Gilded Age Reconstruction Era

In 1877 Rutherford Birchard Hayes is elected as president promising the end of the reconstruction era. Consequently one of the most important reforms in American history has officially failed its purpose which was to integrate the formerly slave population with equal rights, like white citizens. This event officially defines the start of the “Gilded age” and although the reconstruction era was over a different version of the reform was underway. Americas focus shifted towards the uncultivated and sparsely populated west that needed to join the north/ east in economic and social ways. This was made possible because of advancements in technology like the lightbulb, telephone, and telegraphs while also the forming of corporations which helped …show more content…
In the beginning stages of the Gilded Age a different kind of business emerged, called a corporation where many people could buy a piece of this corporation called stocks and as a result they would get a share of their profits. A corporation made it possible to amass large amounts of money from investors (stock owners) in order to form bigger, more expensive businesses. People with the biggest share in a corporation became filthy rich while they neglected their employees by not paying them enough, forcing them to work long hours or be fired, and by not making the working environment safer. While politically prominent people would buy elections by bribing officials and business owners. The distribution of wealth was very unfair. While the lower class earned five hundred dollars per year the upper class earned fifty thousand or more per year in other words the upper class made eighty four and a half percent more annually. Due to the labor conditions and poor wages workers went on strikes in many different corporations. One of the most powerful was the railroad business and when they decided to cut ten percent from their employees wages in 1873 then again in 1877 while also reducing the number of people doing one job (which intensified the work) the so called Great Strike happened all over cities in Pennsylvania. About nine years later a …show more content…
Ultimately both Americans and immigrants became involved members of labor organizations and unions hoping to improve working conditions and wages. The first prominent union formed was called The National Labor Union formed in 1866 which eventually failed because of an economic depression and the second union known as the Knights of Labor failed to stay together because of poor management. They say third time's the charm and this proved true by 1886 The American Federation of Labor aka the A.F.L. was formed from smaller local unions and eventually proved to be a very effective and durable system. The American Federation of Labor was founded by Samuel Gompers and Adolph Strasser though Samuel Gompers was the leader fighting for higher wages, shorter working hours, and safer working conditions. The union helped organize and advocate strikes eventually becoming an influential factor in national politics, usually siding with democrats. Other unions formed include The Woman's Christian Temperance Union founded in 1874 which was a social reform focused on the abstinence of alcohol because of its negative effects, the National Consumers League founded in 1891 that fought for improvements in working conditions for women , National Association of Colored Women was founded in 1896 which focused on job training, wage equality, and child care,