Gilded Age Paper

by Maddie Berkson, Tenth Grade

At last, The Civil War was over. A new century was on the rise and with it came many advancements in technology, new political movements, and crime. 1860-1896, roughly thirty years in American history, of course, is what many refer to as the Gilded Age. Historians share various views surrounding this time period; however, one important detail which no one can deny is the rapid growth in infrastructure. This time period brought forth the Transcontinental Railroad, electrical lighting, the telephone, etc. Due to the exceeding rate of innovation, capitalism in the States was booming, and a significant gap between the classes emerged. Low-income rates and brutal work times led to those in the lower class getting fed up with their state of living. Their solution to enacting change was to give the government more power in order to limit the control of the entrepreneurs thus slowly drawing the Gilded Age to a close.

The question at hand, which divides people’s outlook on the Gilded Age, is whether or not the increased amount of government influence was either good or bad for America. Some believe the intervention paved the way for more economic equality and better living conditions for the average American. In opposition to the growth of government power, others view the Gilded Age as a prime example of the possible prosperity which is achievable under fewer regulations. After analyzing both stances on the topic, I have arrived at the conclusion that both parties are wrong in a sense.

The Populist Party, a party formed during the Gilded Age and whose members are more modernly known as the progressives, promotes their actions by saying how their goal is to give power back to the people by taking influence from corporate heads and shifting the control to the government. But, how can the average American truly be powerful if the government holds all of the power and will try to suppress the full potential of those pursuing the American Dream? Some of the issues which the Populist party claim to solve are still present a century later except they present themselves differently. For example, select corporations, one being Google, still exist today and have more power than the robber barons could ever imagine. This does not mean, however, that I believe America should live under a complete libertarian-style government. The work-environment issues addressed by the Populist Party in the Gilded Age were definitely issues that called for some necessary changes. The method of acquiring specific changes is what I am unsure of.

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