Gilded Age DBQ

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Pages: 4

Mark Twain called the time period from 1870 to 1900 the “Gilded Age”. This title essentially meant that although the time period was glittering and perfect on the outside, there was corruption embedded on the inside. Many thought that the dazzling streetcars and constant hum in the cities meant that society was surely improving. However, the late 19th century was actually a time of greed and personal gain. The Gilded Age consisted of progressive years that saw shady business practices, rising racial tensions, increased population, and discontent among the farmers and unemployed citizens.

Document A shows the rise in the workforce in response to the available labor positions. A possible explanation lies in the construction of the United States railroad system. In order to construct the railroad, thousands of unskilled workers were needed. The railroad construction also leads to a need for factory workers in the steel industry. Document B details the Chinese Exclusion Act. This related back to the booming railroad production as well. Chinese immigrants were used to construct the railroad because they were desperate and would work for cheap wages.
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The Knights of Labor constitution states that the union accepted everyone, regardless of race or skill. Many saw this as a big step for the working class. There was finally a way to protest by the masses. The Knights of Labor set a precedent for labor unions in the future. Document I illustrates the haymarket riot and why citizens revolted in the first place. In short, people were completely disgusted by the corruptio that so so very common in industries as well as the government. The Haymarket riot’s events shed a negative light on labor unions because of the violence. It was in response to this that people began shying away from unions in fear of being involved with crimes and being