Freedoms During The Gilded Age

Since president Lincoln’s Gettysburg address America has achieved a sense of new birth of freedom during different time periods throughout history. The new freedoms that America had given birth to were the freedom of expression, the freedom of not being oppressed, free enterprise and equality. Although there were some hiccups and setbacks, America pushed through the symbol of freedom and equality in the world and American continues to represent those freedoms.
The Gilded Age was an era of rapid economic growth in America. Mark Twain coined the name Gilded Age meaning that the period was glittering on the surface with wealth but corrupt. Wages were much higher than those in Europe. There was new birth of freedom in growth of wealth for the
middle class and the economy. The second industrial revolution gave rise the powerful magnates such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller and later on brought about the gilded age. This age was the beginning of America’s free enterprise where businesses supported capitalism and limited government. Although there was a decrease in economic growth and the middle class became poor during the great depression, but because of World War II the economy was jumped-started and brought America back to rapid economic growth again.
The Progressive Era was a new birth of freedom in social change, moral, and political reform.
Progressive thinkers were able to improve and solve societal problems. It allowed immigrants and lower class families opportunities for jobs. The era included efforts to outlaw child labor, sweatshops, and alcohol. Middle class progressive reformers sought to eliminate corruption in government, improve working conditions, and regulate and improve business practices (safety). At the same time muckraking journalists were exploiting corrupted businesses and businessmen, harsh child laboring conditions, and poor working conditions. One muckraker brought about a change in when he had exploited the meat packing industry and its hazardous conditions. The Pure food and drug act was passed thanks to Upton Sinclair and his book The Jungle. From the 1900 to1917 Progressive reform applied a systematic approach to solving issues that America was facing in the work field and at home. Many progressives supported pragmatist ideas. The belied social problems could be fixed through intelligent and purposeful action. During the progressive era women pushed the idea of suffrage even more. Women wanted the freedom of expression and that expression was voting. Through radical practices and protests women were able to vote in
1920.
The Civil Rights movement of 1950’s and 60’s was a new birth of freedom in ending segregation and giving equal rights to African Americans.
African Americans had a sense of a new birth of freedom when segregation and Jim crow laws were suspended. The Brown vs Board of Education rules that segregation was a violation of the 14th amendment and that integration of black and whites should be allowed. With the new freedom of equality African Americans were free from oppression by law, but by practice there were still racism among the whites and blacks. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I dream that one day my four children will live in a world where they are not judge by the color of their kin, but by the content of their character” (I have a dream speech). Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement who efforts did bring a change of freedom for African Americans. President Lyndon B. Johnson was in support and the movement and The Civil Rights of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1965 were passed exercising the new rights African Americans were entitled to. Not only did their movement give African Americans the freedom of expression, but an equal chance of higher education and jobs. Although in today’s world there has been huge improvements since the 1960’s, America still has more improvements to
make.
There is no doubt that the new birth of freedom that President Lincoln was referring to has been implemented and already achieved throughout the United states history since reconstruction. America has achieved a better and more a free enterprise/economy, freedom in a sense of expression for immigrants, women, African Americans, children, and minorities. America has come up in an overwhelming number of improvements over the years and leading as an example for the world, but there is always more room for improvement.