Financial And Political Issues In The Gilded Age
STRUGGLES IN THE GILDED AGE
A facade is an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality. The name given to the Gilded Age is a facade to its many financial and political issues at the end of the 1800s. During this time, the conditions of the labor were demanding and unfair, forcing workers to go on strike and realize the difficulties that came with achieving the American dream.
The labor was demanding and unfair. Children had to join the workforce to help support their families. Most of them worked in textile factories and were paid less than adults. The states tried to enforce laws that set a minimum age for labor, but most of the youth refused to acknowledge them.(Greenwood, 62)
A working man’s
wages were usually not enough to support his family, so the women began to join the workforce. They were paid much less than the men, and were supervised by men while they worked.(Greenwood, 59) On average, a worker’s wages were 21.6 cents an hour, with six, ten hour days. The average annual pay was $490, with no compensation for time off.(Greenwood, 57)
The low pay began to make workers unhappy, and some decided to go on labor strikes. The worst of these strikes was the Pullman strike. The Pullman Palace Car Company cut the worker’s wages by 25%, and as a result, the workers and their families began to starve. When the workers brought their problems to the president of the company, George M. Pullman, he refused to listen, and fired those who complained. Those who were fired went on a destructive strike. They vandalized and destroyed railcars, and some rioters were being killed. Eugene V. Debs tried to end the violence by convincing the rioters to be rehired. Most of them were part of a labor union, and the company would only hire those who were not. After being shut down during the riots, the Pullman company reopened on August 2 and agreed to rehire the workers as long a they promised not to join a union. The workers lost one million dollars in wages.(Urofsky)
Another serious strike that occurred was the Homestead strike. This strike began when Henry Clay Frick was out in charge of the Homestead Steel Mill workers. He cut their wages and when they began to riot, he locked them out of the mill. The rioters began to participate in violence and criminal activities, and it got to a point where they murdered Pinkerton agents in a gun battle. The strikers were making no progress, and finally the ones who did the least damage were rehired be the Homestead Steel Mill, settling for twelve hour days and reduced wages.(Greenwood, 64-65)
If one was actually able to somewhat achieve the American dream, life became more difficult. Certain responsibilities came with finally becoming rich in society, such as not being able to die wealthy, and not being charitable to the poor. It was morally incorrect for someone wealthy to die as such, so most of the rich would donate their money to foundations, but direct assistance to the unfortunate was unacceptable. Social Darwinism was what defined this age and those who could survive and flourish within it. It was survival of the fittest in culture and society. The poor being the “weak” though, their culture was supposed to die along with them.(Greenwood, 25-26-27)
Demanding labor, horrific strikes, and the struggles to achieve the American dream make this age a difficult time to live in. The gilded age proved that success and fairness comes with multiple struggles, but it can be fought for and won.
A facade is an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality. The name given to the Gilded Age is a facade to its many financial and political issues at the end of the 1800s. During this time, the conditions of the labor were demanding and unfair, forcing workers to go on strike and realize the difficulties that came with achieving the American dream.
The labor was demanding and unfair. Children had to join the workforce to help support their families. Most of them worked in textile factories and were paid less than adults. The states tried to enforce laws that set a minimum age for labor, but most of the youth refused to acknowledge them.(Greenwood, 62)
A working man’s
wages were usually not enough to support his family, so the women began to join the workforce. They were paid much less than the men, and were supervised by men while they worked.(Greenwood, 59) On average, a worker’s wages were 21.6 cents an hour, with six, ten hour days. The average annual pay was $490, with no compensation for time off.(Greenwood, 57)
The low pay began to make workers unhappy, and some decided to go on labor strikes. The worst of these strikes was the Pullman strike. The Pullman Palace Car Company cut the worker’s wages by 25%, and as a result, the workers and their families began to starve. When the workers brought their problems to the president of the company, George M. Pullman, he refused to listen, and fired those who complained. Those who were fired went on a destructive strike. They vandalized and destroyed railcars, and some rioters were being killed. Eugene V. Debs tried to end the violence by convincing the rioters to be rehired. Most of them were part of a labor union, and the company would only hire those who were not. After being shut down during the riots, the Pullman company reopened on August 2 and agreed to rehire the workers as long a they promised not to join a union. The workers lost one million dollars in wages.(Urofsky)
Another serious strike that occurred was the Homestead strike. This strike began when Henry Clay Frick was out in charge of the Homestead Steel Mill workers. He cut their wages and when they began to riot, he locked them out of the mill. The rioters began to participate in violence and criminal activities, and it got to a point where they murdered Pinkerton agents in a gun battle. The strikers were making no progress, and finally the ones who did the least damage were rehired be the Homestead Steel Mill, settling for twelve hour days and reduced wages.(Greenwood, 64-65)
If one was actually able to somewhat achieve the American dream, life became more difficult. Certain responsibilities came with finally becoming rich in society, such as not being able to die wealthy, and not being charitable to the poor. It was morally incorrect for someone wealthy to die as such, so most of the rich would donate their money to foundations, but direct assistance to the unfortunate was unacceptable. Social Darwinism was what defined this age and those who could survive and flourish within it. It was survival of the fittest in culture and society. The poor being the “weak” though, their culture was supposed to die along with them.(Greenwood, 25-26-27)
Demanding labor, horrific strikes, and the struggles to achieve the American dream make this age a difficult time to live in. The gilded age proved that success and fairness comes with multiple struggles, but it can be fought for and won.