The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age, spanning from the 1870s to the early 1900s, was a highly negatively controversial time in American history. During this time, America saw many changes in its society which helped shaped the United States we live in today. While some positive alteration did occur in America’s civilization during the time period, The Gilded Age was also a heavily corrupted time for our country. At the time, America experienced one of the most engrossing population growths that the country has ever seen. The increase in America’s inhabitants was mainly triggered by the amount of incoming outsiders. Although immigrants did cause overpopulation and a decrease in employee wages, they also encouraged the rise of political machines, or “…party [organizations],
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For example, immigrants composed a large portion of political machine’s supporters due to the fact they had the ability to do prevent lawful decisions such as the denial of jobs to foreign born individuals (Keene et al. 508). Furthermore, political machines had the income and power to gift immigrants with job and provide them with “… a range of services and favors, including cash handouts, payments for funerals, legal assistance, and seasonal giveaways of turkey at Thanksgiving and bags of coal in winter” (Keene et al. 508). Since political machines had earned their success through the public instead of their wealth or family name, a vast majority of the rich native-born American population was terrified by them and their authority. This led them to become aware of how corrupt the political machines’ system was. They realized that the public was often manipulated into electing political bosses without knowing who they were truly voting for. For example, William Tweed, a political boss who was the head of the political machine Tammany Hall of New York, was said to have controlled a large population of immigrants into voting him into the New York State Senate (Matt Deluca). Eventually, the public realized the danger that political machines brought to the American society, and concluded that it would be best to discontinue their support for the political
For example, immigrants composed a large portion of political machine’s supporters due to the fact they had the ability to do prevent lawful decisions such as the denial of jobs to foreign born individuals (Keene et al. 508). Furthermore, political machines had the income and power to gift immigrants with job and provide them with “… a range of services and favors, including cash handouts, payments for funerals, legal assistance, and seasonal giveaways of turkey at Thanksgiving and bags of coal in winter” (Keene et al. 508). Since political machines had earned their success through the public instead of their wealth or family name, a vast majority of the rich native-born American population was terrified by them and their authority. This led them to become aware of how corrupt the political machines’ system was. They realized that the public was often manipulated into electing political bosses without knowing who they were truly voting for. For example, William Tweed, a political boss who was the head of the political machine Tammany Hall of New York, was said to have controlled a large population of immigrants into voting him into the New York State Senate (Matt Deluca). Eventually, the public realized the danger that political machines brought to the American society, and concluded that it would be best to discontinue their support for the political