The Gilded Age

Name:

Course:

Instructor:

Date:

The Gilded Age

Overall, do conditions appear to be improving or getting worse?

Gilded age is described by Charles Warner and Mark Twain in their novel, as the period in America, where the country overall, appeared to be prosperous, but in real sense it was covered with corruption. They described it to be covered with gold, but when gilded it reveals a layer of cheaper metal. This period took place after the civil war. Overall, the conditions of the United States seem to be improving, as the country the country’s economy seems to be growing since the Gilded Age. It has one of the largest economies in the world. In 2011, its GDP was approximately fifteen trillion dollars, that is, a quarter of the world’s GDP. It also has a high output level. Its per capita GDP is estimated to be the sixth highest in the globe. In the Gilded Age, United States was doing better than Britain economically. Industries that ruled at that time were factories, coal mining and railroads.

The construction of railroads allowed for efficient transport, improving on the time it would take people to travel from one place to another. It also linked markets and areas to a common and larger market ground where mining, commercial farming and ranching took place. Steel production in America also grew rampantly, such that it was more than the production France, Germany and Britain combined. Industries such as oil, steel and sugar did well as they dominated the industry by being the only producers in their market. Mechanization of industries also grew, where industrialists tried to come up with new ways produce cheaply at greater quantities. The growth of mechanization led to the development of machinery shops and the establishment of engineering colleges. There was also creation of small businesses, which grew rapidly. In turn, this led to the growth of a middle class population. The USA also led in the development of technology in the world, as new and more inventions were being made. This economic change in the Gilded Age contributed to the country’s growth, which is evident even today.

What important qualifications must be made to any generalizations about the conditions of workers?

 The qualifications to be made about the condition of workers include the laws that protect them, their wages and working conditions in the different organizations. Compared to the Gilded age, the working conditions of workers have improved. Formation of unions that fight for the rights of workers since the Gilded Age continues to grow. Rights that workers are granted include, production technologies that are safe, litigation, compensation laws, developed medical procedures, as well as antibiotics. In the Gilded Age There were no laws that fought and stood for workers, hence making the conditions for working poor. As America grew in wealth, the conditions of the workers became worse. Employers employed workers who did not complain and did their work well. These employees were paid wages and became dependent to the good will of an employer. In order to reduce the cost of labor, employers gave lower wages and paid by piecework.

As the factory conditions were dangerous, accidents in the factories became common. However, they could not address their complaints, as courts did not listen to them. The workers also had a hard time following instructions on the machinery, as they could not read. As a response to these conditions, workers formed unions that fought for improvement in wages and their working rights. These unions included The American Federation of Labor, but it only represented a small number of workers. The creation of unions led to conflicts between employers and workers, as the employers did support these unions and were determined to stop them. In this, there was constant violent and strikes, such as Pullman Strike, Railway Strike, Homestead Strike and Haymarket Riot.

Does race, class, or gender of the workers affect their conditions?

Race, class and gender still affect the working conditions of workers today, but at a smaller rate as compared to the Gilded Age. During industrialism, jobs were created for women, which saw to the rise of the number of employed women. Men however believed that women were not supposed to work as they reduced the levels of wages. Children were also expected to work such that by 1890, children consisted 18 percent of the labor force. Blacks and immigrants were resented by other workers because they worked even during strikes. There was also racial segregation, where African Americans were not allowed to vote, in such things as poll taxes and literacy tests. Mexican and Indian Americans also faced segregation and hostility, from the whites.

Last Completed Projects