How Did The Gilded Age Affect The Economy

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After the Civil War, the South needed to change its views on labor and property as the North initiated Reconstruction and the spread of industrial growth. During The Gilded Age, new business activity centered on cities, therefore, people moved from rural areas in the South to cities in the North. Machines replaced hand labor for manufacturing, a new network of railroads distributed goods nationwide, and as inventors developed new products, businesses made the products in large quantities. Although the business boom opened up many opportunities for financial gain, those who worked in factories and mines were overworked and underpaid. Big businesses were often filled with corruption and later used immigrants in sweatshops for extended work hours