The decade between 1890 and 1900 expressed a crucial time in the United States of America’s history. Many people experienced struggles throughout this time while others prospered. Mark Twain suggested that despite the significant achievements of the United States, Americans experienced poverty. This statement is an accurate description of the lively hood people experienced in their daily lives during the Gilded Age whether it was positive or negative. Many people during this time period focused on the positive outcomes that resulted from the Gilded Age such as new inventions, the gospel of wealth, additions of land to the country, urbanization, and middle-class improvements. Thomas Edison created many new inventions such as the phonograph, generator, battery, motion picture and the light bulb that would allow factories to begin to run at night. Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson invented the telephone during this time. Andrew Carnegie was known for being a strong believer in the gospel of wealth that suggested you should either spend all of your money or give it back to the community, but you should never die as a rich man. Imperialism was a huge motive at this time because of the need for market expansion and national security. During the Gilded Age, America gained Guam, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and gave Cuba their independence, but agreed to place a naval base, Guantanamo Bay, there. Urbanization soared during the Gilded Age as people rushed to the cities for the new …show more content…
Although society today may often times recognize this time as a prosperous time that allowed growth and improvements in techniques of everyday life. Many forget to examine what everyday life, then really consisted of. Studying this time and the struggles faced can allow people to perceive events during the Gilded Age with a different