Gilded Age Urbanization

The Gilded Age is a time period in American history between 1870-1900. During this time period there was a boom in the United States economy and population. Unfortunately, during this time period there was a lot of financial corruption and inequality which caused the rich to become very wealthy. Interestingly enough there were a variety of distinguished authors, from William Graham Sumner, Henry Demarest Lloyd, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry George knew economic inequality was a major problem and something needed to be done.

There were many big businessmen in the Gilded Age, some used their wealth to help the country, others did not. In the Gilded Age, there was exponential economic growth: increase in population, better transportation, new technology, and new business ideas. Entrepreneurs thrived in this time, these businessmen were thought of a captains of industry or robber barons. Most people thought that they were captains of industry because of the good they did for the country. Entrepreneurs such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford all helped their economy in some way.

The Gilded Age was the time of rapid economic growth for the United States. The period where little corporations turned into a millionaire company. The time of one of the most dynamic, contentious, and volatile periods in American history happened. National wealth increased dramatically but their was a problem for the poor and the farmers of the U.S. People may say that the Gilded Age was the era of corruption, harsh labor and brutal industrial competition, but others think that the Gilded Age is the time that the U.S. exploded industrially and that was the moment that the U.S became one of the superpowers of the world. The Gilded Age was a new era of industry. It was a time of great social change and economic growth for the U.S. Lots of

During the Gilded Age of late 1800’s and early 1900’s, a time period that essential government intervention was provided in big business and banking to protect workers, promote sound banking practices, clean up the cities and make them healthier and to improve rights for underrepresented Americans. The Gilded Age, growing production and industrialization was rising at an enormous rate. In the North, factories were booming and inventing new and more efficient ways to produce goods. This created more employment opportunities, and for some a way into the middle-class of society. Men, women and children were entering the workforce. Mass production in factories and industry made it possible to lower the prices of goods and made them more readily available for the public consumer. Railroads expanded across the U.S. making it more economical to ship and receive goods. The steel industry was making leaps and bounds in new processes of making a stronger and better product. Electricity was becoming more available to areas that were without power and the perfection of the lightbulb by Thomas Edison brought light into homes and factories, changing the way society shopped, worked and the way they took part leisure activities.

The “Gilded Age” was a time between the Civil War and World War I. It was also a time of economic growth. During this time new discoveries were made of new technologies and products. It was the beginning of industrialization. With new discoveries of technology and products that led to a better life for the middle class and a jump in the economic success.

One of the most notable times during the late 19th century was the Gilded Age. This is a term often used to describe this time period since from the outside looking in urban life in America seemed perfect, but in reality, many citizens did not like the changes that were occurring. Since the verb gild means to cover with or as if with a thin coating of gold[1], historians often refer to this time period as “the Gilded Age”. New ideals about poverty, social reforms, different political approaches, and a new women’s culture brought forth political, economic, social, and cultural changes in urban growth during the

Between 1865 and 1900 was an era known as the Gilded Age. This era played a major role in the growth of industrialization and was a start of how business and politics started to affect each other. America started to change along with its economy as a whole, which started to transform and grow drastically. The Gilded Age was a time of growth and development for America and the two most major developments that had the biggest impact was the development of railroads and women's activism.

Throughout history, America was faced with many problems socially, economically, politically, and technologically. But America has also experienced many great successes in these areas as well. Some opportunities were seized, while others were wasted. We can learn from our past failures and successes and take what we have learned from them forward with us into the future, to help build and maintain a better America. The Gilded Age, during the late 1800’s, was a time in America where we experienced explosive economic growth, serious social problems, new innovative technology, and the rise of corporations and corruption in politics. We have learned from some of these things that we went through in the Gilded Age and fixed them, but we are still facing some of the problems we faced back then, today.

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.

This time period of the Gilded Age was between the Civil War and World War I. The Gilded Age was an age of vast transformations for the United States. With the U.S. population and economy growing quickly, there were a lot of political corruption, corporate financial misdealings, and many wealthy people who lived very fancy lives. The Gilded Age also brought over a vast number of immigrants to our shores. This era showed the true meaning of the “American dream” and also the suffering it brought with it. Between 1865-1900 the Gilded Age was a time period when rapid growth occurred, especially in the North and West; however, the industrial workers focused on bettering the system while farmers were trying to be as successful as the industry. Therefore, their improvement to better themselves had similar industrialization.

The Gilded Age was a time period of immense industrialization. Also known as The Second Industrial Revolution, it took place between the late 1860s up until 1896. The well known era is when many industrial advancements that would influence the future of America were developed. A group of industrial magnates acquired massive fortunes in steel, transportation, oil, and other industries. The lives of many Americans improved dramatically however, this was not the case for everyone.

Mark Twain named the period between 1865-1900 the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age is known as a period that showed America as a country that was golden on the outside but was corrupt in reality. During the Gilded Age, America was seen as a country many people wanted to come to in order to have a better life because people had a chance to become wealthy. Once people arrived in America, they realized America was not portrayed as the country they heard great things about. The Gilded Age was also marked as an era which new business techniques, better communication, and new technology emerged. Industrialization changed America business and labor practices due to the national banking system, limited involvement of the government, wealthy owners using

“Poor and restricted are our opportunities in this life, narrow our horizon, our best work for the most imperfect…”. That was how life was for the majority of the population during the Gilded Age. They worked an extensive amount of hours and lived in undesirable living conditions. The wealthy led a lifestyle completely different than that of the working class. They lived in luxurious homes and purchased only top quality items. These were known as the Haves and the Have Nots. This is still something that is seen today. All in all, the Gilded Age was a time where there was a noticeable difference between both socioeconomic groups.

The term “Gilded Age” doesn’t come from a historical scholar, but from famous authors Mark Twain and Charles Warner’s novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. The term reflects how America was run during this time. On the outside America seemed to be thriving with industrial and economic life, but under the surface you will find greed, corruption, and violence. In a time where urbanization and industrialization as well as the beginning of development of United States railroad system (9/19/16) there was also

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.,