Gilded Age Dbq

The Gilded Age was a time of new beginnings; new buildings, new jobs, and, most importantly, a new corrupt system. On the surface, this age was a major breakthrough for the United States. Steel and iron production rose and led to the creation of bridges, railroads, and skyscrapers. But under these shiny advancements are millions of poor, overworked, African American and immigrant workers. So while the Gilded Age heavily impacted the United States, it also forced thousands of people to work in unsafe, life-threatening conditions while covering up a corrupt system. Before this life-changing era, America was in the time of Reconstruction. This era started before the Civil War ended and focused on “the effort to restore southern states to the

Businesses were at a high, but so was the corruption that came with it. It began when Republican Rutherford Hayes came into office; the Democrats were furious and threatened to boycott his inauguration. Instead, they created the Compromise of 1877, where the “Democrats conceded the presidency to Hayes on the condition that all remaining troops would be removed from the South and the South would receive special economic favors.” This compromise gave the Democrats power over the South and political advantages. The Democrats continued this corruption during The Populists movement, where people came together in attempt to improve farmers’ conditions and fight the government. Many Democrats decided to join the Populists, but “Southern Democrats, for their part, responded to the Populist challenge with electoral fraud and racial demagoguery” . With the Democrats in favor of white supremacy and bending the votes, the Populists had a tough time gaining supporters, eventually leading to their downfall. The Republicans were also corrupt in their own ways; since they dominated politics, they focused on business and growth in the United States. They gave millions of dollars of land to make railroads and cities, but the Republicans also “maintained a high protective tariff, an import tax designed to shield American businesses from foreign competition”. This tariff threw Americans deeper into financial debt but made the high powers richer. With the Republicans favoring business, it is no surprise that the government sided with the business owners when strikes broke out. An example of this is the Homestead Strike, where hundreds of steelworkers took over the mill. The operator, Henry Clay Frick, called in reinforcements to take back control, but they failed. As their last resort, “the Pennsylvania governor called the state militia, broke the strike, and reopened the mill.” This