Gilded Age Research Paper

The Gilded Age, spanning from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, was characterized by contrasting elements. The term “Gilded Age” was actually created sarcastically by the author Mark Twain in 1873. He was describing the period as something gilded in expensive metal; it looked shiny and new on the outside but was full of issues within. During the Gilded Age, the United States became the leading industrial nation in the world, built a powerful navy, defeated a world power, and acquired a large overseas empire. On one hand, it was an era of opulence and extravagance, showcasing wealth and luxury among the upper class. The wealthy elite flaunted their riches through lavish mansions and huge parties. Monopolies were prevalent, such …show more content…
Although the Gilded Age was marked by a display of luxury and extravagance fueled by the rise of rapid industrialization and economic growth, it was also a period of profound hardship and struggle for the majority of the population, particularly the working class and marginalized groups, due to rampant income inequality, discrimination, and labor abuse. During the Gilded Age, excessive wealth was prevalent as luxury and extravagance were common in several aspects of society. A display of this wealth was shown through a visual representation provided by Richard Wilson of Mills Mansion located at 75 Mills Mansion 6 Road Staatsburg, Dutchess, New United States. Originally built in 1832 and greatly expanded in the 1890s, the mansion at Staatsburgh State Historic Site is a country estate built in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to house America’s richest families. Known locally as Mills Mansion, it is an elegant example of the amazing homes built by America’s industrial and financial leaders during the Gilded Age. Another showcase of extreme wealth is in the case of John D. Rockefeller, whose major Standard Oil Company was a pivotal moment during the Gilded …show more content…
Overall, these quotes illustrate the challenging circumstances faced by laborers during the Gilded Age, including restricted movement, harsh conditions, punitive measures for unemployment, and the need for organized protests to demand better working conditions and wages. Not only were the working class and children suffering during the Gilded Age, but marginalized groups and women were severely negatively affected by this period as well. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds face significant barriers to upward mobility and opportunities for a better life. Charles E. Orser Jr. explains that ‘The Europeans' classification of indigenous peoples in the Americas, south Asia, Africa, the Pacific islands, and almost everywhere outside "white" Europe as "colored," enforced social commonalities based on perceived degrees of racial inferiority (and superiority on the classifiers' part). Race, as a purely social construct with very real behavioral consequences, became "one of the central conceptual inventions of modernity", as perceived differences between peoples were operationalized as differential

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