Causes Of Corruption In The Gilded Age

“Corruption dominates the ballot box, the legislatures, the Congress and touches even the ermine of the bench... from the same prolific womb of governmental injustice we breed the two great classes - tramps and millionaires.” ~The Populist Party. The Gilded Age was an era of political corruption, spanning from 1865-1896. Its main focus was improving America’s business and industrial power. Big business leaders such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan gained extreme wealth during the Gilded Age. They profited off steel, oil, and banking. The Gilded Age was also the time of the Second Industrial Revolution, where mass production, conveyor belts, and railroads helped shaped America. However, the government was corrupted by bribery, voting …show more content…
“Party Bosses” were an American Oligarchy, each man holding different trusts. These trusts include nail trust, steel beam trust, copper trust, standard oil trust, iron trust, sugar trust, tin trust, coal trust, paper bag trust, salt trust, etc. “Bosses” gave jobs to poor immigrants in exchange for votes. These votes helped keep “Bosses” wealthy by voting for politicians they trust. With many “Bosses” ruling quadrants of the city, citizens were left with little to no money because they monopolize businesses. Big Business leaders, politicians and “Bosses” did not have the right to dominate American society because of political corruption and the division of the rich and poor.
Big Business leaders, politicians and “Bosses” did not have the right to dominate American society because of political corruption. Party Bosses use bribery