Gilded Age Dbq Essay - 932 Words

After the soaring ideals and tremendous sacrifices of the Civil War, the post-War era of the United States was generally one of political disillusionment. Even as the continent expanded and industrialized, political life in the Gilded Age was marked by ineptitude and stalemate as passive, rather than active, presidents merely served as figureheads to be manipulated rather than enduring strongholds. As politicians from both the White House to the courthouse were deeply entangled in corruption and scandal during the Gilded Age, the actual economic and social issues afflicting urbanizing America festered beneath the surface without being seriously addressed. During this time, general American attention had shifted away from national†¦show more content†¦(F) Men such as Carnegie and Rockefeller prospered enormously under this system at the expense of foreigners, women, and children, who were simultaneously dwarfed due to harsh working conditions. (G) While 10% of the population reached new economic pinnacles, the remaining 90% struggled to maintain a steady income. Lacking government support, the common man suffered while the rich man thrived. Though the two political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, aged differently in region, ethnicity, and religion, one similarity was prevalent: neither was willing to take strong stands on the most sensitive topics (H). The sectionalism that had been rife prior to the Civil War was still alive. Since neither side wanted to take risks, for fear of upsetting the balance of power, complex issues such as the tariff and money bills moved forward slowly and thus benefited the public too little or too late. The smaller peoples, including farmers, laborers, and small businessmen, were left out of the political equation except at the local machine level. Presidential cabinets were marked by the practice of patronage as the continuation of Andrew Jacksons spoils system became more widespread throughout the country. With no real standouts of the time, the social issues of the day were largely deferred or ignored. During the Gilded Age, approximately 10 million immigrants came to the United States, many in search of religious freedom and greaterShow MoreRelatedGilded Age Dbq Essay1643 Words   |  7 PagesThe Gilded Age was the time of rapid economic growth for the United States. The period where little corporations turned into a millionaire company. The time of one of the most dynamic, contentious, and volatile periods in American history happened. National wealth increased dramatically but their was a problem for the poor and the farmers of the U.S. People may say that the Gilded Age was the era of corruption, harsh labor and brutal industrial competition, but others think that the Gilded Age isRead MoreGilded Age DBQ901 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ â€Å"The politics of the Gilded Age failed to deal with the critical social and economic issues of the times.† Assess the validity of this statement. Use both the documents and your knowledge of the United States from 1865 to 1900. Whether or not the politics of the Gilded Age failed in dealing with social and economic issues has long been debated by historians. Peeling away streaks of gold plastered on the deficiencies of the time, the cause of such problems can be unveiled. In finding a blame forRead MoreDBQ Questions781 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿DBQ QUESTIONS Writing the DBQ Civil War Assess the following quote: â€Å"Ultimately, the Civil War reduced sectional antagonism and made the United States truly ‘one nation.’† ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Constitution Using information from the evidence below as well as your knowledge of the period, discuss the development of the United States Constitution as aRead MoreThe Progressive Era Of The 19th Century1463 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Stepansky Mr. Meyer Progressive Era DBQ Toward the latter part of the 19th century, bustling America, in response to the trends of industrialization and urbanization that characterized its Gilded Age, began its new century by entering into a new historical/political epoch that came to be known as the Progressive Era. This distinctive period in history (spanning from the 1890s through 1920) found progressives seeking to use the American federal government as a means of change through socialRead MoreWhy Did Farmers Express Discontent During 1870-1900 and What Impact Did Their Attitudes and Actions Have on National Politics.2488 Words   |  10 Pageson national politics. Manufacturing hit a huge growth rate during this period which cause agriculture to decline, and cause farmers to struggle to make a living. The farmers were now being abused by the railroad companies and banks. The documents in DBQ 8 show rationality for the farmer’s protests, exclusively on bank mortgage tariffs and the gold standard. Two particula r groups became popular during this period and that would be the Grangers and the Populist Party. Farmers fought against the Gold