The Gilded Age was an era of rapid economic growth, especially in the North and West. American wages, especially for skilled workers, were much higher than in Europe, which attracted millions of immigrants.The Gilded Age in United States history consists of the 19th century, from the 1870s to about 1900. With all these positives that came from the gilded age, there also came problems. There were different problems in the social, political, and economic aspects of the United states during this time.
The were important social issues that were dealt with in this period. Some of the biggest social issues were with child labor, women's rights, and urbanization. Since factories were desperate for workers and families needed money, many children went to work at a young age. However, some jobs were very dangerous and many children died. Eventually, protests lead to the creation of laws about the hours children could work and requiring them to attend school. Women,s rights was a huge issue in the in the late 1800s. However there were women's rights movements that led to women being able to vote in 1920. Urbanization was also an issue in the gilded age.The Industrial Revolution changed American life forever. Suddenly daily life was driven by the demands of business. People began to realize how unsanitary the city was and how horrible the living conditions were for many people.
There was political corruption during the gilded age. The election of 1884 between Grover Cleveland and James G. Blaine is considered to be one of the most corrupt in American History. There were also disputes over tariffs and regulation of business. It was either have high tariffs to protect the manufacturer or have low tariffs to help the consumer. For the regulation of business, there were issues in which populist party wanted government to restrict the power of major businesses. They called for things like regulation of railroad prices.
