In America, the late 19th century was dubbed the “The Gilded Age”. Novelists Samuel L. Clemens, better known as mark Twain, and Charles Warner, suggested that this period was an era of serious societal issues hidden by a thin gold gilding. The significant expansion of the economy, distinguished achievements of new technologies, prosperity of industrial entrepreneurs, and rapid economic growth justified the “gilded” aspect of this era. Just underneath that shiny surface, however, lay the grim actuality of life for most low class Americans, including congested and unsanitary tenements of the cities, overworked and underpaid employment positions, and prejudice against racial and ethnic minorities. Transformations during the Gilded Age including industrialization, urbanization, and immigration provoked many harsh realities for working class Americans.
America’s industrial economy drastically advanced as large-scale manufacturers quickly developed. Railroad companies began to symbolize “big businesses” as they were companies of great size, employing thousands of workers, and operating over large geographical areas. In addition to railroad companies, steel and coal industries expanded as well. Entrepreneurs such as J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller played major roles in the development of big businesses, as well as the nation’s economic status.
Despite the fact that these entrepreneurs supported ideas of the Gospel of Wealth, many working Americans struggled during the era leading up to the Gilded Age. Long-term economic trends reflect prosperous growth, but they do not reflect the periods in which companies reduced production which resulted in shortage of work hours and unemployment for many Americans. During this time state and federal governments provided no unemployment benefits so unemployed workers had to rely on their savings or other family members.
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Directly following industrialization, apparent social patterns of the Gilded Age emerged in urban areas. As American cities substantially grew in size, the population of Americans increased as well. During this time, middle class Americans were afforded a plethora of opportunities, while the working class was negatively impacted. These lower class residents often faced major obstacles related to housing conditions. In “How the Other Half Lives”, Jacob Riis describes the appalling conditions of tenements in the city. The term tenements implies “overcrowded and poorly maintained housing that was hazardous to the health and safety of residents.”
These overpopulated and unsanitary aspects of living developed in part because too many of the underprivileged residents needed to live close to their. Greedy landlords often divided the buildings into small units so that more tenants could live in the building, resulting in more rent for the landlords. Although the spaces were small, rent was a substantial amount. Often times tenants would take in lodgers to help pay the rent, which only contributed more to the congested living spaces. In addition to these dreadful living conditions, most low class Americans did not have filtered water. These Americans also faced issues with disposing of sewage and removing garbage that further contributed to the contaminated conditions of their homes.
By 1890s, more than 40 percent of the population of major cities in the U.S were composed of immigrants. Most immigrants came from Europe and Asia in search of better opportunities in America. Unfortunately, many Americans fostered the idea and growth of nativism towards the immigrants. “Nativism argued that only their values and institutions were genuinely American, and they feared that immigrants threatened those traditions.” Despite the unwelcoming nature of many Americans toward immigrants, many immigrants contributed to the industrial workforce.
These industrial workers were often underpaid and overworked. Women and African American workers were typically employed in higher proportions with lower wages compared to men. Even when men and women did the same work, they rarely received the same pay. Moreover, workers averaged ten to twelve hours per day, six days a week. They had little control over the pace of their work, and they even faced dangerous working conditions. The pace of the industrial work, coupled with inadequate safety precautions, contributed to a high rate of accidents, injuries, and even deaths of industrial workers. After enduring such brutal treatment, some workers formed labor organizations in attempts to seek higher wages, shorter hours, and safer work conditions.
While some individuals view the Gilded Age as a prosperous time in America, many realize that that time period was not as glorious as it may have seen. Many Americans received the short end of the stick as they were not afforded the same opportunities as middle and high class Americans. At the time of industrialization, low class Americans were often unemployed as many big business experienced dramatic downturns. Additionally, urbanization highlighted the repeated social patterns, similar to industrialization, as the working class of Americans lived in overcrowded and unsanitary housing conditions. Finally, factory workers, who were typically mistreated immigrants, were underpaid and overworked.
