Mark Twain Coined the Term Gilded Age - Essay Example

Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Gilded Age refers to the era that followed the American Civil War, stretching from the end of the reconstruction period to the dawn of the twentieth century. The era was characterized by enormous economic growth and European investments. Ideally, the Gilded Age was an era of transforming America into a liberal country. Outstanding events that characterized the era included increased immigration, industrial growth, and the construction of railway networks. The Gilded Age cannot be considered a Golden Age for Americans instead, the age symbolizes an era of unsolved problems.

In The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today, writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley confirm that Gilded Age was an era of severe social problems (Biography web). According to the authors, these problems could not be visualized since they remained beneath a thin layer of supposed gold. In this context, gold symbolizes the economic and social developments that accompanied Gilded Age. The golden age refers to an era of peace prosperity, stability, and harmony. Unfortunately, the Gilded Age was characterized by neither stability nor prosperity (Zinn 32). In particular, the period can be considered an era of great economic oppression as Americans struggled to rebuild their country. To the Americans, the Gilded Age was an era of exorbitant taxation. American economy became more intertwined with cotton and tobacco exports. The prices of these commodities were reduced dramatically affecting the livelihood of ordinary American farmers. Although the country experienced GDP growth, per capita income remained minimal. Unsolved problems in the agriculture sector included the slave question, and the north, and south states issues. These problems were covered by increased exports to the European market and the rise of mechanized farming. Unsolved economic problems became the basis of more sophisticated social and political problems.
Gilded Age politics were characterized by intense completion between political parties. The third-party system promoted intense competition Between the Democratic and the Republican Parties. Consequently, minor parties including the Labor and Farmers unions disappeared as soon as they were established. Intense competition between the two parties intensified the country’s political temperature. Indeed, Americans were divided between Republicans and Democrats (Zinn 54). Both parties established the supposed “Political Machines” to oversee elections, reward their royalists, and buy off their opponents. Consequently, the winning party becomes the sole controller of state and government jobs, contracts, and business openings. The “spoils system” was also a major source of political influence. Elected candidates were expected to pray according to the instructions of their political spoils/sponsors. For example, in 1876, Hayes was elected in a secret deal to be the new president of the United States. In addition, Harrison won the elections without winning the popular vote. Thus, the US did not achieve any form of political stability during the gilded age. Indeed, the era was a cover-up for the political instabilities that characterized the country. The era is considered the most turbulent time in American political history. Political reforms that promoted multiparty democracy and high voter turnout, acted as a conspiracy for politically motivated scandals, political rivalry, and civil unrest. Thus, the Gilded Age can never be considered the US’s version of the Golden Age.
Social developments also remained unattended during the Gilded Age. During the gilded age, discrimination against black Americans intensified. Black Americans living in the southern states experienced the worst form of discrimination. The black communities were stripped of their political and voting rights. Ideally, the system almost revived slavery despite the slave trade and slave labor having been abolished. During the Gilded Age, discrimination against women became rife. However, temperance movements that followed the great awakening concealed these discriminations. Women's suffrage was also revived during the Gilded Age to protect the rights of women. The Gilded Age also popularized Darwin’s notion of survival for the fittest and natural selection (Zinn 12). Consequently, people denounced philanthropy and reconsidered their position toward religion. Indeed, the Gilded Age enhanced neither social integration nor social continuity. Thus, the era cannot be described as a period of social prosperity.
Lastly, the Gilded Age was characterized by unsolved problems involving foreign policy and immigration. Although the period was characterized by increased migration, there was no clear policy on immigration and citizenship. Read More