Gilded Age DBQ

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The Gilded Age in America lasted from 1878- 1889. During this time many industries experienced drastic growth and as a result, an influx of immigrants flooded America. The 3 biggest industries included railroads, factories, and coal mines. Working conditions during the Gilded Age were poor, with low pay, unsafe working conditions, and long hours. Large corporations throughout the Gilded Age controlled the pay of many workers within the United States , held great political power by influencing legislation, and had a negative impact on a majority of American citizens. Large corporations had a large impact on the economy within America, as they were able to control the pay of many citizens in America. In document 1, it expresses the amount of power these corporations had in the United States. They were able to fire workers without cause, control their pay, which oftentimes was very little, or even withhold their wage from them all together. This caused many issues as many relied on that source of income to stay afloat in daily life. With minimal or no income, many Americans lived with a poor standard of living. Document 5 also supports this claim as it describes the demands of workers’, one of which is an adequate wage. In 1886 the American Federation of …show more content…

In document 3, it demonstrates how large companies in industries such as coal, oil, and sugar worked with the government to influence legislation in order to hold a monopoly over the industry. This resulted in many goods being overpriced. Overpriced goods, in addition to low wages, lead to many Americans to struggle financially during this time period. In document 4, it expresses the want for the government’s power to shift from the rich and powerful business owner to “the plain people.” This implies that large corporations have great influence on legislation, which is making for an unfair monopoly over many

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