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America's gilded age: robber barons and captains of industry
America's gilded age: robber barons and captains of industry
America's gilded age: robber barons and captains of industry
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Reconstruction Scandals tweed ring William "Boss" Tweed began his rise to influence in the late 1840s as a volunteer fireman in New York City. From this inauspicious beginning, Tweed managed to build a power base in his ward. He served as an alderman in 1852-53 and then was elected to a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1853-55. State and local affairs were his prime concern and he remained active in Tammany Hall, the organizational force of the Democratic Party in New York. Tweed emerged as the focal point of patronage decisions, giving him immense power.
The industrialist leaders were robber barons throughout the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was a term coined by Mark Twain to label an era defined for its corporate and political greed and corruption; furthermore, monopolies created by industrial leaders grew to prosperity. For instance, John D. Rockefeller was an American businessman who dabbled in the oil industry. Rockefeller practiced horizontal integration where he would ally with, buy out, or undermine competitors to monopolize his business. This allowed him to acquire the vast majority of the oil industry thus empowering Rockefeller to control the latter by forcing his competitors into bankruptcy.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt died he left his $100 million fortune to his son William Vanderbilt and they both had the same attitude. During the Gilded Age these big business and their owners were thought of as being Robber Barons or Captains of Industry. The poor working conditions that were provided, the corruption they led in government, and their use of child labor shows that they were Robber Barons. Children were used in labor to work a lot and most days of the week. Kids as young as 5 often worked as much as 12 to 14 hours a day for barely any pay.
William Magear Tweed also known as Boss Tweed was born on April 23, 1823 in New York City on the lower east side of Manhattan. He married a woman named Mary Jane Skaden a little after he was born in 1844, then organized a volunteer fire company. It didn’t take long for him to get into politics because he ran for city alderman but unfortunately he lost the race in 1850 when he was 26 years old. He wasn’t a quitter so he ran again the next year and won so he was elected to one term in Congress. This started out to bring him even more success but the niceness didn’t last long, all the while corruption started to take place.
The Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain, encapsulates a period of profound economic transformation and significant political tension in the United States. This era witnessed the convergence of conservative ideologies with the rapid development of an urban-industrial economy. Analyzing the presidencies of Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, and Grover Cleveland offers a lens into how America navigated this turbulent period. Rutherford B. Hayes ascended to the presidency at a critical juncture in American history, marked by the aftermath of the Civil War and the onset of industrial capitalism. Despite fears of class conflict akin to the Marxist revolutions in Europe, Hayes managed to maintain a fragile peace through a conservative,
Corporate greedy and corrupt politicians were specific problems and injustices that were present in American life during the late 1800s and early 1900s however these were addressed during the progressive era with laws and regulations. Throughout the gilded era corrupt politicians and corporate greedy allowed the upper class and businessmen to take advantage of the working class. This means that a majority of the population were hurt during the gilded age whereas a small percentage benefitted. As seen in document 1, living conditions were crowded, dirty, and unsafe.
During the Gilded Age, corruption was an ever-persistent problem, however, it is a continuing problem in the contemporary period as well. It is unfortunate that often times the politicians would be paid to have the wealthy’s interest take precedence over the needs of the less fortunate. This meant that decisions made by politicians were more about pleasing the wealthy elites than serving the greater good. Corruption might not be so obvious to some. It is not just seen obviously with politicians being paid off for their own agenda.
William Jennings Brown was a beloved orator and political figure from the 1890’s till his death in the 1925. He was known for his abilities to capture a crowd and keep them enthralled for hours as he talked about anything. From an early age though he knew that he wanted to be like his father, following in his footsteps to the political realm. He made good use of his oratory skills and created a whole new way of running a presidential campaign. He also helped to create the bases for many new ideas that would lead to Franklin Roosevelts, New Deal Plan.
The growth of government power commenced during the Gilded Age when farmers perceived problems formed the Populist Party that brought up the Omaha Platform, which demanded the government for certain policies. These demands in the Omaha Platform would later be answered by the government during the Progressive Era. After the Progressive Era, the Great Depression would occur forming the New Deal that could have some extension of progressive ideology and gave a massive increase of power to the government. Then Lyndon B. Johnson formed the Great Society that was like the New Deal on steroids hoping for prosperity for everyone. As you can see, from the Gilded Age, to the Progressive Era, to the New Deal, to the Great Society, and to the Great Recession,
During the Gilded age era, America became more affluent and saw unmatched progress both industrially and technologically. Coming with this was the counter as well that consisted of greed, corruption, and politicians being advantageous of the working class. The decade of the twenties, which is deemed as the roaring 20s was an era that pioneered innovation. It also marked social and political change both positively and negatively. It’s safe to that the roaring 20s is comparable and representative of the gilded age, given that both time periods marked prosperity but social conflict(s); The twenties were the new gilded age.
Mark Twain once said, “No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds the guardians of the law, and the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.” In the Gilded Age, which was from 1869 to 1896, politicians ignored their obligation to execute and protect the laws of this nation in favor of lining their own pockets. Presidential administrations and presidential candidates were often time could in corruption scandals that showed how they were stealing the American people’s money. The Grant administration probably being the most notable example of this corruption. Low-level political officers were also a party in the corruption of the gilded age, with corrupt big bosses
The Bourbon Democrats bolstered a free market approach, with low levies, low charges, less spending and, as a rule, a Laissez-Faire (hands-off) government. They contended that levies made most products more costly for the shopper and financed the trusts (syndications). They additionally reproved dominion and abroad extension. By difference Republicans demanded that national success relied on upon industry that paid high wages, and cautioned that bringing down the duty would be a fiasco since merchandise made by low-wage European assembly line laborers would surge American markets. The political history of the Gilded Age is normally lessened to a story of debasement and outrage.
Jessica HillisMr. GillardAP US History5 January 2007Essay 16: Gilded AgeThroughout history, certain periods of time have been given certain names based on thehappenings that occurred. Many have called the period of 1865 to 1901 the “Gilded Age”, be-cause it was “shiny and pretty” on the outside but it was “rough and ugly” underneath. The term“Gilded Age” was actually coined by Mark Twain who satired the Gilded Age with a GoldenAge.
The society was divided in 2 groups: old and new money. People had got rich quick and they were trying to show how rich they are every possible time. “As year followed year of prosperity, the new diffusion of wealth brought marked results… There was an epidemic of outlines of knowledge and books of etiquette for those who had got rich quick and wanted to get cultured quick and become socially at ease” (Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday, 1931). There was a leap from 75 to 283 in the number of Americans who paid taxes on incomes of more than a million dollars a year.
The level of influence a time period has on a country is defined by its political, economic, and social change. The 1920s was one of the most influential decades in the history of the United States. Corrupt politicians, tax cuts for the rich and new opportunities for women signify the influence of the Roaring 20s. A government's ability to conduct a democracy determines its ability to thrive. Due to corruption in the government, the 1920s was the most influential decade, politically speaking, in U.S. history.
