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Midterm Essay
During the years 1860-1896 was a time period called, the “Gilded Age” The Gilded Age
was a colorful depiction of the widespread political corruption and corporate greed that
characterized the period. (America: A Narrative History, page. 652). The Second Industrial
Revolution consisted of more steel and oil industries, railroads, labor unions and expansions of
businesses throughout the late 1800’s. Between the years of 1870-1920 the “Second Industrial
Revolution” changed American society during the Gilded and Progressive Era by creating more
immigration, productions in the working field, conflicts between men and women and new
resolutions.
Immigration in the late 1800’s during the Second Industrial Revolution affected the
Gilded Age and Progressive Era with conflicts and new laws. “Between 1860 and 1920 about
one in seven Americans was foreign born” (America: A Narrative History, page. 634).
Throughout this time immigrants moved to America to work and to provide for their families in
other countries. While immigrants fled to America for work it spiked racial wars and tension
with born and raised Americans. The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 became a law to restrict any
immigration for 10 years (page. 638). Train Dream written by Denis Johnson, Robert Grainier
and a couple other Railroad workers tossed a Chinese man off a beam and 60 feet above the
Moyea River due to him being accused of stealing. During this time, with immigrants coming to
America they created towns based on the region they came from: Little Italy, Little Hungary,
Chinatown and so on. (America: A Native History, page.637). A famous historical point, Ellis
Island in New York where European immigrants were processed between the years 1892 and
1954. Due to the mass amounts of people moving to America and farmers moving into the city it
created an abundance of problems. The cities became unsanitary and more people got sick. In the
early 19th century cities because filthy, loud and obnoxious. “Shoehorned into their quarters,
families living in tenements had no privacy, free space, or sunshine; children had few places
except in the streets; infectious diseases and noxious odors were rampant” (America: A native
History, page 633). Garbage, human and animal manure contaminated the water and streets
which spiked diseases such as cholera, yellow and typhoid fever. In “Train Dreams”, Robert
worked with several men who would die randomly from either an accident, no reason but health
and each time it sparked some sort of fever.
The Second Industrial Revolution was an era in time where urban growth throughout
America exploded. “Between 1860 and 1910 the urban population mushroomed from 6 million
to 44 million. (America: A Native History, page 628). After the last 1880’s there was an
expansion of jobs cause by railroads, gold rushes, tobacco, iron production, cotton, oil, cattle,
