Populist DBQ
The Gilded age is a term coined by Mark Twain to describe the period after the Civil War, specifically the period of 1865-1900. The Gilded age was a time of great change in the United states, it was dawn of new technology, government policy, and economic status, and changed the conditions of the American life for everyone. On paper, this Post-Civil War era seems like a period in the U.S. that was fueled by selfishness, corruption, and government misconduct, but in reality there were some very positive changes happening throughout this period. During this time there was a considerable movement for Black equality; notable proponents included Booker T. Washington and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, who had both had very different plans for …show more content…
Big Business men such as James J. Hill, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan, built their empire and used many exploits to do so; since government regulation was non-existent at the time, these men used corrupt methods to get to the top. According to Prairie Farmer, in 1877 the supreme court passed a law in Illinois, which limited freight rates. During this time farmers were being victimized by the Railroad companies and being charged absurd amounts of money in order to use the railroad to transport their products. This circumstance showed how the government became more involved in business interactions. A speech given by William Jennings Bryan, a strong advocate in the populist community, described how essential farms were to cities, but how without cities farms would still thrive. He was also arguing how the gold standard hurts the toiling farmers. In context the populists preferred a silver standard rather than a gold, because of the uncapped amount that could be coined, but the Republicans in the east preferred a gold standard. During this span of time government had to intervene in businesses much more than before, for instance the Mckinley Tariff, which raised tariffs on foreign businesses in order to ensure domestic businesses, specifically the producers/farmers could prosper.
In Conclusion, the Gilded Age brought on a reform in the U.S. Politically, technologically, and economically, that affected primarily the agricultural industry and these changes were not small or short lasting, and brought both good and bad with
The Gilded age is a term coined by Mark Twain to describe the period after the Civil War, specifically the period of 1865-1900. The Gilded age was a time of great change in the United states, it was dawn of new technology, government policy, and economic status, and changed the conditions of the American life for everyone. On paper, this Post-Civil War era seems like a period in the U.S. that was fueled by selfishness, corruption, and government misconduct, but in reality there were some very positive changes happening throughout this period. During this time there was a considerable movement for Black equality; notable proponents included Booker T. Washington and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, who had both had very different plans for …show more content…
Big Business men such as James J. Hill, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan, built their empire and used many exploits to do so; since government regulation was non-existent at the time, these men used corrupt methods to get to the top. According to Prairie Farmer, in 1877 the supreme court passed a law in Illinois, which limited freight rates. During this time farmers were being victimized by the Railroad companies and being charged absurd amounts of money in order to use the railroad to transport their products. This circumstance showed how the government became more involved in business interactions. A speech given by William Jennings Bryan, a strong advocate in the populist community, described how essential farms were to cities, but how without cities farms would still thrive. He was also arguing how the gold standard hurts the toiling farmers. In context the populists preferred a silver standard rather than a gold, because of the uncapped amount that could be coined, but the Republicans in the east preferred a gold standard. During this span of time government had to intervene in businesses much more than before, for instance the Mckinley Tariff, which raised tariffs on foreign businesses in order to ensure domestic businesses, specifically the producers/farmers could prosper.
In Conclusion, the Gilded Age brought on a reform in the U.S. Politically, technologically, and economically, that affected primarily the agricultural industry and these changes were not small or short lasting, and brought both good and bad with