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Thomas Nast's Cartoon Analysis

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In the Gilded Age, from 1870s to 1900s, the United States had undergone an unprecedented industrial revolution. Inventions made the country's economy prosper, with railroads and steam-powered ships to transport not only goods but labors. The two distinct classes emerged in the nation: capitals and labors. The conservative ideologies of capitalism gained their significance within the nation, endorsed by renowned businessmen such as William Graham Sumner and Andrew Carnegie. The pro-business view of the intrinsic relationship between labor and capital is demonstrated in Thomas Nast's cartoon published in 1874. In the cartoon, Nast portrayed labor and capital as "the American twins" bonded to each other by "the real union." He showed the belief …show more content…

While employers and management worked in set hours, workers had to work up to 12 hours a day, with very few, if any, breaks, such as in the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Company in 1881. These long work hours harmed workers' health and relationship within their family. Still, the money earned was hardly sufficient to support a household. This coerced women and children into the industrial system; by 1900, around 1.7 million children labored in the system. Industrial lives were far from safe. From 1880 to 1900, there were several industrial accidents, killing 35,000 workers per year. More than 536,000 workers were injured yearly, without any compensation or payment from their employers. Despite the attempts to legislate statutes to "protect the physical well-being" of the workers, these casualties and injuries reflected the alarming, life-threatening circumstance workers were forced to face, while the capitals were not. This contrasts with Nast's portrayal of labor and capital as standing side by side of one another. The businessmen did not stay by their workers' side; rather, the businessmen merely discarded any industrial mishap as the workers' fault. Little did capital become concerned about labor's life and

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There was an abundance of workers, and the items they were producing were being found in homes across the country. Industry was making a lot of money, but due to the number of able workers, these same companies believed that they did not need to treat them well. The workers were putting in ten to twelve hours a day, five and a half, or six days a week (p. 9). The working conditions

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New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, 1865-1905 written by Rebecca Edwards provides readers with many different individual accounts to illustrate the transformative time of America during the Gilded Age. The work shows the cultural, social, political and economical elements of the age that aided in forming the America we have today. Edwards’s purpose in writing New Spirits is to offer readers new insights on the era by eliminating predetermined stereotypes one may have established before reading the work. Edwards wants readers to put aside their prior knowledge to understand just what it was like to live in the Gilded Age by providing readers with the consequences and achievements of people during the time.

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They got short breaks 15 minutes for breakfast and another 15 for lunch and only 10 minutes for a break. On busy days the workers would be kept till 10 pm. These crazy work time compared to today (8-12 hours) is for sure a long time to have to work. Continuing on, women were trapped in the factories. In Document E it shows a contract that parents might fill out to send their

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The machinery was very dangerous and caused many deaths (Document 1). Moreover, the workers went through physical suffering and moral degradation. They lacked basic resources and were weakened because of the harsh conditions (Document 2). Fortunately, the conditions were improved thanks to an act called The Hours of Labor in Factories Act that was passed in 1844. Work hours had been reduced to ten hours, the wages had been increased, and safety was now a priority (Document 3).

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Thomas Nast, 1840-1902, was a political cartoonist who is known by some historians as “the father of modern political American political cartooning” (Simpson, ANBO). This is due in part because Nast was the individual who created the donkey symbol to represent the Democratic Party and elephant symbol to represent the Republican Party. Another reason why he earned this title and therefore should be studied is that he changed the way cartoonists delivered their context. Before the Civil War cartoonist relied on dialogue rather than imagery to get the message across, However; Nast used pictures to convey the message of his cartoons (Simpson, ANBO). Since his cartoons did not need words to convey the message he was able to reach the illiterate community more effectively than other cartoonists of his time.

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The Gilded Age, which occurred during the nineteenth century, was one of the most important periods in American history. America’s industry expanded and generated many opportunities for all people. It allowed them to build great fortunes, but also left many, such as farmers and other workers, struggling to survive. Overall, national wealth increased tremendously, but there was a divide between the rich and the poor. Industrial monopolists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller revolutionized business and ushered in the modern business economy, but also at times, destroyed free-market economic competition.

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The nineteenth century was the result of the U.S. growing urbanization and the early twentieth century marked the new industrial age. The workplace was dramatically changing bringing in women, children and immigrants, most unskilled workers. An abundance of workers were available for these jobs making them expendable in dangers conditions while wage continued to decrease. Most workers had at least a ten to twelve-hour work day, making less money than what was necessary to live a decent life. Health and safety conditions were a concern in the workplace, Federal laws offered little protection and poor workers had limited resources.

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“Much of the blame heaped on the captains of industry in the late 19th century is unwarranted.” (Document F). The Gilded Age was a time where the U.S. economy grew very quickly and rapidly, due to the inventive minds and entrepreneurs of that time; but it has different perspectives of opinions in history today. This era led the U.S. to its state and place in the present world, thanks to its important contributors, (who are involved in the main debate of whether they were robber barons, unethical men who yearn for money, or captains of industry, leaders who add positive ideas and methods to benefit their country.) The industrial leaders of the Gilded Age are captains of industry, worthy of some gratitude and credit for how our society’s structure

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The Gilded Age served as a critical role in shaping the American economy throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Cities became flooded with immigrants and workers which created a pool of cheap labor. Railroads expanded, connecting the nation’s major cities and generating a nationwide marketplace. During this time, much of the rapid growth that occurred was led by inventions that were created. There was also a few who used this change to their advantage and created business empires.

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The “Shirtwaist Kings,” Issac Harris and Max Blanck were immigrants from Russia that owned the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. The factory was modern with high ceilings and large windows located in New York’s Greenwich Village, not far from mansions and the elegant shops of the Ladies Mile. Even in a modern factory like The Triangle factory the life of an American industrial worker was far from easy. Factory work meant wages as low as $0.13 an hour, long 14 hour days seven days a week, in hazardous working conditions.

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The Gilded Age is often recalled as one of the most significant periods in American history and for great reason. This era brought about rapid industrialization, introduced new technology and inventions, and the rise of corporations. As with most things, the Gilded Age also had its fair share of vices such as corruption in business and the blatant exploitation of laborers. As the frustration with these things began to build, politicians often distanced themselves from serious issues or flat our refused to properly address them. When politicians did attempt to address this issues, the measures taken were either insufficient or rescinded before anything could truly be effected.

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Workers went on strike frequently, and labor was idle and inefficient. There were surpluses, shortages, and numerous business failures. Doctor Leete cites these realities as a consequence of the nineteenth century’s wasteful, competition-driven system. Julian’s concerns at the time were limited to the issues of his class. For example, labor

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Between 1870 and 1900 the United States made great advancements in industrialization. “Industrial capitalism realized the greatest advances in efficiency and productivity that the world had ever seen. Massive new companies marshaled capital on an unprecedented scale and provided enormous profits that created unheard-of fortunes. But it also created millions of low-paid, unskilled, unreliable jobs with long hours and dangerous working conditions.” This period was known as the Gilded Age.

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The Gilded Age was an age of rapid economic growth. Railroads, factories, and mines were slowly popping up across the country, creating a variety of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and laborers alike. These new inventions and opportunities created “...an unprecedented accumulation of wealth” (GML, 601). But the transition of America from a small farming based nation to a powerful industrial one created a huge rift between social classes. Most people were either filthy rich or dirt poor, with workers being the latter.

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1. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. a. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.

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