gilded+age+quotes

x

"So long as all the increased wealth which modern progress brings goes but to build up great fortunes, to increase luxury and make sharper the contrast between the House of Have and the House of Want, progress is not real and cannot be permanent." KEO- This quote is taken from Henry George’s widely read book //Progress and Poverty//. In the book he discussed why poverty was so widespread in America despite its progress and wealth. George’s main thesis is that technological progress increases the value of land and makes property owners extremely wealthy without contributing anything to society. In this particular quote, George attempted to demonstrate the inefficiency of the current economic and social system in America by beginning his sentence with the current problems and ending it with the outcome of the problems. This cause and effect structuring puts emphasis on the second part of the sentence to highlight the negative effects that would come about as a result of the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The inclusion of a comma after ‘fortunes’ as opposed to the word ‘and’ increases the fluidity of the sentence to show that there would be a smooth transition between the current social divisions and the lack of progress that would follow. It made it seem inevitable. George’s decision to center on the comparison between social status and progress in his writing made it more relevant to society because progress was one of the major themes of the Gilded Age in terms of technological advances and new business techniques. Those who valued progress, most likely the wealthy, would be more inclined to heighten their concern over the issue of social divisions if they saw that it was affecting progress. George’s capitalization of House of Have and House of Want makes wealth and poverty sound like established institutions that are separate of each other. This further accentuates the widening gap between the rich and poor and is meant to show people that there is disunity in society and progress could not occur unless everyone could work together and have the same opportunities. This quote is significant because it outlines one of the major social concerns of the Gilded Age. The issue of the gap between the rich and the poor was controversial because there was much disagreement as to how the poor should be treated. Through the popular philosophy of Social Darwinism, many people believed in a natural competition between all men in which only the fittest would survive. Therefore, they believed that people who were poor deserved to be poor. However, others such as Andrew Carnegie believed that it was the responsibility of the wealthy to assist the poor. By highlighting the issue of divisions between the rich and poor in this quote and in many of his other works, George managed to pinpoint an issue that would become prominent in American politics over the course of history because of the perpetual gap between the rich and the poor that was a side effect of industrial progress.

[|“The spread of civilisation may be likened to a fire; First, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power.”] MJM. This quote is attributed to Nikola Tesla, inventor of the alternating current of electricity. It is important to take into context the setting in which this quote was put forth. Tesla was one of many millions of immigrants that made his way across the Atlantic Ocean in search of opportunities in the United States of America. His journey is the first example of globalization in his life because only centuries before, this journey would have been arduous and expensive. This is not to say that other immigrants did not come despite these obstacles but as the Transportation Revolution spread, international travel became exponentially easier and faster. Tesla worked under Thomas Edison and surrounded himself with some of the geniuses of his time. Watching the telephone and phonograph become realities, a rise in steel production alongside numerous other inventions and innovations he was present for the proverbial spark of the Second Industrial Revolution. He also bore witness to the complicated railroad system stretching across continents and city skylines become cluttered with telephone or electric wires as these technologies were brought to the masses. The inventions were first privy only to the labs that early engineers invented them in. They were then brought to the patent office for protection of the idea before being shown to other inventors, investors and things like electricity and telephone slowly made it through the hierarchy to the wealthy business men in cities. It was years before common factory workers and shop keepers were able to use Tesla’s innovations. Next to be examined is the success of the above quote. It truly does represent the Gilded Age in American history. It was an explosion of invention and innovation that brought efficiency to manufacturing, communication, transportation and even the daily lives of many Americans. They did explode onto the scene, so to speak, and in terms of history did so quickly. The basic premise of the quote is globalization but it was not spreading evenly across the world. England was the only other industrialized country at the time. People from all over the world came to America and felt the technology boom but this boom did not spread from America to all over the world until later. The quote itself is still relevant because the spread of technology is now reaching the rural areas of South America, the crowded cities of Asia and into more of Africa than ever before. Tesla has impacted not only how we use electricity to this day but also feel this quote reverberate in innovations today. very nicely done

RIL: "I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half." – Jay Gould During the Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886, Jay Gould made this statement: “"I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half." Jay Gould controlled the Union Pacific and Missouri Railroad, and the workers of these railroads decided to strike against those companies. The strike started because one member of the Knights of Labor was fired for attending a union meeting. This acted as a spark which incited over 200,000 workers to strike because of dismal wages and hours and unsafe working conditions. As the boss, Jay Gould reacted by hiring strikebreakers to continue work and Pinkerton operatives to commit acts of violence. It was at this time that Jay Gould is said to have made that statement. Gould later requested military assistance from governors of affected states; some governors complied and some did not. The strike lasted about six months. Because this statement was issued during the strike, it could be seen as meant to directly apply to the situation of the strike. But it could also be considered his general opinion that applied to his workers at all times and it was merely brought to light because of the strike. This quote serves as an example of the harsh relationships between the workers and owners of businesses. It also exemplifies how Jay Gould was considered a robber baron since it made clear his opinion of his workers; he did not think very much of them as shown by this quote since he implied that they were easily swayed by money. Jay Gould and other business leaders were often portrayed as robber barons as they treated their workers horrendously. Jay Gould’s words act as support of that view. Workers would have been affected by his statement since it was about them specifically. It may have enraged and offended some of these workers, but it could also have instilled fear among them. good analysis

MRL - "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, lift my lamp beside the golden door."

This quote, taken from "The New Colossus," written by Emma Lazarus in 1883, is engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty, and represents a hopeful message of a better life in America for immigrants. Initially, life for immigrants was insurmountably difficult. Language barriers, a lack of knowledge in a new land, and discrimination, prevented immigrants from progressing in society and moving their way out of the slums. However, as time went on throughout the Gilded Age, life in America for immigrants began to more closely mirror the hopeful message put forth by the quote from "The New Colossus". Certain groups of immigrants, particularly the Germans and Irish, began to gain a foothold in American society and began to advance, prompting the formation of a middle class. Even if they were not considered "rich", those of the middle class probably enjoyed a life astronomically more comfortable than life in the slums. Although specific groups like were credited with being so successful due to their creation of political machines, all nationalities and levels of immigrants were assisted by settlement houses. Created by Jane Adams, settlement houses provided immigrants with opportunities and resources that were not otherwise provided for them. This, in turn, allowed immigrants to slowly yet surely assimilate themselves into society and begin to take advantage of the better life offered in America so vividly represented by the Statue of Liberty and the quote on its base. This quote also represents a slight shift in the belief of the social Darwinism philosophy. The concept of helping immigrants become successful is more parallel with the philosophy of pragmatism rather than social Darwinism. Pragmatism was undoubtedly a contrast of the business philosophies prcatice at the time. Although it was perhaps not widely accepted at the time it was first thought of, aspects of pragmatism are intertwined in modern day American society with the advent of an endless amount of services dedicated to giving people an opportunity to improve their lives, for instance, welfare. This quote has so closesly represented the opportunity of America that it continues in the present day to remain valid. thorough and well done

AMB- "Today, production is left to anarchy, and only tyranny, the twin sister of anarchy, is organized." --Socialist Leader Daniel De Leon, 1896. This quote was spoken by Daniel De Leon, a leader of the Socialist Labor Party in the mid-1890s. He was a Marxist, and therefore believed in the necessity of a revolution to overthrow the Capitalist system. In 1896, support for both anarchism and socialism was increasing as people became dissatisfied with the laissez-faire Capitalism that was representative of the vast majority of industry at the time. De Leon pairs anarchy with the tyranny of capitalism by stating that production is not controlled--the products themselves, the quality, and the quantity. This was the time that products were being made available to almost anyone, and were produced in such great numbers that did not always adhere to the laws of supply and demand. Leon is claiming that the production/consumer market was out of control, but that industry itself was organized tyranny because a select few had most of the money and power. These individuals controlled the factories and the workers, and decided how the workers would be treated. This comparison of anarchy and tyranny would reach out to people who feared the growing power of the anarchists but were displeased with the factory system, especially to factory workers who knew first-hand about the dangerous working conditions, low pay, and restrictions on where they could live and where they could buy food and clothing. In effect, De Leon was trying to win over the public to Socialism by emphasizing the necessity of government control over industry (which is the overall context of this quote). The Capitalists and Anarchists would not take to this idea as readily because both believed that government control over industry was restrictive of personal rights, though the Capitalists believed in control by the elites and the Anarchists did not want any state of order. De Leon was trying to convey his opinion that the current Capitalist system was not working, and that in order to balance out the disorganization of production and tyranny in ownership and management, the government needed to regulate industry. Because of his Marxist beliefs, he may also have been hoping to aggravate the working class enough to spark a workers’ uprising against the companies that would force the government to take over. This statement not only reflects the nature of the Capitalist system at the time, but also of the underlying tensions between the Capitalists, Anarchists, and Socialists and their varying ideas of how industry should be run. It might have impacted numbers of supporters of these three groups by converting more members of the working class to Socialist beliefs. thorough and well done

KBM “The old familiar relations between employers and employee were passing. A few generations before the boss had known men by their first names, asked about the family and swapped jokes and stories with them. Today, you have the large factories, the personal touch is gone!” -Teddy Roosevelt

This quote, taken from President Theodore Roosevelt, correlates directly with the rise of big business and their emphasis on the dispensability of workers. Workers were becoming dispensable for several reasons: machinery (the second industrial age) was expanding so less workers were required, immigrants were coming in by the millions and filling unskilled jobs, and there was a recession so lay offs were often necessary especially for the ‘luxury’ manufacturers. The formation of labor unions also distanced the workers form the employers (who disliked unions). With all of the strikes and walkouts countered by pay cuts, lay offs, and lockouts, there was a vicious cycle occurring. The employees, like in the Pullman’s cart strike, failed to realize how fair the employers were being by even taking the workers’ voice into consideration. Most employees, however, became egotistic and put all of their focus on gaining the most for themselves rather than benefits for everyone., incessantly cutting jobs and pay, resulting in a distrust among the employees and employers sparked by the employers cuts and employee labor unions outbursts. With the second industrial age, unskilled workers were a demand, therefore immigrants fit the job description perfectly. Since they were more willing to work for less pay, immigrants with little skill were often hired over American workers with skill, who had been in the business for far longer and could no longer find work to support their family from the sudden lack of money or work. The skilled workers almost became obsolete because the majority of the factory jobs required little to no knowledge and earned barely enough pay for a family to survive. All of these factors contributed to the distancing of employees and employers during the gilded age. good but too much what and how and not enough why JT "We are born in a Pullman house. We are fed from a Pullman shop, taught in a Pullman school, catechized in the Pullman church and when we die we shall be buried in a Pullman cemetery and go to a Pullman hell." — Pullman employee on life in Pullman town, 1883. This employee was one of hundreds who were “imprisoned” by factories. Factory workers during the gilded age found themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty that resulted in their being “owned” by the factory workers, such as Pullman, whom they relied on for housing and food. This factory worker expressed his dissatisfaction of the factory life cycle by emphasizing how Pullman would always be a part of his life, implying that he had no personal freedoms. At this time, there were no rights for the working class, so the workers were at the mercy of big business. If they were to quit because they were unhappy with the work, they would be black listed by the factory owner so that they could not find another job. Big business largely ran the lives of the working class. This quote was written to reach out to activists and unions that may have helped to free this man from the factory’s control. The quote could apply to any worker in these times since everyone felt the chains of their jobs. It is quotes such as this that show us how trapped factory workers truly were in the gilded age. Without government regulation of corporations, the working families had to hope that they had a lenient boss, otherwise they could not afford to get hurt on the job or sick without fear of being fired. Factories such as Pullman’s had major social impacts on the population, creating a huge division between the rich and the poor since those in poverty were not given the opportunity to escape from it if they worked in factories. checked