Topic > US History: The Gilded Age

At the end of the Civil War, the Gilded Age was a sort of baptism; it was the beginning of freedom and the rebirth of moral conscience. Slavery was on its way to becoming a flaw of a freedom-loving country, and the practices of American citizens changed like a streetcar on its tracks. The development of a leisure culture has encouraged entertainment and leisure in rapidly growing cities. Industrialization exploded thanks to the encouragement of job-seeking immigrants, European financial support, government approval and the wallets of entrepreneurs. As idealistic as the circumstance seemed – and seemingly close to being realistic – the lines of unexpressed social and economic justice blurred. Control and regulation of businesses and workers led to a political tug of war. Gilded Age urbanization provides a basis for understanding the country's progress in court and the events that followed the era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe urgent need to compete for jobs, as well as control of the company itself, was a driving force that had the potential to make or break the success of the times. James Bryce's The American Commonwealth highlights the “neglect” of the details of politics and the strain it places on people. With the end of the war came a sudden abundance of material production and development in the West. The recovery of the economy was as rapid as the breathing of rest for the people. Social reformer Henry Demarest Lloyd called for a “rebirth of [morals]” and an end to materialistic desires. If the nation continued to expand without self-reflection, the system would fail to distribute its wealth. The tendency to want to establish a monopoly or to control its formation has created a spectrum, a distance between the choice of economic interests and social stability. By ignoring the virtues of the country in question, the government has also ignored the well-being of its people. Citizenship was encouraged through the approval of trade unions and trusts, but nothing was done to encourage the minority's rise up the class ladder. The burdens and weight of urbanization were placed on the shoulders of the working class. The long hours spent in factories weakened their physical health and positive outlook on the industrial system. In addressing the relationship between labor and capital, it became evident that the success of the industrial system required the sacrifice of workers. (Doc 1, Doc 2, Doc 6) Cash-rich entrepreneurs drove government actions during the Gilded Age like their private car. None of the existing governing parties found it in their interest to get rid of the “grave wrongs… inflicted on the suffering people”. By becoming one of the world's leading industrial powers, it was easier to refrain from heavy taxes to support producers. The value of government land would increase while the space for the poor to move between class ranks would decrease. Both parties' strategies focused on distracting the masses with a tariff crisis. A critical analysis of corruption among national banks, clubs, trusts and that of capitalists would be ignored much to their delight. As long as millionaires' funds were a priority in Congress – as the Senate did – the minority was left in the dust of construction and expansion. (Doc 3, Doc 7) When government exploitation came to light, Congress was forced to save face and demonstrate neutrality toward business., 2002.