Urbanization In The Gilded Age

Words: 1244
Pages: 5
Open Document
The 19th century was a tumultuous time for much of the West. The world had seen the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and the vast majority of the developed world moved indoors- to the dark of factories and the crushing confines of schoolhouses and cities and slums. As the machine replaced the manual laborer in many aspects of life, many of those who would previously have had to subsist on small-scale agriculture in villages and towns now saw a drastic change in the methods of food production that allowed them to look for other jobs in order to stay afloat.

The 19th Century saw the growth of urbanization as these former farmer families moved to the mass production lines- the industrial revolution upended traditional ways that had been in …show more content…
It brought about the face of the America we see today- in its city life, in its diversity, in its relentless innovation and …show more content…
Instead, it was the tired, the poor, the huddled masses who yearned to breathe free who stood in line at Ellis Island, hoping for a better life in our newly industrialized world. The quintessential immigrant of new was not Western European, indeed, it would be difficult to pin a clear ethnic identity to the quintessential immigrant of new at all- these people hailed from Russia, Poland, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, China, Japan, and anywhere else where hardship was faced. Many were seeking refuge from torment and tumult, particularly the Jews, who arrived at America’s shores upon fleeing another wave of persecution throughout Europe. These people were sold an idea of an American Dream, of happiness and prosperity to anyone who simply worked hard enough, but many, despite possessing in spades hardworking spirit, still saw nothing but filthy and crowded tenements and slums, prejudice and out-of-reach opportunities at every turn, and, in the end, only the taunting whispers of the land of the free, of “all men are created equal” of democracy and of a world where anyone could rise up in life. These people worked in the shadows of the Gilded Age- in railroads and factories, asking for nothing but sanctuary in America in return for their contributions to our
Show More

Related Documents: Urbanization In The Gilded Age

Urbanization In The Gilded Age Essay

The definition of urbanization is “the process of making an area more urban.” Perhaps the idea of New York City or Chicago comes to mind when thinking of the word, but the turmoil dragging along behind the movement of immigrants and migrants into cities such as those were viciously overwhelming during the late 19th century – otherwise known as the Gilded Age. Although the United States seemed prosperous toward the outside world, the reality of it was that, because of the urbanization of cities to suffice…

Words 579 - Pages 3

The Era Of Industrialization And Urbanization In The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was the era of industrialization, and urbanization in the late eighteen hundreds and the beginning of the nineteen hundreds. During this time, manufacturing has increased dramatically in America and many new entrepreneurs and inventions were the main cause. A great impact to America was the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad ran all the way across America from east to west. One of the main people who ran these railroads was Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt was know as one of the…

Words 125 - Pages 1

The Gilded Age Essay

US History Reaction Paper The Gilded Age Before even starting this project on the Gilded Age I decided to look up the actual definition of the Gilded Age to get a better understanding of what it was. What I found was that the Gilded Age was basically an era in time in which there was a great increase in economic and population growth. A Gilded Age also represents something that is very appealing on the outside but less than desirable when you take a closer look. With this in mind, and after…

Words 811 - Pages 4

Gilded Age Dbq

In the years 1877 - 1897, America entered what was called the Gilded Age. The name derived from the book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley. Gilded means gold on the outside and that was first years of the twentieth century. The Gilded age accelerated industrialization, urbanization, planning and development of the enormous transcontinental railroads. This then sparked new ideas on science and technology, and uprisings of multi-million dollar businesses. The economic changes of the Industrial Revolution…

Words 593 - Pages 3

How Did The Gilded Age Affect The Economy

The gilded age was an era in the united states of rapid growth during the late 19 century. Were Americans were making more money and the economy was increasing at such a fast degree, but also much social conflict was involved as well. With higher wages means higher demand for work, and that people from all over come to America. The gilded age was a time were the American people were being blinded by the businessmen and the wealthy. Businessmen like Andrew Carnegie controlled much of the enormous…

Words 1112 - Pages 5

Laissez-Faire In The Gilded Age

transformation marked by the maturing of the industrial economy. Therefore, a shift of power was indicated from agrarian to commercial interests and rapid extension big businesses. Technological innovations fueled the economic growth in America. During the Gilded Age, the automobile was invented for operation on ordinary roads and having the typical four wheels, need for gasoline and an engine. It replaced the railroad industry as the key advocate of economic growth and led to a huge demand for gasoline…

Words 823 - Pages 4

Gilded Age Research Paper

Before the Gilded Age happened (1870’s-1890’s) our country was going through what is known as the Reconstruction era that lasted from 1865 and 1877 which was right after the Civil War where the United States constitution was founded, and the citizens were protected by the Bill of Rights. Looking for American identity was something significant for the United States, which was a part of the beginning of the Gilded Age. The Gilded age was a big time for change in the United States. From the Westward…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

Summary Of Devil In The White City

The Gilded Age transformed the U.S from a nation mostly relying on small, very remote farms to a nation driven by large-scale industry. This industrial boom required massive amounts of labor, which was quickly supplied by immigrants and the rural population. Cities soon became overcrowded and as a result greatly grew in size. The local governments were unprepared to manage cities of such magnitude, both in population and area. Therefore, many sectors of the cities lacked any source of law and order…

Words 252 - Pages 2

Gilded Age Essay

potential and opportunities. However, behind the glorious mask of a massive and powerful industrial giant, America held within it numerous problems that were caused by the influx of immigrants, urbanization and political corruptions. This is why Mark Twain has referred to this period in history as the "Gilded Age", a time that bears many ugly inadequacies albeit its magnificent appearance. In contrast to thousands of immigrants' misconceptions of having a better life in America, they all encountered…

Words 767 - Pages 4

Gilded Age Effects Essay

States of America was going through the gilded age, an age in which America became the leading industrial nation in the world. However the gilded age was not just not a time of prosperity for America, the gilded age affected the politics culture and living conditions in America therefore the gilded age affected America in a negative way. The gilded age had affected America in many ways, one way the gilded age affected America was the politics. The gilded age was a time of corruption in the government…

Words 1348 - Pages 6