industry. The South, after the Civil War, was economically devastated, therefore the Union states of the North and West were the more helpful areas of growth and prosperity. The South’s economy continuously relied on cotton and tobacco, which were suffering very low prices, even after the Civil war. Although, the worst setbacks were of the African Americans for their rights of political power and their right to vote was taken away from them. Despite all of the corruption, turnouts were high and the elections were very close. But the most dominant issue was the issue of rights for Black Americans, tariff policy and monetary policy. People were working all over the country to fix Americas then current issues; hospitals and colleges were being built, reformers worked for civil rights, prohibition and women’s suffrage, and many religious denominations exerted a completely new lifestyle. Mark Twain (Samuel Longhorne Clemens) and Charles Dudley Warner coined the term The Gilded Age by using a metaphor and saying that is was an era of serious social problems hidden by a thin layer of gold. In the novel, writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner satirizes greed and political corruption in post-Civil War America. But the term “The Gilded Age” be metaphoric on many levels. Unlike “golden”, which has many positive associations of beauty and value, the word “Gilded” carries significance of cheap foundations, flimsiness, and falsehood (Illiteration). Mark Twain uses this metaphor to show that the time was all about the social climbers that were all show and no substance, like a gold-painted trinket. A simpler metaphor is simply the idea of gold, as the time was all about wealth and power, which gold symbolizes. The time between the end of the Civil War and the turn of the nineteenth century marked a time of new Technologies, cheap immigrant labor, new methods of industrialization, and, of course, the amazing railroad. All of which paved a way for huge growth in the business sector. But when it comes to government the time it was not near as strong as the businesses. The government was almost completely ignorant of the way the businesses were operating, both legally and illegally. The government couldn’t find the power to deal with any of the cutthroat businesses of the time, so they were all allowed to proceed without any correction. Competition of the Time was extremely fierce, and if a business didn’t like a certain way of operating but it was the only way to have a successful business, they would have to suck it up and use it anyway or be forced out of business.
All entries after this point are EXTREMELY late or redone efforts.
[UNFINISHED]
To say something is ‘gilded’ is to describe it as something that is thinly covered in gold. And, while the last couple decades of 19th century America are not usually remembered as the most fair and pure times of history,* that very thin but very significant layer of gold still resides amongst those years. Within such a dark shadow of corruption, some of the few stones that tend to gloom just a little brighter than the others would include first, the innovative advances in technology made during this time that assisted in pushing the country towards a more powerful, international standing; second, the numerous political injustices of the government that helped produce such an iron-clad resolve towards the most cogent methods of reform; and third, the appearance of more restricting and controlling policies upon the ever looming and powerful influence of multiple industries. Therefore, had it not been for the corrupt as well as reputable aspects of these political, economic, and innovative factors of the Gilded Age, the United States of America that we all know of today would surely be farther back along the line of progression.
The train with its railroad marked path had been invented long before Abraham Lincoln even became president of the United States. However, it was during the Gilded Age that the earliest Transcontinental Railroad made its first impacting appearance. Not only did this innovation provide a new mode of transportation that cut the length of travel between separate ends of the continent down by more than one half, but it also helped connect farms, mines, ranches, and other more isolated production areas with the rest of the population in a way that boosted their commercial worth as well as create a truly national marketplace. Other advances that stimulated economic growth can be found within the American factory systems and their ongoing strive for even more efficiency. And, while the factory owners watched their efficiency rate grow with each new innovation, the majority of these business tycoons in turn did what they could to prevent the formation of workers’ unions in order to maintain these benefiting economical rates. But, despite the unpleasant working conditions, the production of these factories held great significance in the creation of the huge national economy that allowed the United States to become the super power that it is today.
*Apophasis or Litotes
Though the time period of 1872- 1900 is often written off as an age of forgettable presidents and unforgettable corruption, Mark Twain’s moniker of The Gilded Age reminds us that there was a thin layer of value covering this otherwise dark and ugly era. Through technological advancements, the short-lived success of the Populist Movement, and myriad examples of what should not be allowed to transpire ever again, this Gilded Age marked an important transition in American history and was instrumental in shaping the nation as the twentieth century dawned.
With the horrors of the Civil War in the past, America was able to dive headlong into the world of industrialization. Perhaps the most significant technological achievement of this time was the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad which physically linked the east and west coast with iron ties. The railroad allowed for a whole new chapter in American history; raw and manufactured goods could now be transported to all parts of the country, drawing in both foreign and domestic investors. The railroad gave birth to a booming steel industry and made millionaires out of men like Andrew Carnegie. The railroad also precipitated a fresh wave of immigration as Europeans came to America in search of jobs and land. (Anaphora) Without the iron horse, the United States would have been unable to grow itself into the world power it is today.
As part of an elite group of third parties to actually join the electoral column, the Populists provided for the much needed voice of the common people in this Era of Good Stealings. As champions of free silver, the Populists set out to defend the interests of the American farmer and tirelessly crusaded for more power to be turned over to the people. While much of their platform was obviously faulty, the Populists’ message was refreshing in an age where the government was willing to bow down to the sway of economic titans. Although this movement was unable to produce a successful candidate it called attention to the rampant corruption of the time and helped the country return to a more honorable homeostasis.
As one studies the records of years past, the fact that history always repeats itself is unavoidably true. With this in mind, the Gilded Age serves an important role in our nation’s story by providing an unsightly example of the consequences of allowing the government’s checks and balances to become uneven. Catastrophe almost befell the US economy with James Fisk and Jay Gould’s dastardly scheme to corner the gold market which would have given them almost complete control of the economy. The Hayes-Tilden Standoff of 1876 brought about the end of Reconstruction in return for the presidency, sending the south into the dark and backwards chasm of the Jim Crow Laws. (Metaphor) Volatile nativism brought about the unprecedented Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, marking the first time that America had ever set legislation against immigration. And perhaps the best example of the dark core of this supposedly glorious time period was the Boss Tweed Ring in New York City. Burly “Boss” Tweed served as puppet master, orchestrating elections in order to cheat the city out of nearly $200 million. These atrocities are merely highlights of an ugly era that serves as a reminder of the necessity of checks and balances.
While undeniably shady, the technological advancements and political movements of the Gilded Age stand out as bright stars in the otherwise dark and immoral sky of America at this time. (Metaphor) This time period taught the country the lessons it needed in order to meet the twentieth century head on.
Wow! If you still have not posted your blog entry for this, I don't know what will get you to want to prepare for your essays for AP.
The post Civil War era is often forgotten because of its lackluster qualities. Nicknamed the Gilded Age by Mark Twain, it was filled to the brim with corruption, graft, and scandals, but these were shrouded by a thin layer of positive aspects. First, the country boomed economically and charged into the 20th century as a major world superpower[PERSONIFICATION]; second, cities exploded as America moved to the urban lifestyle; and third, industrial workers and farmers each organized into labor unions. Thus, for specific reasons, The Gilded Age was characterized by both negative and positive attributes.
During this age, America-especially the Northeast-[PARENTHESIS] exploded with industrialization. Mass production provided jobs and manufactured goods to America citizens. One of the major industries was the railroad. It was a transportation revolution and stitched the North, East, South, and West more tightly together. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 and many more sprang up before the end of the century. The railroad was the maker of millionaires and many "lords of the rail" sprang up to reap profits. Although the railroad created an enormous domestic market for American goods, much corruption surrounded the industry. Railroad promoters bribed judges and legislatures, employed lobbyists, and elected people to office through their influence over the vote. Oftentimes, they exercised more direct control over the people than the president. One major scandal was the Credit Mobilier Scandal in 1872. Union Pacific railroad insiders formed a company called the Credit Mobilier construction company, and then hired themselves for highly inflated prices to build the railroad. Even though the scandal was eventually exposed, the government did nothing about it. Also, railroads were able to set their own fees, often charging outrageously high rates. Farmers who who wanted to get their produce to eastern markets were ripped off by the high rates that they could do nothing about. Not until the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 was there any attempt to control the railroad giant.
Urban living had been growing for decades, but in the late 19th century, cities grew exponentially. Before the Civil War, no city in America housed a million people, but by 1890, 3 cities had shot by the million mark. The skyscraper, electric trolleys, electricity, telephones, and indoor plumbing made the city an exciting and fascinating place to live. However, with such sudden and spirited growth,[ALLITERATION] many problems were bound to arise. Trash disposal became a major issue as people became less resourceful. In the 1880s, thousands of New Immigrants from Eastern and South Europe arrived in America. Many settled into the already overcrowded cities and ended up in tenement houses or in slums. Nativism arose to the forefront again as Americans feared that the original Anglo-Saxons would be wiped out. Additionally, industrial workers feared that these New Immigrants would replace them in their factory jobs. The business of ministering to the immigrants' needs fell to unoficial governments of urban political machines such as New York's Boss Tweed and his Tweed Ring who were then able to garner votes and sway elections.
With the enormous growth of factories and industry, the economic independence of the industrial worker decreased. Industrial workers were paid a fixed wage that could be easily changed by the manager and factory conditions were horrible. In order to protect themselves from their moneyed managers, workers organized themselves into Unions such as the National Labor Union, the Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor. In order for these unions to work, members had to put aside their cultural, political, and religious differences and unite. In the Homestead Strike in 1892, both skilled and unskilled workers came together to strike an unfair cut in wages. Strikers lost half of their strikes and unions contained only about 3 percent of the work force. It would be several decades before organized labor would succeed, but these new post Civil War Unions had started on the path toward labor equality.
Bella Crosson
Period 1 & 4
The Guiled Age, the period between 1872 and 1890, the name created by the famous Mark Twain. Known as a time filled with a brotherly love and economic wealth, it was not until people looked under the surface did they find the hidden corruption. Three reasons for this corruption was the prejudice against the many new immigrants dealing with the different races and cultures of the United States; second, many shortcuts were taken in many of the top industries (particularly the meat industry) (parenthesis), such as certain health codes and safety precautions; third the gap between the upper and lower classes allowed for a seemingly larger and stronger economy. Thus, for social, industrial, and economic reasons, the Gilded Age, once uncovered, had more wealth and power than its given credit for.
Completed in 1896, the transcontinental Railroad introduced the first nations (also know as trust) (parenthesis). These cornered the entire railroad business to all who were involved. Unfortunately for the smaller competition, this made them no competition at all. The first railroad creators were Crocker, Huntington, and Stanford. These men cheated million our of both their workers and passengers. Their corrupt dealings paved a way for the new economy. Sadly, the poorer class’s lives became even harder at this time, for they were affected the most. With all these trust working proficiently, prices for shipping not only goods but also people became both cheaper and faster. The cash flow from the prosperous trade system strengthened the United States economy. This also helped with travels. People could now travel to the west quicker than before. The realization that the live horses were outdated came quickly, as the iron horse became a more useful and efficient way to travel. Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, published in 1906, was a tragic tale uncovering the dirty secrets of the entire meat packing industry. Through this book, Sinclair destroyed many jobs, but the general public thought of him as more of a hero, a savior (anaphora). Thanks to this book the public authorities soon became aware of the horrible, disgusting sanitation situation. In 196, the same year the book was published, the Pure Food and Drug Act was put into place. Without this, germs and many different diseases would have kept spreading in both the human and animal populations. If the population of cattle had decreased in this way, less would have been able to have been shipped, sold and eaten, ending many peoples was of life. All of the Health Codes that had been formed after the Pure Food and Drug Act was a main reason for the United States having some of the longest life spans. Last, the heartache that most of the immigrants went through in the early 1900s eventually led to the legal end of it. Now called the Great Melting Pot, America was a place where all races were assimilated into one giant culture, where all are accepted. If it was not for these hardships the integration of hard work and large payoffs would not have happened. In all, the underhanded dealing, difficulties, and the corruption paled in comparison to all the good that occurred. The Gilded Age was the beginning of a great century where both benefits and corruption were present.
Cammie Gelbuda
Period 1 & 4
“Gilded” was coated with a thin layer of gold paint. The society made everything look like it was fine, but in reality it really wasn’t. The Gilded Age was a time of corruption; there were slums, disease, hunger, poor working conditions, and racism. There are two concerns that shaped politics during the time of the “Gilded Age.”
Industrialist and other men were trying to improve themselves at the public expense so they looked like they knew what they were doing. There was alot of corruption and dishonesty in the government. William Tweed who was known as “boss”, carried corruption to new extremes. President Roosevelt compared many reporters who uncovered many problems to men that raked up dirt, and muck in stables. Some people were known as “Muckrakers. For example, Ida Tarbell accused Rockefeller of unfair business practices. Jacob Riles has provided shocking images of how the slums lived. Upton Sinclair told horrifying details about the meat packing industry, where there were many problems such as unhealthy conditions for the animals. Congress passed a law allowing closer inspections of the meat packinghouses.
The “spoils system” would reward political supporters with government jobs when they did not earn it or were unqualified to hold these jobs. This lead to corruption in the government. The railroads were a good business. The unregulated railroads controlled interstate transportation. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act calmed (tamed) business by ordering trusts to be broken up, and prevented monopolies.
There were women in the “Gilded Age”, such as Francis Willard, who was the president of the women Christian temperance union. There were many movements such as the 18th Amendment, which was to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol. Women still did not have equal rights in most states in the late 1800s. Carrie Chapmen Catt worked to win the suffrage state by state. Alice Paul a forceful suffragist, who met with president Woodrow Wilson, believed that the United States failed to be a true democracy because the government refused to give the women the right to vote.
There is a process known as “recall” by which people may vote to remove an elected official from office. This process known as “initiative” allows voters to push a bill before a state legislative. Ida B. Wells is an African American journalist who campaigned against mob violence aimed at African Americans. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery and became an educator who helped push progress for African Americans to learn trades and move up slowly in society. Web Bu Bois was not like Booker T. Washington and was not willing to accept segregation and urged African American’s to fight discrimination rather than submit to it.
The Japanese and Mexicans also faced a lot of discrimination. Many groups helped themselves by forming groups lead by Mexican Americans. In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt created a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Japan. If Japan would stop sending workers he would allow the Japanese women to join with their husbands.
Asyndeton- consists of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.
The Gilded Age from 1872-1900 was rampant with corruption, scandal, controversy, and was an age of “forgettable presidents.” Although this era was a time period frowned upon by most historians, a few constructive qualities spawned a new domestic and foreign policy for America. First, corrupt politicians caused a backlash of greater reform efforts; second, racial and social tensions led to government intervention to quell anger; lastly, new industrialists and capitalists raised the American economy to a new level. Thus, the Gilded Age transformed America, as struggles and turmoil gripped the nation.
The corrupt politicians of Washington caused Americans to have little trust in the government during the Gilded Age. Even members of President Ulysses S. Grant’s cabinet were engaged in scandals, including the Vice President and his private secretary. One such scandal was the Credit Mobilier scandal in 1872. Railroad corporations, before congress could “blow the whistle.” Another scandal was the spoils system. Politicians would provide prestigious federal offices to incompetent employees for simply being a loyal political follower. The Pendleton Act of 1883 was soon passed by congress to end the corruption, and the Civil Service Commission was established to reform politics. Thus, the many scandalous workings of politicians led to greater reform in the American political system.
Many tensions arose between ethnic groups in the late nineteenth century. First, the Jim Crow laws in the post-reconstruction South disenfranchised blacks, even though lynching and tenant farming were already a common practice. Southern states enacted literacy requirements, voter-registration laws, and poll taxes under the Jim Crow laws. The Supreme Court Case of Plessy v. Ferguson initiated a new social order to protect fourteenth amendment rights, yet blacks were still segregated. Another ethnic clash occurred in California as Asian immigrants were regarded as a menace by whites. Denis Kearney organized gangs of “Kearneyites” to terrorize the Chinese, usually by cutting off their precious pigtails, while sometimes committing murder. Congress responsively passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 prohibiting all immigration from China. Thus, the government stepped in to quell racial tension, while also segregating the minorities more as a result.
Captains of Industry, also known as the “moneymen,” introduced big business and a new form of capitalism to the American economy. While monopolies would attempt to leach off of the government, more decent men like John D. Rockefeller and James J. Hill built their businesses from scratch, to become some of the most efficiently-run enterprises in America. James J. Hill built the Great Northern Railroad, and he laid track for efficiency and long-term profit, while not lengthening the route just for more government subsidies as the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific railroads did. Another great capitalist, John D. Rockefeller, kept production costs low through vertical integration, which allowed him to lower oil prices. Lower prices meant more profit, which greatly benefited consumers with both cheaper oil and more job opportunities. Employees of Standard Oil even saw a wage increase and better standard of living. Even as Standard Oil raised the standard of living for Americans through supply and demand, shameful competitors convinced the government to break up Standard Oil with Antitrust regulations. Thus, the Gilded Age saw a birth of big business and industry, despite corrupt government officials and over-regulation.
Therefore, events in the Gilded Age, whether for corruption or prosperity, saw government intervention like never seen before. A new political, social, and economic atmosphere was born in the era, and America began to establish itself as a true superpower. With the American West already conquered, the Gilded Age prepared the nation for a new imperial and expansionist policy that would later expand across the Pacific. (Bold) Should we not learn the history of the Gilded Age, as history is shown to repeat itself? (Bold)
Zachary Vavra
Period 1 & 6
Mark Twain and Charles Dudley named 1877 to 1893 “The Gilded Age” in their book “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today” and to a large extent their interpretation of the events of the time were very accurate. That is, their understanding of the Panic of 1873 and their foresight of the Panic of 1893 is uncanny (Sentential Adverb). There are three reasons that this name is so seemly. First, the economic prosperity of the North was the gold paint that covered the tin that was the economic depression of the South during the remnants of the reconstruction (Metaphor); second, this time period was riddled with “forgettable” presidents despite the North’s incredible growth making them pull ahead of even Britain during the Second Industrial Revolution; and third, Americans convinced themselves that they had abolished slavery when in actuality they had just created new outlets and different ways that it could spread. Therefore, for economic, political, and social reasons the name for this period in time is appropriate.
During this time, the United States, namely the North and the relatively new West, experienced a boost in the growth of the GDP, and overall wealth. They saw an incredible increase internally in the output of wheat, corn, coal and railway track. This helped them get a head start in what would later be called the Second Industrial Revolution. With all of these new technologies, newly discovered resources (coal, oil), and the newly created millionaires one would think that the United States was made of solid gold. But when one takes into account the economic starvation that the south was suffering, the faux nature (the nonprecious metal) of this notion is revealed.
The mask of economic prosperity reached even into the political realm. Many presidents tried and failed to be remembered for the industrial success of the time. Creating a period of time between Lincoln and Roosevelt in which no one remembers the presidents. Even though it was a time in America that was very prosperous and glittered with gold, it lacked the leadership and political peace that it needed to be ultimately more successful.
After the Civil War Americans had thought that they had liberated all blacks from the yolk of slavery but, in actuality they continued on with their sins just naming them different things. The thirteenth amendment, during this time, served as the Gold paint that made the United States look like they had abolished slavery. It merely covered up the racial prejudices that were ever present before during and after the Civil War. And while it was a step in the right direction it just didn't go far enough to change injustices that were already established.
Therefore because of the south’s economic struggle, the lack of social response to the 13th amendment and the lack of political stability and effective leadership Samuel Clemence’s satirical evaluation of this time as being a “Gilded Age” is a correct and well supported assessment of the era and the time surrounding that era.
From 1872 to 1890 America was engulfed in a time period known as the Gilded Age, this term was “coined”(Irony) by Mark Twain, and was known by the widespread corruption that characterized it. However, was this widespread corruption the identity of America at this time, or was it just growing pains of an infant economy transforming into a great world power (Rhetorical Question)? The corruption that occurred at this time period was a result of: first, the growing economically strides as the country’s economy switched from farming to the mechanical machinery of mass production; second, socially the nation sought to develop its own identity and break away from the trend of the ever influential Europe; and thirdly, Politically the nation went through huge amounts of reform as the greedy politicians of this time sought the vote of everyone. This occurred during this transitional period in which the U.S. was propelled into the world stage, and therefore, because of the economic, social, and political reasons this time period’s corruption was “growing pains,” not its identity.
Economically, the period was aptly named the Gilded Age, because huge profits were to be made and lost overnight. Corporations and firms monopolized entire markets, and because of the profits to be gained there was a huge amount of corruption as most tried to push forward their agenda. This period however, was not characterized by negative actions, and was largely positive in the aspect that it successfully industrialized the largely agrarian country into a mechanized and organized force. This mechanization would gain Americans millions, and corruption was inherent with the boom and bust period and pace of the economy. Also, unions during this time were essential in insuring better working rights for future generations of Americans, and proved the America was about the people, not the rich few. This would have far reaching effects far into the 20th and 21st centuries, and once again America was at the fore-front of the rights movements in the world, as the average man opposed the established. This period although at the heart was black was still largely a positive transitional period in which Americans shifted from their farms to their work places.
Socially, the nation went through a reformation, as women workers sought better rights and they soon learned this was much easier united then separated. Workers were outraged at the treatment of themselves as the new technologies coming out did not require the skill that in the past was needed, and many skilled workers found that their jobs were being taken by unskilled workers for often half as much pay. This was largely because of the influx of immigrants, who often came with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and would accept any job that paid. Another movement at this time was the movement for women’s suffrage. Women, who been the ones who had fought for the freedom and voting right of slaves, and now they demanded their own, as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan Anthony and other women’s rights leaders screamed into the seemingly deaf ears of politicians, to no apparent effect. Women were enraged after the deliberate wording of the 14th amendment which included men in reference to the right to vote. This movement, although not finally answered until the 1920’s, was essential in ensuring it would eventually be answered. These movements furthered equality for all, and were instrumental in uniting the nation that only a decade before had been split.
(Pg 1 of 2)
(Pg 2 of 2)
Politically the nation was bogged down by two-faced politicians who desperately sought the votes of millions through “waving the bloody shirt” and “mud-slinging” tactics. This paranoia of politicians along with the constant bribing resulted in a political system set in quicksand that was known for its forgettable presidents. This “Gilded Era” was known more for the gold that covered it, rather than the decisions of the government, as shown in the many political cartoons of this time. The industries of J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller, and the other billionaires dwarfed the government, even though this period gave birth to the first billion-dollar Congress, and this idea is shown when J.P. Morgan helps to bail the government out.
Although this was a period of huge amounts of corruption there were still many positive things that came out of it, and a more appropriate term for this era was the era of transformation which was gilded. The time period was transitional because of the growth of the economy, the many social movements of the time, and the political change that occurred. Therefore, this corrupt and dirty period of U.S. history is essential in the growth of the U.S. we know and love today.
-Christian Filbrun
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
My rhetorical device in my blog entry was "antanagoge."
OMG! If you still have not done this, the VERY FIRST BLOG of the semester, then all I can say at this point is that if you do, it will be UTTERLY, ASTOUNDINGLY, PROVACATIVELY, STUNNINGLY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY LATE! That is LATE!
Period 3&4
Anthony Luna
REVISED VERSION
From 1872 to the 1900’s there was a virus of political and economic corruption infecting members of cabinets, Congress, railroad barons, and stock speculators. Mark Twain called this time period the gilded age because corruption and greed was covered with a coating of gold. This time period had rapid economic growth which generated vast wealth, new products and technologies that came about that improved the quality of life for the middle class, however industrial workers and farmers did not share in the new prosperity. There was a greater divide in the social classes and many problems for farmers and industrial workers. Industrial workers would take a more violent approach in order to get their rights, but farmers in order to get what they wanted would ban together to form the populist's party or the people's party. Farmers during this time capitalized on the new technologies but they suffered with increased competition, saturated markets, and falling prices for their produce. Their share in the American wealth had declined. The Populists Party formed out of agrarian unrest in response to low agricultural prices in 1891. This very short lived party was appealing to the south and mid-west and promoted collective economic action. In 1896 the Democrats would take up many of the People's Party causes and bring them to a national level. William Jennings Bryan (the Democratic nominee) [PARENTHESIS] had a chance to win the Election of 1896, but only if the Populists voted for him. The Populists would join with the Democrats, and Bryan's vice president would be from the Populist's party. However, Bryan would lose by about 600,000 votes. The Populist's would never recover from this failure and the party would fall apart.
CONTINUED REVISED VERSION
Anthony Luna
In the decades between the end of the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century, new technologies, cheap immigrant labor, maturing methods of industrialization, and a mechanized, streamlined transportation system of rail roads and steam-powered ships proved a formula for astoundingly rapid growth in the business sector. Government, however, could not keep pace with these changes. Governments were inexperienced about business and the ways that individuals and companies made money, both legally and illegally. They were not able to deal with many illegal business practices, so these were allowed to continue. Politicians were largely corrupted. However, Americans wanted reforms, but the problem was that they couldn’t decide on what kind. America’s extraordinary levels of wealth during this time led to rail roads, telephone lines, and created greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and cheaper consumer goods. Society increasingly became divided. Poor workers would have to struggle to survive against an emerging industrial and financial aristocracy. However, whether rich or poor, all could tell that changes were occurring in America. During this time voter participation greatly increased but corruption infected American politics. Politicians took bribes and rewarded their supporters with posh government jobs. Elections had high turnout and extraordinarily close results, but neither major party pursued ambitious policies. These politics believed that the economic elite should be allowed to pursue its endeavors with small government interference. Urban politics were controlled by powerful organizations that would exchange jobs and contracts for political loyalty. The politicians running these organizations always took a bit of the top for themselves. These political and economic elite capitalized on Americas greatly expanded wealth and this generated more corruption. Industrial workers received low wages and worked in dangerous conditions. These workers often went on long and violent strikes. One of the great scandals of this time period occurred when the Credit Mobilier was formed. This fraud worked in this process; the Union Pacific made contracts with Credit Mobilier, paid by check, to build the Union Pacific railway. The Credit Mobilier used these checks to buy stock and bonds in the Union Pacific at par value. They sold the bonds on the open market to make huge profits. These construction contracts brought high profits to the Credit Mobilier, which was owned by Durant and the other directors and principal stock holders of the Union Pacific. During the investigation, the government found that the company had given shares to more than thirty representatives of both parties, including James A. Garfield, Schuyler Colfax, James W. Patterson, and Henry Wilson. This shows that powerful members in the government would rather make money than serve for a moral cause. However, there were some positives during the gilded age. Most of these positives were advances in technology. The train system was very good for America because it connected the west and the east, mail could be transported quicker, and transportation to towns easier and safer. Unfortunately, during the gilded age the government was very much infected with corruption and often politicians looked for opportunities for their own gain. Was this era filled with corruption in the government? [RHETORICAL QUESTION] Of course, but that is why this time period is filled with forgettable presidents.
Sonia Mendonca
period 1&4
In the time period of 1872-1900, the era of The Gilded Age was a time of corruption. However by the late nineteenth century, this controversy was beginning to have a positive look to it. First, the economy was growing; second, politically there was a growing demand for conform movements; and third, social differences. Thus for economic, political, and social reasons regarding the corruption during The Gilded Age, there was also growth in many ways.
The Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869 was a way people were able to make money and also was a boost in the economy. During this period money was all what the people wanted, but would they really do anything for it?-BOLD- (rhetorical question) The answer is yes, if it meant getting rich. Beginning construction during the Civil War in 1872, two companies were told to construct this railroad. They were told that Congress would fund this project, so these two companies though the longer the railroad went, the more pay they would get. Their sneaky plan to cheat them out of their money worked after taking years to finish the railroad. When finished, the railroad would be a boost for the economy. The railroad helped farmers, trade, and transport into the western lands.
Politics in America was causing tension between political parties. With Ulysses S. Grant as president, Congress’s decisions were being questioned. Him, along with his private secretary, cabinet, and vice president were known for their many wrongdoings. The Liberal Republican Party split from the Republican parties due to this deception. Post-war presidential elections proved to be a crooked aspect of politics, with “bloody shirt” campaigning and new party platforms. The spoils system resulted in incompetent employees working superior professions in federal offices for simply being loyal political followers.
In a social view, exponential growth was continuing as manufactured goods became more common. The success from factories and economics wealth would soon shape the future. Railroads companies during the Gilded Age was also a big part of economic wealth because it provided a way for citizens from the east to travel to the west for offers such as cheap land and fast transportations. But around the late 1870’s, strikes were being made because most workers refused to show up for work. As for the South, large labor forces were still established mostly from African Americans forced into the sharecropping business.
The Gilded Age of 1872-1900 was an era where corruption, scheming, and scandals reached an all-time low. However, despite deception being a recurring aspect of this late nineteenth century life, it was because of such corruption that good and helpful features were able to come out of the Gilded Age. First, political injustices engendered the need for more effective reform movements; second, problems posed by unregulated businesses led to the introduction of new policies in order to harness a degree of control over industries’ monopolies; third, social unrest between disputing groups galvanized the government into attempting to mend what was crooked. Therefore, because of political, economic, and social reasons, although this time period was, to a large extent, very corrupted, the Gilded Age still brought about crucial reform movements that did much to benefit the American nation.
Politics during the Gilded Age proved to be inconsistent and shaky. Corruption was so widespread in this time that not even the White House ranks were exempt from it, as seen in President Grant’s administration. From members of Grant’s cabinet to his private secretary to his Secretary of War and even to his own vice president Grant’s organization was severely tainted upon the unveiling of numerous scandals that his administration had been participant to, one of which included the infamous 1872 Credit Mobilier scandal where government officials accepted bribes in exchange for covering up the railroad corporation fraud. Grant’s toleration of dishonesty within his administration as well as his loyalty to crooked friends further revealed how deeply corruption penetrated the country. Amidst “bloody shirt” campaigning and personality platforms utilized for post-war presidential elections, a “shady” aspect of politics remained the spoils system, which ultimately resulted in unqualified people being granted federal offices merely for being faithful political supporters. However, when this system inevitably spiraled out of hand (as in the assassination of President Garfield by office seeker Charles Guiteau), Congress addressed the problem of federal jobs by passing the Pendleton Act in 1883 that created the Civil Service Commission. This civil-service reform act helped set up a fairer political system for the future of the American people.
part 2
During the Gilded Age, American industry continued to flourish, partly because big American businesses were protected by the high tariffs enacted from the Civil War. Out of all these businesses, however, the railroads especially were able to enjoy an extensive, no-competition monopoly over interstate transportation. This wide control that they possessed further opened up opportunities for scam, and often, those who purchased bonds pertaining to the railroad industry were exploited by the promoters. As a result of this rampant abuse of monopoly, the Interstate Commerce Act was passed in 1887, which established the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad business, and that also prohibited rebates. Three years later, the government continued with the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, attempting to further curb corruption in businesses by ordering trusts to be broken up. Thus, in the midst of all this deceit and scheming, it was the effects of the corruption that spurred action to be taken by the government. In 1872, a third party known as the Liberal Republican party took form. Bonded together by their common desire for government reform after the shameful Grant administration, the Liberal Republicans bravely went up against the regular Republicans in the next presidential election. With the Liberal Republicans’ candidate being New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley and with the regular Republicans fighting to reelect Grant, the two parties went head-to-head in the mudslinging campaign of 1872. Grant prevailed for a second term, but although the Liberal Republicans lost the election, the unrest that they caused between them and the regular Republicans was enough to make the regular Republicans move to clean up some of the unwanted things currently happening in the government. This was done by instituting a “mild civil service reform” and by “removing political disabilities” from most of the Confederate leaders. Therefore, even though corruption dominated the majority of the Gilded Age, crucial and redeemable progress was made in that era.
I just don't know what more to say if you still have not posted this blog yet.
This time period was full of corruption to the extent that even the president’s cabinet members, members of Congress, and railroad barrons, as well as stock speculators were all corrupt. But with all of the corruption that came with this time period, it had also brought technology to help improve the life of some people, and growth in the economy. Mark Twain describes this era as the Gilded Age. What he ment by that was everything that was being shown, was honesty and an economy filled with integrity, but what was really underneath the thin layer of ‘gold’ was corruption, prejudice against others, and an economy tainted with crookedness. America was starting to change based on the actions of the corrupted and the corruptible. One corrupted man in New York nick-named ‘Boss’ Tweed had stolen two hundred million dollars from the city using the corruption inside himself, and using all the corruption from the era. Politics were even included in this world of corruption. Politicians would pay their strong supporters, and would also take bribes. This was also a time in politics where the presidents were overlooked by the huge American Revolution because the powerful business leaders were dominating the nation. These presidents also did very little, and did a very poor job at trying to stop the corruption that was going on all around them, making them the forgettable presidents. Prejudice was a popular thing shown towards the immigrants from other countries. Gangs would go around and harass the Chinese immigrants, sometimes by cutting off their pigtails. Industry also played a part in the ‘corruption business’, especially with the transcontinental railroad. Even though the transcontinental railroad helped unite the country and helped people get west faster, the two companies that built it figured out more than one way each, how to get more money than they were supposed to. The company going east started in sacramento, which was a much farther place than they were supposed to start at, which was in the foot hills, making the distance longer, for more money, and they curved the tracks in a snake like pattern (making the track distance longer) (parenthesis), for more money, as well as making towns out bid each other for the railroad to pass through for passengers, to get more money. As the American Industry started to grow, manufactured products became more common to the average person. Manufactured goods were coming out of the south with great efficiency, mostly due to the fact that the south still had a great amount of African Americans working for cheep prices.
The time period of 1872-1900 was an era in time known for the continuous elections of “forgettable” presidents. From 1877-1893 was named the gilded age by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley because of the events that were going on at that time. A book that they wrote called “The Gilded age: A Tale of Today” was said to be a very precise depiction of what was going on throughout this time span. Three of the main reasons as to why this time period was given its name the Gilded Age: first, this time period was run by numerous “forgettable” presidents despite the rapid growth of our country; second, the extreme growth of the north made the south look like a silver coin in a pot of gold. (Simile); third, Americans sold the idea that slavery has been abolished when in reality they just found ways they could spread it. Therefore because of these political, economic, and social reasons the name that was bestowed upon this time is fair.
The north’s incredible increase in profits was extremely helpful not only to them but to the south in the sense that money was needed for recovery. The Newly founded west was affected by the north’s growth in economy as well because they both saw an incredible increase in the production and selling of foods as well as coal and railway tracks. With all these rapid productions and selling of items for the north and how superior it is in the United States it seems as though the U.S is a Golden country, though looking at everything which includes the south and how economically handicapped they are right now you see that the U.S isn’t quite as perfect as it may seem.
The economical growth of the U.S at the time found its way into the political parties. During this time of prosperity and growth the presidents were unfit to be there. Even though the U.S was doing so well, the presidents at the time were not doing a good of job as other presidents like Lincoln or Roosevelt could have done had they been in office at the time. So even though this time period is well known because it was growing greatly, the presidents are not so memorable.
With the ending of the civil war and things calming down people thought that the slavery issue had been dealt with and was over. The truth is that it hadn’t been. People acted similar as before still going with slavery just using a different name for it rather than calling it slavery. People were still judgmental of blacks and never quite let them live their free lives. The 13th Amendment that Lincoln got passed was the first step to stop racial discrimination but it still had a long way to go.
For these political, economic, and social reasons this time period being called the “gilded age” is acceptable. The way the U.S was at the time not necessarily the people at the time were very memorable and well known.
*Apophasis or Litotes
To say something is ‘gilded’ is to describe it as something that is thinly covered in gold. And, while the last couple decades of 19th century America are not usually remembered as the most fair and pure times of history,* that very thin but very significant layer of gold still resides amongst those years. First, the country’s vast economic growth allowed it to enter the 20th century with the fresh, new status of a major world superpower; second, with the transition to a more urban lifestyle, American cities and their way of life expanded rapidly; and third, industrial workers and farmers each organized and formed their own labor unions. Therefore, due to the aforementioned reasons, the Gilded Age cannot be described as thoroughly negative.
The train with its railroad marked path had been invented long before Abraham Lincoln even became president of the United States. However, it was during the Gilded Age that the earliest Transcontinental Railroad made its first impacting appearance. Not only did this innovation provide a new mode of transportation that cut the length of travel between separate ends of the continent down by more than one half, but it also helped connect farms, mines, ranches, and other more isolated production areas with the rest of the population in a way that boosted their commercial worth as well as create a truly national marketplace. However, this industry did not remain untouched by the corruption that this age is so famously known for. Some might even argue that, seeing how this industry resulted in the first millionaires, it was the start of all the mass injustice. These “lords of the rail” would bribe judges and legislatures, employ lobbyists, and elect people to office through their influence over the vote. It was not uncommon to credit them, at times, with more control over the people than the president of the country himself. One of the biggest scandals, to serve as an example, would be the 1872 Credit Mobilier Scandal. And, although the workers of Union Pacific who formed the Credit Mobilier company for self-payment were discovered and exposed, the government took no action as a response. Another issue that exemplified this corruption was the ridiculously high shipping rates. These affected everyone but most of all the farmers with plans to ship their products across the country. This railroad giant was not challenged until the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887.
**Parenthesis
The rate of urban living within America had already been at a steady increase for years. However, it was not until the late 19th century that this rate skyrocketed. With new innovations in transportation, electricity, living environments, and more specifically the skyscraper, people began flocking to the cities until 3 of which became the first to house more than one million residents by 1890. Yet life in these cities was not perfect. If the revolting sanitation issue was not enough, then the wave upon wave of immigrants from East and South Europe definitely was. They added to the already overflowing population of these cities, thus provoking a hostile sense of Nativism from the locals. With all the newcomers filling up tenement houses and slums, the fear for the continuity of the Anglo-Saxon race, as well as a fear for the sake of their jobs, grew. Some people, however, took advantage of this huge amount of immigrants. By tending to their needs, the urban political machine Boss Tweed and his Tweed Ring were able to manipulate the elections and voting of New York.
The economic independence of the average industrial worker soon held a negative correlation with the booming growth of factories and industry. Not only were these workers given a fixed wage – that could very easily be changed by a snap of the fingers from their managers** – but the conditions they were forced to work in were horrible. As a result, workers organized themselves into Unions. The most well-known Workers Unions of the time were the National Labor Union, the Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor. Each one required a different amount and type of differences to be set aside for the sake of unity. One case in point would be the Homestead Strike of 1892, where workers of both high and low skill levels united to protest an unreasonable wage cut. Although these Unions and Strikes were largely unsuccessful during the Gilded Age, they helped start the path for future generations towards the achievement of labor equality.
In the late nineteenth century the United States government was becoming a corrupt entity with many monopolies popping up. There were the railroad monopolies; there was bribery and corruption in the Whitehouse and congress; finally there was the billion dollar congress which throughout the surplus of Grover Cleveland.
First off during the late 19th century monopolies were nearly everywhere but one of the largest was the railroad monopoly which was rancid with corruption. For example there was the credit mobilier scandal which had union pacific inside men create the credit mobilier construction company and got hired by the United States government for up to 348% dividends from the government. Also when the founders began to worry that someone would blow the proverbial whistle and get them caught, they gave large sums of stock to congressional members but finally a newspaper expose and a congressional investigation took out the company leading to two congress men out of a job and the revelation that the vice president had accepted bribes. This hurt America’s self-image and some hoped for a purification of Washington some of these people created the liberal republicans who messed up their chances of their presidential candidate getting into office when they nominated Horace Greeley who was erratic and politically unsound candidate but none the less the democrats supported the nomination. The ironic thing is Greeley criticized the democrats and even called them traitors, slave shippers, salon keepers, horse thieves, and idiots.
Secondly there was rampant bribery and corruption going on within the government. For example there was the credit mobilier scandal. Then there was the cornering of the gold market which had the duo James Fisk and Jay Gould trying to get rich by telling the president to basically not sell any treasury gold which would get them a corner on the gold market by buying a ton at a low price then selling it all at the highest price they could make it. But this scheme was foiled when the treasury, against what Fisk and Gould were told, sold a lot of gold making the price plummet. This left both men in danger and broke so both fled the gold market.
Finally there was the billion dollar congress. The billion dollar congress was the congress under President Harrison which had about a billion dollars’ worth of surplus generated by the high tariff rates of Grover Cleveland’s presidency. Congress poured money into paying veterans of the civil war and increased purchases of silver, and to protect American industrial interests they created the McKinley tariff which raised tariff rates to the highest during peace times ever, at an average of 48.4%, this hurt the farmers the most who were forced to sell their agricultural goods in foreign markets that weren’t protected and to buy from high priced industrial markets. Many rural voters rose in protest of the McKinley tariff so when elections came again the republicans took a major hit when they were reduced to only 88 seats in congress and even McKinley was dethroned.
The time from 1872-1900, coined as the “Gilded Age” (TO COVER WITH A THIN LAYER OF GOLD) by American author Mark Twain, was mainly characterized by a large amount of political and economic corruption in America. During this time many people emphasized anything relatively positive (the tin layer of gold) to distract from the fact many American were suffering (the worthless metal) throughout this period. There were several underlying problems in America during the “Gilded Age”; first, there was strong competition between the Republican and Democratic parties; second, the rich were becoming even richer at the expense of the poor; finally, women and incoming immigrants were seeking equal rights. Therefore, to a large extent, this time period was completely corrupted in terms of political, economic and social factors, but it has many key redeeming factors.
Throughout the “Gilded Age” very little was accomplished in terms of politics, which was due to many factors, most of which were centered on accumulating more power. Many politicians at the time were focused on gaining more votes in an effort to stay in office and in many cases they would hand out money, contracts, and even jobs in order to get those votes. Because of these job handouts, many “politicians” were not even qualified for the job they were given and wanted to accumulate more power. In 1881 President Charles Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau who wanted Chester Arthur for president and hoped Arthur would give him a job. This was an eye-opener for American and this led to a call for reform. The first step in towards reform was the Pendleton Act which made it so government jobs were awarded on the basis of merit instead of just being given to anyone.
On the surface the United States was Advancing and Americans were thriving, but if you dig below the surface you can see the poverty and suffering that was over-looked at the time. During this time there was growing industrialization, the U.S economy grew by 400 percent, many advances in technology, population growth, and new business practices. These advancements improved the lives of the middle and upper classes but in many ways worsened the lives of the lower class. The rich began to grow richer at the expense of the poor and growing technology replaced many workers in the factories.
During the Gilded Age society was a jungle and everyone struggled and competed every day in order to survive. Herbert Spencer took Darwin’s idea of biology and applied it to society, and in Spencer’s Social Darwinism anyone can rise or fall depending on their mental, moral and physical fitness and the weak and poor should be left to die while the strong flourish. Social Darwinism was accepted by most of the upper-class, but was just used to justify ignoring the poor and therefore negatively impacted the United States. Many middle-class reformers and Social Darwinists believed social problems were the fault of the poor but could be reformed. Some of the middle-class reformers felt motivated by the Social Gospel, in which Christians a obligated to assist the poor, to help solve the social problem of poverty.
The Gilded Age was a time of mostly social, political, and economic corruption but was quickly followed by the efforts of most of the middle class to reform and clean up the country and its corruption.
Edith Chavez
Periods 1&6
The decades following the Civil War are known as the Gilded Age for being so corrupt. The filth of greed stained everything from government to industry, but from this there were actual bits of gold that promised a better future. [METAPHOR]These gold pieces are the technological advancements of this age; the push for a better government than before due to the corruption; and better treatment of laborers along with more - and less corrupt- [PARENTHESIS] government intervention. In these ways, the nation was reborn despite it not being from the Civil War itself but instead from the aftermath.
The Gilded Age presented several technological advancements. Factories were of course becoming more efficient as well as the railroads. Despite the railroad being an old invention at this point, this was the age during which the transcontinental railroad was built from Omaha to Sacramento. The railroad was more than just a connection between the East and West, it was also a strip of land that people could inhabit and not be drastically separated from the rest of civilization. People could now sell their products in a greater market and factories with their increased efficiency took advantage of this along with farmers. The downside to this was that the railroad was the only large scale transportation system, it could charge farmers more. Factory owners also took advantage of the less fortunate working class; this made virtually all non-rich people victims of the age’s corruption. The government was swarming with greedy crooks. General Grant became president during the Gilded Age as a Civil War hero but he only won the war by having a greater number of soldiers than the south, not by brains. [PARENTHESIS]His presidency made his incompetence clear earning him the nickname General Corruption. Of the several scandals there was the Safe Burglary Conspiracy in which the Private Secretary, Orville Babcock, [PARENTHESIS] was indicted for framing an innocent person for having uncovered corrupt Washington contractors. War Secretary William Belknap wasn’t exactly a saint either as he took extortion money from a trading contractor at Fort Sill. The corruption in politics wasn’t contained to just the government officials; Secretary of the Navy George Robeson got kickbacks from Cattell and Company for lucrative Naval contracts, implying that even the way the economy worked was corrupt. This is indeed true as Cattell and Company incident was more concerned with business than politics, but the government did more than just this for the corrupt economy.
Grant conveniently turned a blind eye during the Whiskey Ring scandal when several government officials bought whiskey and used their offices to avoid paying taxes. The scam was caught by the Secretary of Treasury without President Grant knowing and later the President would have to punish the offenders. Most of the politicians involved were of the Republican Party- the party that had just won the Civil War and “freed” slaves. Another event deeper into the economic side was Black Friday. Jim Fisk and Jay Gould attempted to corner the gold market, their association with the President making it easier, but the US Treasury department had to step in and release gold for the sake of bringing down the price. The great corruption of the time led to the Populist movement which would become the Progressive movement. The people so fed up with the filth and greed began to push for something better. Boss Tweed and his political machine were finally brought down by Thomas Nast and his political cartoons that opened people’s eyes to the corruption. It didn’t end there however, by the beginning of the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt helped out the people by allowing unions while banning trusts, a huge victory for laborers which had been at the mercy of the corrupt wealthy that could mostly trust the government to look the other way, [PERSONIFICATION] proving that the terrible age really did have some good to it, not only in the advancement made during the period but also greatly in the improvements to the country that occurred as a result.
The Gilded Age was a time of prosperity for the intelligent (and devious) and rich, but the government and the people suffered from crooked corruption (iliteration). The United States was a in tough spot, and the people were desperate to fix their country during these times. Even though there were was rampant corruption, Mark Twain’s “Gilded Age” had a small lining of metallic purity, which hid some of the corruption of the time. These were redeemable qualities in the Gilded Age, which included: firstly, direct election of senators improved the time; Secondly, the women’s movement was regaining ground after being ignored over the slave issue; thirdly, unions began to develop and fight factory owners. The gilding of the time was thin but it gave the time some redeemable qualities.
The senate in the 1890’s was almost entirely corrupt due to state legislatures being controlled by the Monopolies, or trusts, of the time. Since state legislatures voted on who got their senate seats (and the trusts controlled them), the senate was controlled by the gilded age trusts which enabled them to block and create bills to their liking, and against the directly elected, by the people (parenthesis), representatives in the House. However, due to the 17th Amendment, senators were now elected by the people directly through elections, cutting out the middle man, and cut near absolute control of the senate from the trusts and big businesses. This brought in senators who were there to help the people, and along with the help of the House (which was voted in by the people since the creation of the constitution), fix some of the problems of the times. The direct election of senators may have been something required to fix the problems of the times, but it also prevents future abuse of the system, leaving a better government for the future.
The women’s movement began to move again, despite its slip up when slavery over-rid the whole movement in the Civil War and a while afterwards too. Now women are pushing for several movements, including their own for women’s suffrage, but they are also helping out the prohibition movement to ban alcohol and even for more civil rights for others in general. Even though that women won’t gain suffrage during the Gilded Age, they started their movement in full swing during this time so that they will eventually get what they want (which will happen in 1920, with the signature of Woodrow Wilson). The women’s suffrage movement (and the beginnings of others) is one of the other redeeming factors to the gilded age.
Large businesses, like the Standard Oil Company, were making millions, and then billions of dollars of American money per year. However, their workers weren’t ever too happy with the conditions that they had to work in and how much they got payed for the dangerous work they did. So, in order to overcome such a rich and powerful entity, workers organized themselves and did strikes and boycotts of the goods that were made by the company they worked for. This inhibited businesses (even if most of the early strikes were stomped out by the government, until Teddy) and they lost some money in boycotts. Mainly, however, labor unions weren’t very effective until the Sherman Anti-Trust act was changed to protect unions. After this change was made, labor unions began to grow substantially all the way to the 1950’s. Unions, since they usually consisted of most of the worker force at a factory, bargained with the owners of factories for better working conditions and better hours and pay. For the time, unions were a great idea to curb the power of big business and trusts, and is another thing that makes that thin line of gilding just a bit thicker during a time of corrupted bargains and businesses.
All graded up to this point.
Nick Palmares
Per. 4
"The Gilded Age" is a metaphor for how rotten the Country really was under the table, it was characterized by corruption, but constructive corruption, an age of major Industrialization and exponential growth. Socially, new laws that the Civil War that would defeat the purpose of the Civil War would take place in the South; politically, the country would face politicians and Presidents that were characterizing forgettable; and economically we would undergo the growth that would put us at the top perhaps one of the most crucial stages of our growth. Therefore socially, politically, and economically the Gilded Age was awkward but essential to us in a weird way.
His plan was meant to reunite the North and South as smoothly as possible with zero conflict, however despite his efforts the North would not be united as he had foreseen and whatever the Civil War had been fought for would have no implication whatsoever. The Reconstruction that had taken place in the South should not have been called a success because in fact it was far from that, to the point where the North had decided to abandon the project. The South could not be repaired over night and the main purpose of the Civil War was not taken seriously and just showed how much the North wanted to keep moving forward. Soon after the War had ended thousands of newly freed began to move North to move into the cities and one would think the North would take them in right away but in fact it was the opposite with laws that would restrict Blacks from moving out of the South. As oddly as it sounds, if Congress had remained in the hands of the Republicans then our industrial and size of the country would have been delayed. By the time the Reconstruction had lingered for about 20 years the South had successfully re-implanted its leaders back into Congress and would control the White House, even the Presidency despite all of the efforts the Republicans had done to prevent that. With Congress back in the control of the Southern Democrats the Reconstruction would end and the Blacks would not be granted the rights that they were promised. With politics and social developments out of the way the largest impact the Gilded Age had and the reason to its name would be from all of the confusion Economics had caused. During this time period many people would invest in their personal lives and devise very cunning and sneaky plans to make it rich and fast. For example the Transcontinental Railroad had begun construction during the Civil War and had to be completed. Two different companies would take up that challenge but both had convinced Congress to fund the construction yet both would simply pocket that money and cheat just about everyone but themselves to gain a quick buck. The Railroad could have been constructed in mere months but the companies had purposely taken years to complete the task. But in the end the major Industrialization of this period would allow us to become a major superpower and prepare for the Wars to come.
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