Essay On The Gilded Age

“Gilded Age” Essay During the 1800s, America was nicknamed the “Gilded Age” by Mark Twain, which means it appeared promising but oftentimes did not meet the expectations. This is a very accurate term for America during this time due to the experience of immigrants, the absence of democracy, and the West.
Many immigrants traveled to America as a result of rumors of vast opportunities that were so highly talked about throughout the nation during this time. Their opinions of America were quickly changed because of treatment they went through every day. The people who had lived in America all their lives experience cultural shock, the overwhelming of newly introduced cultures, and began to form ideas of nativism. This means they were narrow-minded towards anyone, especially the immigrants, who was not originally from
The huge companies controlled by robber barons overruled the rest of the population by creating blacklists and scabs to prevent the low-class workers from being noticed by the government. The African-Americans are another example of how their freedom and promises were neglected. Even though they were supposed to be treated equally, most Americans did everything they could to prevent this from happening. They invented the grandfather clauses and literacy tests to enable the black men from voting which separated them even more from being true citizens. Political machines in cities would influence the workers voting by promising them jobs and other perks if they would, in turn, vote for them. This corrupted government as well as disappointed the workers because, more often than not, the benefits they were once excited about were not what they perceived. As you can see, the people of America were often let down by their country giving America yet another example of the illusion of the “Gilded