Big Business In The Gilded Age

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Preceding the events of the American Civil War the relationship between big business, government, and the working class went in a direction that did not necessarily favor the working class. During this time of expansion for big business, known as the “Gilded Age”, the United States Government and Big Business corporations worked together and created a whole system almost entirely in their benefit. Big businesses had all of the power because they owned so much of the industry while the United States was still developing during this time. The Republican Party was in control of the government and the congress was filled with representatives who actually owned their own businesses. As a result of there not being enough regulations in the 1800s, the government was able to buy out large…show more content…
This control allowed the corporations to set prices at any level they desired. Some of these individuals included Andrew Carnegie, who became famous for the Carnegie Steel Company. As well as John D. Rockefeller, who became famous for the creation of the Standard Oil Company, and J.P Morgan’s banking house also known as America’s new federal banking system. There was a consistent interaction between the government and big business even though the businesses wanted a Laissez-faire type of government, which meant that the government should not intervene in the economy. Eventually, Businesses had grown so large that they had complete control over the market. The high prices that the monopolies had created threatened to remove small businesses out of the market entirely, and this threat upset consumers tremendously. As a result, the government would take action and intervene but it would only be to the benefit of big business and the government. The government and big business became so intertwined that there was a “spoils system” in place which only allowed people who were loyal to the political party in power to gain government jobs, which led to

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