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When we think about the "Golden Age," we envision a time of economic, political, and social prosperity. A time where everyone had an equal chance, that with enough hard work and dedication, anyone could live their dream life. This is where we have roots in the "American Dream"... But the Gilded Age was not that. The term "Gilded Age" was created by Mark Twain, in reference to how gilding something makes it look like gold, but is actually cheap, flimsy, and tacky. The Gilded Age was made to look like the Golden Age, but it actually was nothing like it! Like the Golden Age, it was a period of vast economic growth and is credited for creating the modern industrial economy. However, the Gilded Age did not bring up the nation as a whole. A small group of people were made rich by the Gilded Age, the 1%, while the remaining 99% were forced to work long hours with low pay and poor working conditions. With this poor treatment, the Gilded Age brought labor reforms, movements, and unions into the scene of middle class working America.

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Industrialization is one of the major points of the Gilded Age. The USA had jumped to the front in the worldwide race of the economy. The USA rapidly expanded its horizons, from factories, to mines, to railroads. While industrialization led to significant economic development, population growth from immigrants, and lining the pockets of the rich, it led to other negative side effects. 99% of Americans, the average workers, were forced to work in these factories with low pay, harsh hours, and poor working conditions. Women and even children were forced to work in these places, often to support their families. Industrialization also led to an increase in immigration to cities, which resulted in overcrowded apartments and poor living conditions on top of that. Industrialization led to transportation and economic development, but it also led to social downfall in conditions and standards of living and political corruption, as the rich were able to keep such standards in place to keep their businesses going.
IMAGE: In the Gilded Age, many children and young teens were forced to work in factories. This image depicts children working in such a factory in the era.

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Immigration in the Gilded Age was one of the biggest driving points for the era's economic success. It also managed to spark intense animosity between citizens and political parties and candidates. Immigrants from all across the world came to the USA in search of the American Dream, only to arrive and see it was actually the opposite. Companies were able to effectively scam the immigrants, who were desperate for work and were willing to work for any wage. This lowered labor wages down and angered average Americans. Immigrants were often poor, uneducated, and could not speak English. They often crowded into cities where industry was high and jobs were available. They often lived inside tiny, crowded apartments for low rent, sometimes even up to 7 people living inside one room. Many came in from Ellis Island. Settlement houses were created to hold, house, and teach immigrants, often a safer alternative to the crowded city apartments. Immigration caused tension in American society, as many viewed them as a plague, specifically the Chinese and Irish. However, the terrible conditions immigrants were forced to live in and work under were one of the biggest points for major reform in the country.
IMAGE: A large Irish immigrant family takes a photo as they move into their apartment in New York City, midst the Gilded Age.

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Railroads: while they seem almost archaic to us now, railroads were once the driving force of American success and in many ways still have influence on trade and price. However, railroads were blanketed with corruption and robber barons in the Gilded Age. Companies began to monopolize and railroad workers were soon met with low wages, high hours, and poor working conditions. When strikes occurred, the federal government forced the workers back into their positions. Railroads soon became a compromised piece in the fight against corruption.
IMAGE: A railroad crew in the Gilded Age.

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Urbanization was the root of a lot of the Gilded Age's successes and problems. Urbanization led to significant economic development with the arrival of factories, suburbs, and more. However, this also brought overcrowding, disease, and a plethora of other issues into cities and suburbs. Sewage and filth were a large issue in immigrant-dominated areas, as they were not given attention. But hey! The economy was booming, skyscrapers were built, and factories laid!
IMAGE: Just one example of overcrowding and poor housing in an immigrant dominated area of NYC, Gilded Age.

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Reform in the Gilded Age came in many forms from all different directions, and it increased both the standard of living but the production and social improvement were both direct causes from reforms. Workplace strikes, women's suffrage, prohibition, and civil service all took a role in the fight for reform. Many recognized the errors and corruption of the USA and wanted to fix it. Female activists protested, as well as labor workers, due to inequality. Women were angry that the 15th Amendment did not include their own rights. Labor workers protested unfair conditions, pay, and hours. Reform of the Gilded Age led to developments that would end up in laws and regulations ensuring equality in today's time, as well as influence movements later on.
IMAGE: Women protest against the president, midst the Gilded Age. "Mr. President, How Long Must Women Wait for Liberty?"

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Monopolies and trusts became a large part of the economy midst the Gilded Age. These trusts were huge forces both economically and politically. They had the ability to thwart  price without regard for supply and demand nationwide. Monopolies were mainly steel, railroads, sugar, and oil, many led by figures such as Carnegie and Rockefeller. Trusts and monopolies were created to lessen competition and allow one company to overtake an entire market. Monopolies led to abuse of power and overtaking of competition, and even federal interference was required. This led to the Interstate Commerce Commission, but it failed. The Sherman Antitrust Act was created to encourage free competition, but it had difficulty being enforced as many companies and monopolies had so much power. Monopolies and trusts were a huge role in the Gilded Age economy, often hurting the average American workers.
IMAGE: A comic depicting how harsh and cruel monopolies are, as he is "bound to the stake" and forced to suffer the consequences.

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This comic depicts a family coming to America, arriving, and being met with a huge wall with the label "Literacy Test." Uncle Sam is behind the wall with his hand on it, and his caption is "You're welcome in -- if you can climb it!" A sign reading "The Land of the Free" is off to the side, showing the irony of the situation. This comic is in reference to how America tried to keep immigrants from coming in using English Literacy Tests as a way to bar them from coming in. How should we expect immigrants from nations that do not speak English to pass a literacy test? Americans did not want immigrants coming in and used multiple methods to prevent them from gaining citizenship. There is irony in that is the "Land of the Free," but only if you speak English and are a native-born American.

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COMIC 2: WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN AND THE POPULIST PARTY

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COMIC 2: WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN AND THE POPULIST PARTY

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This was a comic created by a pro-Republican magazine in the Gilded Age. The comic depicts William J Bryan as a snake with the label "Populist Party", swallowing the donkey representing the Democratic Party like a python would to its prey. This comic is in relation to how Republicans viewed Bryan as to be "hijacking" the Democratic party by working within the two-party system. The comic shows Bryan to be viewed as a snake, slimy, and corrupt in the eyes of the Republican party, and the Democrat donkey is scared. This was in reference to the two-party system and how Bryan was working within the Democrats to push his political influence and beliefs.

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This comic, drawn midst the Gilded Age, represents the sudden surge in immigration to the USA. It is in reference to how the USA is a cultural melting pot, and to play along with this they have Lady Liberty (representing America as a whole) stirring this pot. Inside the pot is multiple different people of varying ethnic groups, religions, and nationalities, all in the pot called "Citizenship." The pot seems peaceful and the people seem to get along, except for one individual, who has a knife and is ready to stab (and there is blood on one end, signifying he may have already stabbed someone). This angry, violent man is harassing Lady Liberty and refuses to be in the same pot as the others. This man represents the Irish. This comic alludes to the fact that while many Americans were okay with different immigrants arriving in the US and being given citizenship and civil rights, but in their minds, the Irish had no place in the country. The Irish is portrayed as violent, angry, and ugly. This is just one of the ways Americans viewed immigration and how they battle it. Immigration was almost seen as a plague to the majority of Americans, and nativism grew in the Gilded Age.

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Period 5 and Period 6 had a plethora of similarities and differences. Socially, Period 5 was focused on expanding into new horizons : the West. Compromise was very important to getting the Southern states to comply and join the Union as states in this post-Civil War era. Period 6 was also focused on expanding horizons, but mainly on the subject of cities and industrialization. Compromise was found in trying to get Native American tribes to become "respectful citizens." There was great economic development in both periods. However, in Period 5, it was known that anyone could make it. Anyone could move out west and start anew. It was not the same in Period 6, where only the 1% had economic and financial success. Politically, there was corruption in both eras. Continuity was found in the ideas of expansion and compromises, though they were in different areas. Change was found in the idea of being able to move up the ladder and pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and the economic level and division (the erasure of the middle class).