Edward Bellamy Challenges The Nineteenth-Century Private Financial System In Looking Backward

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.

For decades, Looking Backward has been an influential novel since it focuses on the idea of social reform. The novel’s publication was in 1888 during an era when most Americans were afraid of violence associated with the working class. Another relevant aspect that disgusted a majority of individuals in public was the idea that conspicuous consumption is only for the privileged minorities in the American society. Intense demonstrations commenced following the emergence of labor unions, as well as large trusts that became a central factor in the nation’s economy. Arguably, the author managed to make the novel extraordinarily popular among the middle-class by painting a portrait of Americans who behold the possibilities of a desirable future.

In the latter chapters, Julian gains a love interest. He falls in love with Edith Leete, the daughter, who turns out to be Edith Bartlet's great-granddaughter. Edith Bartlet was his former fiancèe.

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.

     Although the gap between rich and poor during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was unquestionably large, the nation was also prospering through large economic gains. Although it may have seemed like a nation in which the rich were detached from the poor, the US was actually harvesting a new breed of self-accomplishing individuals. With the end of free labor, the US had sought a new ideology, and found it in Adam

Following the end of the Civil War, the Gilded Age began a period in America’s history from 1870-1898 that transformed the industrial system and economy. While industry had been in the works before the war, the American economy was mainly dominated by agriculture. Advancements in technology and more efficient ways of organizing business expanded industry and drove few individuals to the top of the social pyramid. Presidents, Congress, and the Courts supported the success, but besides the small population of economic elite, there was massive poverty. On the political level, leadership was lacking. Corruption created a wildfire that spread throughout cities, states, and the national government. The government’s ignorance to the problems hidden

This historical study will define the increased economy prosperity of the Gilded Age and the development of suburban planning in the American middle classes. During the late 19th century, the massive growth of the American economy was dominantly formed in urban industrial centers, yet the wealth generated from the upper and middle classes allowed them to move out into rural areas near major cities. More so, the development of public transportation, such a trolleys and trains, helped the middle classes to plan suburban housing to escape the overpopulation and poverty of urban areas. Economic growth inspired the idea of the “suburbs” as a convenient residential area for the middle classes that sought greater individualism, which separated them from the masses of working-class urbanites. The expansion of American suburbs defines the growth of the administrative/managerial classes that was able to utilize public transportation to shift urban residential quarters to semi-rural neighborhoods at the fringes of American cities. Also, the issue of urban pollution was major incentive for the middle classes to seek out semi-rural residencies to escape the city. In essence, a historical analysis of the increased economic prosperity of the Gilded Age and the development of suburbs for the American middle classes will be defined in this study.

The industrial revolution introduced many new technology and improved our economic system. There have been a large increase in manufacture and machine tools since then. This led to better transportation, steam powered factories, consumer goods, a large workforce, and labour conditions. During the 1870’s , many financial issues had arise in the United States of America and in many European countries. Due to the financial crises that arise , it led to a major depressing era in history that is called the Panic of 1873. In “Standing at Armageddon” written by Nell Irvin Painter, the author discusses the progressive era and the United States economic crisis , as well as, social status during the ninetheeth century. Painter explains on how the high class white people owned most of the United States industry and due to their wealth, they owned fifty-one percent of the properties in America. They were the wealthiest one percent of the United States. There were different layers of wealth and social status which also integrates with race and ethnicity. Those who were wealthy in America weren’t the ones working hard and getting their hands dirty. Many low class were immigrants, women and blacks who worked in factories and were receiving low wages and poor work conditions. The low class owned only 1.2 percent of the properties in America. This caused major issues in the united states because the workers formed

Mark Twain, an American writer, named the late 19th century, the ‘Gilded Age.’ This time frame is “gilded” because the time was a glittering surface of gold with a rotten core beneath. This was a time period full of greed and guile, filled with robber barons, speculators, and Buccaneers. Not only that, but there were many sneaky business schemes to get more income, improper politics, and many impolite displays. Although, it’s better to think of this time as modern America’s formative period where small companies were transformed into an urban society dominated by industrial corporations.

History is interpreted in different ways. In Howard Zinn’s “People’s history of the Unites States”, his views of the Government playing into the hands of the wealthy is one that shows the truth of how life was really like during the turn of the 19th century. At the end of the Reconstruction, the country took the next step in the industrial ladder. At this time, many fortunes are made with the help of the immigrants and the corruption of the government. People like J.P. Morgan sold defective guns during the Civil War and with the help of the government, a “federal judge upheld the deal as the fulfillment of a valid legal contract (Zinn 255)”. The railroad became a big staple in the American country was only possible with the “blood, sweat, politics and thievery (Zinn 254)”, as the wealthy few, contracted cheap labor and gave bribes in Washington to get the land they needed to further expend the railroad. The government an establishment for the people, ignored the suffrage of the poor and stood there as the country began to monopolize under the grasp of the few elites. In the other end “A History of the American People” by Paul Johnson depicts the acts of the Gilded Age as a fundamental foothold in the United States. For Johnson, the rapid growth of the country is thanks to the few who rose from the rest, to establish the core of the economy. The government was a key player in the involvement of the railroad and in Johnson’s argument he says “The railroads were subsidized and legally privileged (Johnson 533)”. He explains the vast help of the government, toward the wealthy as a crucial step in accomplishing the impossible. In addition the article “What Social Classes Owe to Each Other (1883)” by William Graham Sumner argues that the few who managed to break through the barrier of the lower class was not with the help of others or the government, but by their own efforts and cleverness that got them to

Without a doubt, the gilded era mocks a political corruption in post–Civil War in America. The term Glided era deserves the title for its rotten underlying system, marked by monopoly and oligopoly system, where the wealthy became richer and the poor disfavored. Although great economic growth occurred through railroads, technology, and industries, the working class was brainwashed to accept the idea of social Darwinism while the great tycoons like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie would get the biggest piece of the pie while controlling the worker’s class. The government’s laissez-faire’s attitude generated corrupted politics, whom considered only their personal interests. In other words, America was controlled by the wealthy and corrupted

The late 19th century experienced the birth of a modern society dubbed the Gilded Age by writer Mark Twain. America witnessed the growth of big business, a population explosion of immigrants and the creation of labor movements. However, the Expansion and transformation of America often came at a cost to the American Citizen. It has been said, “The glitter of the gilded age covered a multitude of sins.” Evidence supports the validity of this statement. Although The Gilded Age (1870-1900) produced economic prosperity due to the growth of big business, extreme individual wealth, and increased immigrant population, it was littered with big business greed and corruption, unreasonable

During the 19th century, economic and social inequalities were at a peak. The Gilded Age yielded many inventions and advancements that led to extreme wealth and power, but it also led to poverty and despair. Both Sumner and George had theories of how poverty could have been eliminated, but their points were sometimes on opposite spectrums. This paper will discuss how some points were similar, but also very different in aspects to relieving poverty in the 19th century.

The “Background” section of this article gives a lot of insight to how the middle class was formed and the economic problems that arose throughout the 18th and 19th century, and are still arising today. This section is divided into four smaller segments that each give insight to the middle class and economic issues in a specific time frame. These sections are titled “Early Middle Class,” “Government Intervention,” “Economic Boom,” and “The Reversal.” The “Early Middle Class” section focuses on the time frame between the late 1800s and early 1900s where the Gilded Age, Progressive Movement, and the Roaring Twenties took place.

of capital in the hands of a few individuals.” During that Gilded age, the nation experienced innovation, immigration, advances in railroad, rise of business houses and along with that sufferings of working class, level of inequality, formation unions to protect working people.,