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, …show more content…
As Eric Foner notes in Give Me Liberty, these stalemates were evident in every election and congressional decision, reflecting deep-seated divisions that the war had entrenched rather than resolved (Foner). This cyclical battle at the ballot box illustrated the persistent influence of conservative attitudes resistant to the transformative currents of …show more content…
Cleveland's presidency was notably conservative, often siding with business interests over labor and enforcing the gold standard against populist pressures. His election represented a symbolic victory for the South, achieving through politics what it could not secure on the battlefield. However, this resurgence of Southern influence had dire consequences for African Americans, as it coincided with the rollback of Reconstruction gains and the rise of Jim Crow laws