Gilded Age Essay

Externally, the Gilded age appears shiny and golden, but once the sheen wore off, the tarnished, worn material is revealed. Amidst the Gilded age, businesses used the newly expanding economy to prosper, but at the cost of thousands of immigrants slaving daily in inhumane conditions. With the increase in disturbing treatment of the blue collar worker and a lack of regulations it seemed as if no end was in sight for workers. Fed up and running out of hope, a movement emerged from the smoke. Many took notice, some took action, but few were effective in evoking a meaningful change. Though labor unions, railroad strikes, and factory reforms made a valiant effort to initiate a meaningful change, it proved to be ineffective at reforming the labor
In fact, Terence Powderly united all workers, both skilled and unskilled, through the Knights of Labor union. In order to achieve the unanimous goal of an eight hour work day the Knights of Labor union organized peaceful strikes to halt the production of materials, and ultimately deflate the deep pockets of big business leaders. But the efforts of the Knights of Labor were disrupted by those who chose to work during the periods of organized labor strikes, also known as scabs. When the Haymarket strike turned violent, it led to the untimely desecration of the Knights of Labor union, leaving the industry unchanged. Another unionist, Samuel Gompers, or the father of unionism, assembled an extensive group of skilled white workers, called the American Federation of Labor, in order to bargain for higher wages, shorter workdays, and better conditions within factories. With the use of strikes, boycotts, and closed shops their efforts were the most admirable, but once again scabs enabled big businesses to operate without a hitch. For this reason, labor unions were ineffective in igniting