Essay On The Gilded Age

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The Gilded Age was a name made up by Mark twain and Charles Dudley Warner to call the late 19th century. The meaning behind the name was an age that was pretty on the surface but corrupted underneath. This age was from 1870 to 1900, and was seen as a time of greed and deception. While the Gilded Age was a horrible age it was able to transform the economy and become an urban society controlled by industrial corporations. Many factors led to the upbringing of the Gilded Age. Industrialism after the civil war was supported and held up because of little to no governmental interventions. The Gilded Age played a huge part when it came to the economic and social reform that needed to take place after the civil war. During this age the economy grew…show more content…
The competition was vicious, if you couldn’t provide the best product at the lowest price you could easily go bankrupt or bought by a successful industrialist. Economic inequalities was seen by them as unavoidable and an important part to obtain progress. It was also seen that any government interference in the social and economic progress would only mess it up and not improve it. Many historians believe that the economic impact during those years were important for the development of American society. While wages were low, farmer’s positions weren’t secure, and urban conditions were bad, American entrepreneurs were building a national economy that improved lifestyles, shipped more desirable goods, and soon hired the majority of Americans wages. By the end of the century America’s economy almost doubled in size. Participation in politics was also growing in America, even though voting rates were high along with corruption in the government. Many politicians believed that because of Americas growing wealth that they should be allowed to do what they'd like without government interference. During this time, wealthy people would use their money to buy into high offices such as U.S. State governorships. Others would buy political support. Senate seats would also often be auctioned off, it got so popular that it came to be known as the "Rich Man's

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