The Second Industrial Revolution, known as the Technological Revolution, was described by Mark Twain as the “Gilded Age.” This was a time of rapid industrialization during the last 30 years of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century. While it brought changes to the workplace and transportation, the lives of the majority of society were not affected as positively as they had been during the first industrial revolution. It was a time of corruption and crime, hidden behind growth and prosperity.
Among the wealthy and powerful of this “Gilded Age” were Carnegie, Vanderbilt and Rockefeller. Vanderbilt made a fortune by revolutionizing the railroads. Carnegie created the standard railroad gauge which made traveling and shipping on railroads easier and cheaper. Carnegie owned
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They became a class of lower paid workers. The women who worked toiled under the same dirty or dangerous conditions that men faced, performed the same job, yet received much less pay. They delayed marriage and having children. Their families often relied on their income for survival. Unfortunately, children were often employed in dangerous jobs for little pay. The worked as breaker boys, moving large piece of coal with their feet along a conveyor belt, or even worse in the fish canneries or glass, tobacco or textile industries. These jobs sometimes cost the children their fingers, arms, feet, legs or even their lives. The dangers caused by the increased industrialization came at the expense of the safety and earnings of the workers.
The Second Industrial Revolution, did indeed produce rapid industrialization resulting in cheaper goods, better transportation and a stronger economy. However, it brought more dangers to workers and unequal pay. It allowed more crime for those in power or with wealth. It was a time of corruption and crime, concealed by the growth and