The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, although chronologically adjacent, were two of the most wildly different periods in American History. The Gilded Age brought forth the rise of big business thanks to laissez-faire capitalism, allowing for a handful of wealthy elites to climb to the top of the social, political, and economic food chain and steamroll everyone else in their way. Meanwhile, the Progressive Era solved some of the issues the Gilded Age created and made life in America more suitable for all types of people. The Progressive Era was different from the Gilded Age because of the work of muckrakers, the ratification of progressive Amendments, and presidential interference with big business.
The Gilded Age: Then and Now Throughout our history, it is believed our societies have undergone significant changes forming the way we live our lives today. Could this be true or are we simply set to relive history? The contemporary period shares many similarities with the gilded age. These two periods may seem like their worlds apart, but as we look closer, we can see that they there two eras that share many similarities.
During the Gilded Age (late 19th century) and the Progressive Era (early 20th century), the United States experienced significant industrialization, marked by rapid economic growth, technological advancements, and social changes. Here are some major events and themes from this period. Expansion of Industry: The Gilded Age saw the rise of industries such as steel, oil, and railroads, which transformed the American economy. Figures like Andrew Carnegie (steel) and John D. Rockefeller (oil) amassed vast fortunes, leading to the emergence of corporate giants known as "robber barons."
The Gilded Age, a term created by Mark Twain, described the conditions of the 1890s and 1900s. Twain stated that even though there were significant advancements and achievements, the United States was cheap and full of corruption. In my opinion, this concept is overstated and too harsh. The United States did have its imperfections such as big businesses monopolizing industry and poor working conditions for employees, but the positive factors of this era outweighed the negative factors. These positive factors included the termination of the spoils system, growth of industry, and the creation of the middle class.
In 1877, amid an economic depression, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads lowered their workers' wages by 20 percent. Their workers unionized in a strike that started in West Virginia. 2/3 of the nation joined, opposing the federal troops sent by President Hayes to end the strike. America’s Gilded Age was an era of confrontation between management and labor. It was an era of economic depression, growing industrialism and abysmal working conditions.
Hughes says about realist romance: The ‘realism’ of the texts invites a reading of both romantic and historical situations which involves an identification with specific social and political values; it may be the assent to these, rather than the details of either the romantic story or, in this case, the invented history, which may be remembered as ‘true’ by the reader. (Hughes 24) Realist romance allows for the history surrounding the romance to not only feel true but also to encourage social and political changes relevant to the history being covered in the novel
The gilded age, changed America rapidly. Several entrepreneurs made America what it is today. In just thirty or more years, innovations changed the way businesses were ran and men would become rich. Americas major innovations was the continental railroad, oil,and steel. Vanderbilt was the richest man; he controlled the railroads.
Realism arose mainly around the Civil War. This type of literature shows the cold hard truth about the world and being that this time period is full of many terrible events; realism is often very cold and serious feeling. Two authors who write, and have a very similar feeling on the subject of slavery are Frederick Douglass and Paul Laurence Dunbar. These two men share many similar views on slavery and they were both heavily impacted by its effects. Douglass provides examples of how he was treated in his childhood as a slave to convey his ideas and feelings towards slavery.
The Gilded Age took place in the U.S in the late 19th century, from about 1870 to 1900. It was a time of invention, and the development of many modern technologies that are still in use today. But behind the appearance of the courtly mankind wide strides toward the future of technology, and all the new amazing advancements, The Gilded Age was terrible time for all thoses that were not rich, white, men, for this time period was defined by them, for them, and it was a hellhole for everyone else in the country. Horrifyingly enough, very many similarities connect the time of The Gilded Age with today. The Gilded Age was a seemingly highly progressive period, however, underneath its shiny exterior is a much more ugly truth.
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,
Freedom for the wealth compared to freedom for the poor was huge difference in the Gilded Age. Like I mentioned above there was few people who accumulated a lot wealth but by doing so took jobs away from the poor and middle class. Andrew Carnegie believed that he had the responsibility to advance the society by giving some of his money to the communities to build libraries which also helped some of the poor to have jobs, but working under Carnegie meant that you would work everyday with two twelve-hour shifts. So yes you had a job, but the job didn’t come with good terms. Even having a job that you worked two twelve-hour shifts doesn’t mean that you would become wealthy, wealthy only came to those who were business men and had the access to
If someone asks a group of historians their view on whether the Gilded Age is an era of opulence or hardship, that person will regret the question because they will later hear an argument about the great and terrible moments in that era. This is because the Gilded Age had plenty of amazing moments where America discovered new ways to make a business and get rich, but it also underwent plenty of downfalls for the poor. The era was given its name from a novel by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, and it means “covered with a layer of gold, but it also suggests that the glittering surface covers a core of little real value and is therefore deceptive” (Foner 615). This definition truly exhibits that the Gilded Age has a rich outlook with the
From A Handbook to Literature (ed. Harmon), works featuring Realism explore
The nineteenth century was a breeding ground for many literary movements, including realism, romanticism and naturalism. Realism consists of literature that is consistent, predictable, and sticks to the “simple truth” of how regular people live and talk. Romanticism is literature that contains things of intellect, strangeness and remoteness and tries to make the familiar unfamiliar. Finally, naturalism is literature that has regular people in extraordinary circumstances; the hero is at the mercy of larger social and natural forces, which are cruelly indifferent; traces of social Darwinism can be found in the literature and there is generally a brutal struggle for survival. Realism can be seen in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman,
Many people are naturally inclined to a more positive and romantic outlook on life at younger ages, but when they are hit with the tragedies and sadness of the real world their views tend to change toward realism rather than their more imaginative view of a romantic world. This happened during the Civil War era in the United States. “Civilians of the United States viewed war as a glorious event, especially if their side was bound to achieve victory” (Dunnion). Realism shows the world how it really is including all of it’s flaws and shortcomings. Romanticism is the tendency to only show the good of society and make it look far more polished and lovely than it truly is.
