The Gilded Age part 1 | The Gilded Age (1865-1898) | US History | Khan Academy

Summary

The Gilded Age (1865-1898) was a period of stark contrasts in American history, marked by rapid industrial growth and the accumulation of immense wealth by figures like Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller. While the elite thrived, political corruption and exploitation of immigrant laborers created a harsh reality for the working class, as captured in Jacob Riis' photography. The era, coined sarcastically by Mark Twain, highlights the disparity between glittering fortunes and the grim lives of the poor, setting the stage for the Progressive Era that sought to address these social inequities.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Gilded Age, spanning from 1865 to 1898, was an era marked by intense industrialization and the rise of wealthy business magnates, but it was also full of corruption and exploitation.
• 😀 The term 'Gilded Age' was coined by Mark Twain in 1890, suggesting that while the period appeared prosperous on the surface, it was rife with underlying societal problems.
• 😀 Key figures of the Gilded Age included industrialists like Andrew Carnegie (steel), J.P. Morgan (banking), and John D. Rockefeller (oil), who amassed immense wealth during this period.
• 😀 These titans of industry often used political corruption, such as bribing officials and kickbacks, to secure their fortunes.
• 😀 Political corruption was evident in scandals like the Credit Mobilier affair, which involved the bribing of high-level government officials, including the Vice President of the United States.
• 😀 The labor force during the Gilded Age was heavily reliant on immigrant workers, who came to the U.S. fleeing poverty and violence from Europe, only to face harsh working and living conditions.
• 😀 Jacob Riis, a photographer in the 1890s, documented the dire living conditions of immigrants in New York’s Lower East Side, showcasing the stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor.
• 😀 Tenements, hastily built apartments in New York, were overcrowded, poorly ventilated, and lacked basic necessities like windows and lighting, creating harsh living environments.
• 😀 Riis pioneered flash photography to capture the conditions in these dark, windowless tenements, even though this sometimes led to fires due to the lack of proper lighting.
• 😀 A stark comparison is drawn between the impoverished living conditions of the immigrant workers in tenements and the opulent mansions of the industrial magnates like Rockefeller.
• 😀 The ultimate question raised by the Gilded Age is the extreme disparity between the immense wealth of a few individuals and the abject poverty of the majority, and whose responsibility it is to address this inequality.

Q & A

What is the significance of the term 'Gilded Age' in American history?

The term 'Gilded Age' was coined by Mark Twain in 1890. It refers to a period of intense industrialization, wealth accumulation, and political corruption. The 'gilded' part refers to the shiny exterior of wealth and prosperity, which masked widespread social inequality and corruption beneath the surface.

Why did Mark Twain choose the term 'Gilded Age' for this period?

Mark Twain used 'Gilded Age' to highlight the disparity between the appearance of wealth and prosperity and the harsh realities of political corruption, poor working conditions, and social inequality. The golden layer was metaphorical, covering up the underlying problems.

How did industrialists like Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller amass their fortunes?

These industrialists became wealthy by dominating industries such as steel (Carnegie), banking (Morgan), and oil (Rockefeller). Their success was partly due to innovation but also involved political corruption, such as bribing officials and securing favorable legislation.

What role did immigrant labor play during the Gilded Age?

Immigrant labor was crucial to the growth of American industry during the Gilded Age. Immigrants, many from Eastern and Southern Europe, worked in factories, mines, and railroads under harsh conditions, contributing to the economic boom but often at great personal cost.

What is the significance of the 'Credit Mobilier' scandal during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency?

The Credit Mobilier scandal involved a construction company that used political bribery to secure lucrative government contracts for building railroads. It damaged the reputation of Ulysses S. Grant's administration and highlighted the deep political corruption of the time.

What were tenements, and what were living conditions like in them?

Tenements were poorly constructed apartment buildings, often hastily built in crowded urban areas. They were typically overcrowded, lacked proper ventilation or lighting, and had poor sanitation. Many tenements were fire traps and housed immigrant families under harsh conditions.

What is Jacob Riis known for, and how did he contribute to social reform?

Jacob Riis was a photographer and journalist who exposed the squalid living conditions of the poor in New York's Lower East Side through his book 'How the Other Half Lives.' His photographs helped raise awareness about poverty and led to reforms in housing and urban living conditions.

How did Jacob Riis use flash photography to document tenement life?

Jacob Riis was one of the pioneers of flash photography, using a new flashbulb technology to capture images in the dark, poorly lit tenements. His use of flash photography was revolutionary because it allowed him to show the conditions inside these dark, overcrowded apartments.

What does the photograph 'Five Cents a Spot' by Jacob Riis depict?

The photograph 'Five Cents a Spot' shows a cramped room where several men are living together in terrible conditions. The men paid five cents a night for a spot to sleep in this overcrowded apartment, illustrating the dire living conditions of the time.

What does the contrast between the Rockefeller mansion and the Lower East Side tenements reveal about wealth disparity in the Gilded Age?

The contrast between the opulence of Rockefeller's mansion and the poverty of the Lower East Side tenements highlights the extreme wealth disparity in the Gilded Age. While industrialists like Rockefeller lived in luxury, many immigrants and poor workers lived in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.