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America In The Gilded Age

Decent Essays

In 2015, America is in a New Gilded Age because of similar individuals and their philanthropic work, similar wealth gaps and the cultural and social changes that have been made in that time seem to go in a similar flow as in the Gilded Age of late 1800’s.

One of many philanthropic individuals of the Gilded Age included Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie is the creator of Carnegie Steel Company. After selling his company to J.P. Morgan and making a fortune off of that, he decided he was going to give most all of his money away by the time he died. Mostly Carnegie donated majority of his money to libraries, but also to music halls, schools, churches and some art museums.When he died in 1919, he had given away about $356 million (4.3 billion in …show more content…

Some inventions like the railroad and telegraph opened the eyes of the people. The railroad brought people together and made people think of ideas that would help make everything smoother like hand watches, different time zones, and the telegraph to help communicate between the people. These inventions made social and cultural changes because they opened the eyes to all the people and the possibilities that could come. This also increased the amount and quality of crops and products farmers were putting out. Such as between 1865 and 1898, wheat, corn and coal selling was sky high. During the Gilded Age, there was a Progressive Era and during this Progressive Era, there were lots of things that went on that support the thought that we are in a New Gilded Age currently. Suffrage and human rights movements began for African Americans and women. Such as when Booker T. Washington advocated for the African American race claiming that they should be economically equal with southern caucasian people. This was the beginning of the Great Migration. In the Gilded Age, there were 4 amendments created, including: letting women vote and prohibition of alcohol. There have been lots of changes in the way that people think in 2015. The baby boomers, who are getting in their 70’s- late 80’s are starting to die off and so a …show more content…

From 1860- 1900, the wealthiest 2% of American households owned more than a third of the nations money. But the top 10% owned almost the other three fourths. According to Howard Zinn, the wealth gap started issues of working and living conditions for the working class. There was hope though, from 1870 to 1880 the average annual incomes rose $20, from 1870-1900, there was a gain of 53%! In a recent poll in 2007, the top 1% is earning roughly 24% of all the income. This shows an upward trend that is probably still going on today in 2015. In 2008, during the recovery time of the recession US had, the distribution of money was really thrown off but then as the economy got better, so did the amount the top 1% received. It rose consistently 5 years in a row which each time it increases, it widens the wealth gap. According to a study done by the American Sociological Review, the effects on the other end of the classes have been struggling and businesses are now figuring that they have a higher level of immigrated, less educated employees. Also for all parents, they see that the amount that earn and die with is going to show the progression of their offspring and how they are going to do. Most of the richest people of the world all have something to do with electronics and some technological

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