preview

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Gilded Age

Decent Essays

Question 2

From the end of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century many economic changes occurred, from booms to busts, but all effected minorities less favorably.

At the end of the nineteenth century began an era of industrialization that created an economic upturn called the gilded age. Hallmarks of this age were technological advances, banking innovations, and wealth concentrations. Railroad construction, advances in steel production, and electrical innovation drove industrial and economic growth. Emerging from this upheaval were a gaggle of industrial big wigs: John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and Andrew Carnegie. These three represented an unholy alliance with government and big business that left smaller …show more content…

Ford Motor company not only revolutionized production with the assembly line, but also paid its workers well enough that they could afford to buy its cars too. This boom in car ownership encouraged other industries to grow as well, sectors such as road and bridge construction, glass and leather manufacturing, and naturally, oil production expanded also. Advertising built brand identification and created a consumer culture that equated patriotism, and piety with consumerism. For the first time, companies like Coca Cola, and General Electric sold hope and lifestyle, encouraging the creation of a consumer culture. Unfortunately this "roaring twenties" boom economy lead many to lean too heavily on credit, leading to an inevitable down cycle called the Great Depression.

Structural defects in the US economy, such as banking sector instability, wage stagnation, agricultural overproduction, and over reliance on credit, were the main causes of the Great Depression. Newly elected Herbert Hoover and his administration floundered as unemployment and hunger raged out of control. So many lost their homes that card board shanties called "Hoovervilles" sprung up in all major cities. American 's disillusionment with governmental ineffectiveness during Hoover 's administration allowed the Democratic Party to elect the first democratic president since Woodrow Wilson(1921). Franklin Delano Roosevelt(FDR) swept into power ready to

Get Access