The Gilded Age Issues - Essay Example

 The Gilded Age The Gilded Age is a word which was formulated by Samuel Clemens commonly known by his pen name as Mark Twain. The writer, who also doubled up as a humorist, wrote the novel criticizing Washington D.C. and many of the leading figures who were in power as at that time. He used the term to mean or refer to the leaders’ hidden motives behind the rampant development witnessed in various sectors including the rise in the mineral, production improved transport system and rampant industrialization. These advancements, however, were not geared towards helping the entire of Washington D.C. as such but to benefit some few individuals who turned out to be rich through the tainted business deals. In my opinion, the gilded age was not an era of serious unsettled problems, rather a golden age phase that only depicted America as gold-covered country, but when the surface was scratched, the ugliest part could be revealed. The irony can be explained in terms of the economic, political, and social development of the era. Economics of the Gilded Age During the so called Gilded Age, the economy of America went up significantly by more than 400% between 1860 and 1900. During the same time, the United States Patent office gave out up to twelve times more patents (440, 000 patents) than it had been the case in the past 70 years. There was also a notable increase in the productivity of the agricultural sector due to invention of farm machinery; “In 1872, the vast majority of Americans equated logging trees, plowing prairies, grazing grasslands and mining mountains with progress.” (26). The same advancement was made in the factory sector. The business communication sector made a step with the invention of Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone which was developed on February 14th, 1876. The lighting of homes and the power required by the various factories in carrying out several of the operation were made possible by Thomas Edison. This was as from 6th December, 1977. Still on the American economy, the growing industrial sector made available the goods needed for the upcoming urban markets. This led to a shoot in the number of the urban dwellers due to migration of individual to urban centers, most of who came from Europe. As a percentage, those living in urban areas represented 40% of the total American population. This was an increase from the initial 20%. The immigrants wanted to get jobs in the expanding manufacturing sectors, and also to have a taste of the city-life. However, there is an irony regarding this economic development of the gilded age. The growing of this economy came with weighty negatives. It is only the lives of those at the top that flourished. The average workers experienced hardships including women being used to provide labor in the textile mills and also coal mines in England and Mid-Atlantic states respectively. There was oppression of the commoners from those in the upper classes. The “bosses” in the various business enterprises evaded the state laws that were against monopoly while at the same time enjoying the fruits of unified control over the whole of the industrial sector. Politics of the Gilded Age During the gilded age, the leaders took with them so much power but the citizens did not benefit from the resources accrued from the government. According to Twain, “while the war had increased the powers of the country’s government to some extent, it was still government.” (30). Corruption prevailed during this age whereby the politicians gave bribes to their supports not forgetting the well-being government jobs. In other words, there was no democracy. For instance, Twain says, “reconstruction had left a bitter south and a repressed population of mostly poor freed blacks, and concluded with one of the most corrupt elections in the country’s history.” (42). Those who were not supporting some politicians end up being jobless and hence lead very miserable lives. In addition to this, the supporters, other individuals who got jobs had to bribe the municipal handsomely so as to be given contracts for construction and services. On the same note, the number of the votes cast turned out to be extraordinarily huge. This was seen even when the party which turns out as the leading does not have desirous policies as such. Social developments During this age, there was a significant change in the social life of the Americans. This is evident with the quote, “there were no income taxes, virtually no social services, few regulations, and no military draft.” (35). However, these privileges were not enjoyed fully because there was pronounced racial discrimination in both public and private facilities including health services, hospitals, use of separate system of transportation and even separate restaurant sections. In addition to this, the blacks were also not allowed to vote. This was evident on 1st November, 1890 when the Mississippi Plan restricted the blacks from voting. This in essence meant that they were to form part of the jury and hence, they had very little or no say as far as legal matters are concerned. In terms of economy, those blacks who turned out to be successful were subject to facing sanctions. On top of these ills against the blacks, the whites also hindered the blacks from serving as laborers even when they possessed the necessary skills or even when they had respective talents. This made it very hard for them to make a step as far as advancement is concerned. Conclusion In a nutshell, Twain epitomized the Gilded age as the age of corruption, oppression, depression and racial discrimination among other social and political injustices. However, he did not see this time as the time of prosperity to the entire of America due to the rampant growth in the transportation system, communication sector, industries and even job availability. He considered it the period where the problems of the society were veiled by a smooth lining of gold. The gilded age was therefore a phase compared to a cheap metal covered with mere gold plate, beautiful and glossy on the outside though terrible inside. Work Cited Mark Twain, Charles Dudley Warne. The Gilded Age: A Tale of To-day (Volume 2).Harper: New York. 1915. Print. Read More