Gilded Age Immigrants from all over the world were looking for work, opportunity, and prosperity; the United States of America appeared to be the paradise they had long searched for. All that was heard of America was the rag to riches stories of foreigners striking it rich when arriving in the United States. It appeared to perfect on the outside, but on arrival in America, they were met with the exact opposite. Mark Twain described this time period as the “gilded age” since on the outside America appeared to be pure gold but when the people dug deeper, they realized that it was only skin deep. America was full of monopolies, poverty, and political corruption. The industrialization of America brought new big businesses that led to monopolies. Men like J.P. Morgan, Jay Gould, and John D. Rockefeller owned all or nearly all the industry in their respective fields by using vertical and horizontal integration to squeeze out all other …show more content…
Carnegie was a true rags to riches story that spread to countries all over the world, which lead to an even higher desire to come to America. After entering into America, life was extremely difficult. Factories were extremely dangerous places that loved to employee not only men but women and children, also. After a full days work of twelve hours, the employees came home to tenements just outside the industrial district. Being so close the factories, it was only natural for the dwellings to be full of noises and pollution. The houses were also shared often with two or three families in a single room; the close quarters led to the rapid spread of diseases amongst the residents of the tenements. These poor living and working conditions were the dirt behind the golden covering of America. Although life might have been better than other countries, the American Dream was not as astounding as it was