The Gilded Age - Jenn

           

           This period was a commencement of new philosophies and inventions.  The new technologies allowed for the swift growth of industrialization, which in turn expanded cities, improved the architectural structures of buildings, and blessed the common people with electricity.  Great writers like Mark Twain and Charles Warner were not fooled by the lavished improvements in this time, and they could tell that they would eventually lead to horrible crimes and economic problems. 

Many new beliefs were developed that revolutionized the relationships of the people of the United States.  One of the biggest philosophies is individualism, which caused people to think that no matter what their background was, they could reach as far as their talents and determination would let them.  This corresponds closely with Social Darwinism, which was a belief based off of Darwin’s theory of evolution.  Followers believed that natural selection was going on in their contemporary society, and that they were evolving through their competitions.  Realism was also born an emphasized in this time period, which is an artistic movement that portrayed the life in the paintings as it essentially is.  Popular culture was then roused and people began to spend more money on entertainment.

President Garfield was assassinated in the Gilded Age because he didn't support the spoils system, which would allow him to hand out government jobs to his friends and the people who supported him the most.  It was soon realized that it was about time for the political system to be reformed.  Congress passed the Pendleton Act to force certain jobs to be won through competitive written tests.  There was also a problem with poor urban dwellers, which desperately needed reform as well.  The Social Gospel movement strived for better conditions in cities, and was supported by the sacred morals of charity.  Salvation Armies provided more aid and help by teaching the principles of religion to poor people.  The YMCA established libraries, auditoriums, and gymnasiums in their buildings for the needy people who could not afford the privileges to go to one.  Settlement houses were constructed in immigrant neighborhoods to provide them with medical care and education.  Public schools also implemented the Americanization of the new immigrants, and taught them the culture, history, and language of the Americans.