A Time of Change in America

During the period of time between 1865 and 1914, America went through a revolution. In these years there were three distinct eras that are important; Reconstruction, Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era. The entire country changed, economically, politically, and socially in these three time periods.

After the Civil War ended, Southern Whites were bitter and resentful. They tried as hard as they could to try and keep the Blacks as near slavery as possible. Although Congress set up the Freedman's Bureau and passed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, Southerners found ways to prevent Blacks from obtaining social and economic equality. Blacks could only find work performing the lowliest jobs, and were often denied jobs because of the color of their skin. Because of the “separate but equal” decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson, all institutions, public and private in the South remained segregated on the basis of race. There was no political will in the North to enforce social and economic equality. At that time emerged the Ku Klux Klan, a terrorist group that terrorized Blacks who sought to better themselves. Reconstruction failed because white Southerners did not want black people to have social and economic opportunities, they resisted strongly because they were very opposed to the idea of Blacks having equality. Another reason Reconstruction failed was because the Northerners did not care enough about black equality and they did not try hard enough to break this conflict.

Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, the federal government was looking for a way to get that drive in people again and that is when we entered the ‘Gilded Age’. Industrialization was a leading factor for the changes that came with this era. The growth o...

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...jority of these goals were achieved pushing America to having increased corporation control, social justice, and regulations on consumer products. This era completely differs with the post-civil war era, and created a better America. A large reason why this time of reform could occur is because during this time America had politically progressive thinkers. Theodore Roosevelt dedicated much of his presidency to increase and improve America as a democratic nation with a good amount of justice and liberty. The Progressive movement sought to end the influence of large corporations, provide more rights and benefits to workers, and end the control possessed by party leaders. This era was a period in American history in which improving working conditions, exposing corruption, improving the way of life, expanding democracy, and making reforms were the objectives at hand.