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The Reconstruction, Jim Crow Era, And The Gilded Age

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The United States experienced a period of tremendous development between 1865 and 1900, marked by great advances in science and culture, rapid industrialization, westward expansion, and social unrest. Known by many as the Reconstruction, and Jim Crow Era, and the Gilded Age, this period saw the country change from a predominately agricultural civilization to a global industrial superpower. During this time, several significant ideas, ideologies, and beliefs evolved that influenced the course of American politics and culture. The industrialization and urbanization of the late 19th century were one of the most significant themes. Railroads expanded, cities grew, and major businesses emerged as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution's profound …show more content…

The idea of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion was another major theme of the time. The First Transcontinental Railroad's completion in 1869, made it easier to colonize the western frontier, which resulted in the eviction of Native American tribes and the creation of new states and territories. The notion of "Manifest Destiny," which held that it was America's destiny to colonize all of North America, encouraged westward migration and provided justification for the annexation of Indigenous territories. New social movements and philosophies, such as Progressivism and Social Darwinism, also began to take shape in the late 19th century. Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection served as the inspiration for social Darwinism, which supported laissez-faire capitalism and the idea of the "survival of the fittest" while progressivism attempted to use government intervention and reform to address the social, economic, and political issues brought on by industrialization. In an endeavor to build a more just and equal society, progressive supported policies including labor rights, women's suffrage, antitrust legislation, and environmental

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