A Change in Economy A Political Scientist, Cas Mudde wrote, "Many observers have noted that populism is inherent to representative democracy; after all, do populists not juxtapose the pure people against the corrupt elite?" In the late 1800s, at the time of the Gilded Age – an era of economic growth and development -- monopolies dominated the economy, and the wealthy controlled the working class. Subsequently, due to the advanced technology and brilliant inventions that overtook manpower, and due to depressions suffered as a result of an unregulated and unstable economy, workers shouldered consequences via losses of employments and drastic pay cuts. Coherently, workers unionized to reform the situation. Famously, there was the Knights
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One such union, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), with Samuel Gompers as its leader, managed to intimidate the Knights bringing an end to their union. An official demonstration day was designated for May 1, 1886, as a general nationwide strike for workers. The strike stretched for the duration of the week, and on May 4 1886 a riot erupted at the Haymarket Square in Chicago. What began as a peaceful demonstration soon evolved into a devastating massacre. Led by a German Socialist, Albert Parsons, a group of labor radicals angrily stormed the square and dropped a packed dynamite into the crowd. Immediately, the police responded with fire. In the aftermath, eight cops and a couple of civilians were killed resulting in a horrific, bloody riot. This event dealt a major blow to organized labor unions who were now perceived by many as violent hooligans instead of the protector of the American worker. Accordingly, this horrific incident delayed labor reform for an additional four decades; yet, it initiated the start of a deviation from the Gilded …show more content…
Prior to the formation of the party, Roosevelt was a key figure in the Spanish-American War and instructed troops to fight heroically to free Cuba from Spanish oppression. However, his intentions were not only the liberations of Cuba, but the expansions into Asia, to countries like the Philippine Islands and Guam. Thus war was short lived, Roosevelt's popularity quickly amounted through the victory and his supporters dreamed of a large political future for him. After McKinley's assassination, Roosevelt was thrust into office, to the horrors of many individuals. Although Roosevelt promised to secure McKinley's strategies, his presidency was a major contrast to his predecessor's, just as the 19th century was to the 20th century. Roosevelt proceeded to instate revisions to the economy beginning with his famous Square Deal, where he promised amongst many policies to enforce civilian fairness, break trusts, and to make conservation a top priority. Although Roosevelt's Progressive Party dispersed quickly it further altered the United States economy from the power of the elite and the control of the trusts, a more populist
One such union, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), with Samuel Gompers as its leader, managed to intimidate the Knights bringing an end to their union. An official demonstration day was designated for May 1, 1886, as a general nationwide strike for workers. The strike stretched for the duration of the week, and on May 4 1886 a riot erupted at the Haymarket Square in Chicago. What began as a peaceful demonstration soon evolved into a devastating massacre. Led by a German Socialist, Albert Parsons, a group of labor radicals angrily stormed the square and dropped a packed dynamite into the crowd. Immediately, the police responded with fire. In the aftermath, eight cops and a couple of civilians were killed resulting in a horrific, bloody riot. This event dealt a major blow to organized labor unions who were now perceived by many as violent hooligans instead of the protector of the American worker. Accordingly, this horrific incident delayed labor reform for an additional four decades; yet, it initiated the start of a deviation from the Gilded …show more content…
Prior to the formation of the party, Roosevelt was a key figure in the Spanish-American War and instructed troops to fight heroically to free Cuba from Spanish oppression. However, his intentions were not only the liberations of Cuba, but the expansions into Asia, to countries like the Philippine Islands and Guam. Thus war was short lived, Roosevelt's popularity quickly amounted through the victory and his supporters dreamed of a large political future for him. After McKinley's assassination, Roosevelt was thrust into office, to the horrors of many individuals. Although Roosevelt promised to secure McKinley's strategies, his presidency was a major contrast to his predecessor's, just as the 19th century was to the 20th century. Roosevelt proceeded to instate revisions to the economy beginning with his famous Square Deal, where he promised amongst many policies to enforce civilian fairness, break trusts, and to make conservation a top priority. Although Roosevelt's Progressive Party dispersed quickly it further altered the United States economy from the power of the elite and the control of the trusts, a more populist