Discrimination And Stratification During The Nineteenth Century

Even if the 1920’s seem affluent and prosperous on the surface, the realities of time contradicted such notions; in fact, it can be clearly stated that this decade should not be judged as an era of wealth. Inequality was rampant in society at this time, especially when it comes to stark income differences between the upper, middle and lower classes. While it can be said that the upper classes, who make up a mere 1% of the population enjoyed most of these materialistic luxuries, the vast majority of the American population was barely getting by.

The late-nineteenth century was a turning point for American society, economics and politics. This era was an era of seeming prosperity and diversity. Nonetheless, there were many perspectives that were omitted from this prosperous and wealthy view shared among the few. As a result, the late 1800s was known as the Gilded Age, named by Mark Twain as an allusion to the concept of something that is seemingly pleasantly plated with gold on the outside, but rotten to the core. This Gilded Age, in essence, was a period of rapid growth of industry in the American North and West. This industrialization brought many benefits, however, along with the benefits for the select few, it also saw heavier persecution and exploitation against those who were

Christopher Doob wrote the first edition of Social Inequality and Social stratification in US Society. The author structures this book in the direction towards a theoretical concept that attracts the reality of social inequality and stratification as a whole. Doob dissects this books into eleven chapters given that each chapter examines the inequality of stratification. Also during the readings of this book Doob used plenty of data to show the socioeconomic strata revolved around the history of America. In relation to this book the assigned four readings in class “Class A guide through the American Status System, Class

Accurately established by many historians, the capitalists who shaped post-Civil War industrial America were regarded as corrupt “robber barons”. In a society in which there was a severe imbalance in the dynamics of the economy, these selfish individuals viewed this as an opportunity to advance in their financial status. Thus, they acquired fortunes for themselves while purposely overseeing the struggles of the people around them. Presented in Document A, “as liveried carriage appear; so do barefooted children”, proved to be a true description of life during the 19th century. In hopes of rebuilding America, the capitalists’ hunger for wealth only widened the gap between the rich and poor.

Since the beginning of civilization, unfortunately, there has always been some type of ranking when it came to social status. Usually, there was a small group of wealthy elites who ran everything, and then there was the large group of people who were not rich. One would think that the rich would take care of the poor, but often times the rich kept to themselves and let the poor suffer. This can be seen all over history from the time of the Egyptians to the feudal system of the middle ages, to even more current times.This holds true when diving into the 1800 and 1900’s. One would see that like there were very few social elites and a plethora of people who were not wealthy by a stretch. There were times when the rich would participate in activities that would make it seem like they were helping the poor when in actuality they were not doing the slightest. An example of this can be seen in Andrew Carnegie's “The Gospel of Wealth.” In “The Gospel of Wealth” Carnegie explains what one should do to help society and the poor, but what it is is a way for the wealthy to feel better about themselves.

"Discrimination is a disease." This is a greatly popular quote straight from the mouth of Robert Staunbach. Many people consider the 1930's to be a terrible time of prejudice, especially to some violent extremes. Between racism, sexism, and social prejudice, discrimination levels were about the highest America has ever seen. This was a difficult time for African Americans in the U.S, and despite the decline of organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, racism was as strong as ever, especially in the southern states. During the Great Depression, colossal unemployment and relocation forced a re-evaluation of sexism in employment. With millions of people in unemployment, the gap between the rich and the

The gilded and progressive eras in America were times of expansion, urbanization, and what seemed like a golden pathway to an industrialized future. In the 1850s, railroads were being built all across America, and with that came the rise of the steel and oil industries, as well as dramatic population increases in the newly urbanized cities. Such a change in society created a gap between social classes causes incredible amounts of poverty for many, and incredible wealth for few. Three main struggles during this crucial time in America were political corruption, the rapid expansion of urban cities, and the unfair, and unsafe working conditions. Through these difficult times, many different types of reform were supported, but few were actually effective.

Simply peering into a factory during the Gilded Age of the 1800’s would cause one to witness sights that could disgust and shake them to the core, with horrific child labor and sickening food production being only a couple. This Gilded Age allowed the U.S. to view itself in a positive light, despite the fact that it’s lower class was in a despairingly bad condition. The industrial advancements that were occuring overshadowed indescribably bad health and poverty that plagued the poorer people. However, the Progressive Era of the years that followed attempted to alleviate the problems the country was facing. During this time, not only were these problems brought to light, but social reformers and other individuals who advocated for change were

The late 1800s were a time of great industrialization and economic development in America. But a look behind the gold plating of the “Gilded Age” reveals everything from ruthless imperialism to anti-competitive business practices hiding behind. Perhaps most importantly, the so-called Gilded Age saw the establishment of a strong capitalistic class system in America under the doctrines of Social Darwinism. While the era's technological and industrial advancements undoubtedly raised the U.S. economy to the level of a world power, the corrupt and unethical practices tolled an enormous cost on American society.

The Progressive Era was an age of ambition and brutal competition between the people who are to this day credited with building the backbone of the American economic society. Although, even in the early years of industry, getting to the top comes with manipulation especially for the business titans of the time, Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Contrary to popular belief in those days, these men were not honourable business men. Yet, this wasn’t uncovered until reformers finally started exposing the lies buried behind the corporations in 1890 through 1920. The reason most people in Manhattan (the most common place

During the 19th century, America was going through an important transition. The nation was dealing with the aftermath of the civil war and the following reconstruction of the South. The Reconstruction period was the precursor to the period deemed the “Gilded Age”. The nation saw economic growth and the creation of the mass market. The rise of industrialization and transition to urban living were some of the defining moments of this period. However, the most defining idea of the Gilded Age is Reform: Social, Political, and economic. The Gilded Age was plagued with the problems that, the reconstruction period failed to solve. During the Gilded Age, social, political, and economic reform movements were gaining ground. Blacks and other

As seen numerous times in American history, minorities have been thought of as inferior through the eyes of society. How did attitudes towards discrimination against minorities change through the end of the 19th century? When people took the time to look at individuals with a new perspective, their opinions changed regarding the minorities’ stereotypes. Discrimination during the 19th century was widely accepted until individuals experienced personal interactions, changing their perception regarding minorities and differing from societies’ views.

In this week's reading, the author explains that the Civil War (1861-1865) destroyed in the South, the empire of the masters and freed the slaves, particularly by the Thirteenth, fourth and fifteenth amendments that granted them equality and the right to vote. However, blacks barter their status as slaves to that of exploited workers, dominated with low-income and no beneficial contract. In addition, Southern whites, humiliated by their descent into hell, impose on blacks a discrimination in all areas: education, housing, transport, hospitals, cemeteries, etc. In 1896, the Supreme Court justifies this discrimination on behalf of equality in the separation. The right to vote is practically annihilated by discriminatory clauses, including reading

In the late nineteenth century, America was a country in its prime of industrialization and immigration influx. Known as the Gilded Age, this period defined the United States as the bustling powerhouse it is today, but at the cost of many social and political injustices that lay underneath the guise of the “American dream”. Among the urbanization and booming industry, there was national and racial discrimination, gender inequality, child exploitation and labor,

In colonial America, certain groups of people, specifically women and people of color, had to face societal struggles, such as discrimination. Discrimination can be based on many different characteristics—age, gender, weight, ethnicity, religion, or even politics. For example, prejudice and discrimination based on race is called racism. Oftentimes, gender prejudice or discrimination is referred to as sexism. Discrimination is often the outcome of prejudice, a preformed negative judgment or attitude. General well-being, self-esteem, self-worth, and social relations can be severely impacted in a negative way as a result of discrimination. Unfortunately, this obstacle still exists in our society today, but it is definitely not as severe as it was back in colonial American times. This idea that many times, certain groups in society are discriminated against due to their race, gender, appearance, etc. is a theme that is expressed in the early American texts, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, and “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley.