The late 19th century for America was an era of change, whether it was for business or for growing the nation. There were many changes that were supposed to improve the growing nation, but it ended up making things worse. That is why the growth of the this era was negative. Though many of the changes made to America during the late 1800’s were supposedly good, it all turned into something somewhat bad in the end. Throughout the century, there were many instances where this happened. One example of this phenomena, was the Homestead Act, written on May 20, 1862. The act which was passed through Congress, states that families could have 160 acres of land in the West, but only if they settled there for at least five years. This lead to many …show more content…
It was written very recently, showing that it was probably made with a computer program. The document shows that while time is progressing, the more people are moving to urban places, rather than more rural. Although this may seem good, it did not turn out that way. With the massive influx of population, there is a quick need of jobs and places to live. This lead to tenement houses, which were very overcrowded apartment buildings that were unsafe and unsanitary. Many families were stuffed into these places, often one family per room. Another effect of a massive population is the need of jobs. Many people worked long hours and poor conditions. This caused many people to go into these horrid jobs, often hurting themselves or just being plain uncomfortable. With low wages, the children oftentimes had to work in these places as well. These types of places, usually small and unsafe, were called sweatshops. Likewise, with the rise of people like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, people usually had to do their hand work, like working in the steel factory. There were also political machines, that were run by bosses that controlled many city governments. They affected votes by accepting things like bribes and stealing public funds. They usually targeted immigrant groups and the poor. This is one of the reasons why change during the late 19th century was not as good as people
During this era, businesses supplied large amounts of employment for citizens which created power for these businesses. They had the power to provide bad working conditions, lower wages, and fire their employees without any justification (Doc 1). George E. McNeill, a labor leader, states how “whim is law” and one can not object to it. The government took a laissez-faire approach and refused to regulate economic factors. This allowed robber barons and business tycoons to gain more authority of each industry through the means of horizontal and vertical integration. It wasn’t until later in the time period that the government passed a few acts to regulate these companies, such as the ICC and the Sherman Antitrust Act. One of the main successful industries was
To stimulate growth inland, the Homestead Act was initiated. Many traveled overland by horse and wagon on rutted trails and grassland to find a plot of 160 acres of undeveloped land. They were granted title to the land if they “improved” the plot by building a dwelling and cultivating the land. After five years on the land, farmers were entitled to the property, free and clear.
The years between 1825-1850 were the years of the Jacksonian Democracy. During this time democratic ideals were expanded through equal rights movements and educational and religious reforms. The main goal of this era was to make society a better place for everyone. To better society there had to be change, change for more equality and freedom.
The availability of inexpensive land in the American West provided opportunity for many Americans to fulfill the American dream of individualism, economic opportunity and personal freedom. Immigrants, former slaves and other settlers moved across the country to become western farmers and ranchers to make a new life. One of the reasons why the west was a land of opportunity for the farmers and ranchers was the large quantity of cheap available land. This allowed for many Americans, both rich and poor, to buy land for farming and raising cattle. The Homestead Act of 1862 aided the process. The Homestead Act gave title to 160 acres of federal land to farmers who staked a claim and lived on the land for five years. Alternatively, a farmer could buy the land after six months for $1.25 an acre. Many blacks and immigrants joined the westward expansion, looking for a better life. Immigrants saw the land as opportunity because many could not own land in the countries where they were born. For example, in Nebraska, a fourth of the population was foreign born. These immigrants transformed...
The nineteenth century America was a period of history following a number of long lasting wars and also a whole new start to new changes in society. With the collapse of multiple nations that were in contact towards the United States, it paved the way for the growing influence and development for the United States, spurring military imperialism and conflicts, and advances in scientific exploration and technologies. Because of the ideas and resources that were began to spread, develop and flourish in areas of the western hemisphere, the nineteenth century also saw opportunities in construction, communication, and in particular the transportation systems. But as different aspects of society began to improve and that more and more freedom were in the hands of the citizens and government, the competitive market not only expanded in profit and wealth, but simultaneously faced minor conflicts due to the abuse of their rights and property. Because of the rise of new technological advancements and resources, railroads in the 19th century American society quickly boomed cities and came across as the most dominant source of transportation, as it predominantly played a role in the expansion of industry across the United States. Also, it was a movement most efficient in creating their own monopoly and was quickly adopted by many other countries that sought influence.
In the late nineteenth century known as the Gilded Age (or the Reconstruction period) and the early twentieth century known as the Progressive era, the nation went through great economic growth and social change. Beginning from the 1870s, there was rapid growth in innovations and big businesses. This could be because there was population growth and when there is population growth, there is a high demand of products and other necessities in order to strive in society. Many immigrants from Europe, mostly from the eastern and southern Europe, and Asia moved to American cities. Additionally, farmers from rural America desired to increase economically in society and since corporations ruled and political problems occurred, they decided to move into the cities. Afterwards, the 1900s started with the dominance of progressivism which many Americans tried to improve and solve the problems that were caused or had arisen because of the industrialization of the Gilded Age. It was basically the time when progressives fought for legislations like regulation of big businesses, end of the political corruption, and protection of the rights of the people: the poor, immigrants, workers, and consumers. Thus, between the periods 1870 to 1920, big businesses had arisen and taken control of the political and economic systems through corruption and innovations. In response, American citizens reacted negatively and formed labor unions and political systems to diminish the power that large corporations had in America.
The late 19th century and early 20th century, dubbed the Gilded Age by writer Mark Twain, was a time of great growth and change in every aspect of the United States, and even more so for big business. It was this age that gave birth to many of the important modern business practices we take for granted today, and those in charge of business at the time were considered revolutionaries, whether it was for the good of the people or the good of themselves.
During the Antebellum Era, slavery was about one-third of the South’s population. The Antebellum Era was the period before the Civil War broke out. The South’s economy was booming which was credited to slavery. Their argument about slavery was that slaves were necessary and important to their economy. It would kill their economy if they got rid of slavery. Slavery was the foundation of their economy. Without any slaves, cotton would not be able to be produce. Nearly 60 % of their exports was cotton. Southerners would also point out that slaves were better working in plantations than working in a northern factory. According to them, the North had bad workplaces and long hours. They insisted that slaves were cared for and helped when they needed it unlike the North. However, slaves were still treated bad in the South. They would resist slavery in a variety of ways. For example, running away was one form of resistance. The most common form of resistance was known as “day-to-day” resistance which were
The decade following the Reconstruction Era in American history is brilliantly and descriptively named; the Gilded Age was coated with superficial prosperity which buried its hardships that laid within its core. The rise of big business grabbed American’s attention---whether it was in a positive or negative notion--- and the United State’s focus on minorities declined. Women in the Gilded Age were continuous victims to inequality in contrast to their male counterparts, and the opportunity to pursue their own economic quickly turned into another element of inequality between the genders. On the other hand, the general working class quickly were slaves to big business and the new factory system. Working conditions and wages were unbearable,
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
Congress also in 1862 passed the Homestead Act, which provided 160 acres of free land to any person willing to pay a $10 registration fee and improve the land over at least fiver years. This helped attract many settlers out to the west who hoped for a better life. Many pioneers brought their wives and families and set out in a carriage and settled on the first lot of land they could find. Problems however did arise for settlers who went west promised 160 acres of land and that was simply that there wasn't 160 acres of land to give.
The Antebellum period is known as the era of time before the Civil War. During this time, the Industrial Revolution and Western Expansion began. With this, canals and railroads were formed, the Second Great Awakening inspired abolitionist movements, and slave rebellions started to become popular. Pre-Civil war also consisted of many technological advances and reforms regarding schools, feminism, and slavery. Because of this the Antebellum period led to conflicts that resulted in the Civil War. Although there were social and economic problems that led to the Civil War, the main causes were political because of the Election of 1860 and Abraham Lincoln’s role in it, Westward Expansion and the creation of the Kansas-Nebraksa Act, and Secession.
Everyday life in the United States is very different today than it was in the 1700's. Life was harder and the settlers did not have nearly as many luxuries as society has today. Some aspects of the colonial times that were different then are today include family, employment, and social activities. Life in the United States in the 1700's was filled with hard work, cooperation, and dedication to one’s land and family.
Mark Twain once remarked: “The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.” Living in the very interesting times of counter narratives, revisionism and paradigm shifts, long-standing assumptions regarding people and nations have undergone revolutionary modifications. Individual and collective histories that shaped world views and attitudes are now seen for what they are – not mere recordings of facts and reality, but rather the victor’s version of the reality they deemed to construct. The European master narrative of history has been rejected as a sham that generated false representations and pejorative stereotypes of “Others” to cover up their violations and suppress variant subcultures. But the resurgence of the
Instead of people tending to their homes and taking care of where they live, they now had to work incredibly long hours in factories which did not allow them to take proper care of their neighborhoods where they lived. What used to be well-groomed houses became gritty urbanized ghettos. Poorhouses were set up in many neighborhoods by the government and the conditions of them were so deplorable and repulsive because the government wanted to make people not want to be there. They wanted to deter city dwellers by setting up the poor houses much like prisons. There were less rural areas and more urban cities growing rapidly.