Just a few of the problems and solutions of the gilded age.

1. The Gilded Age
PROBLEMS AND REFORMS

2. The term, “Gilded Age” was coined by Mark
Twain
 It basically meant that for all of the great things happening in this time:
1) industrialization
2) expansion of the US
3) new inventions like the phone and electricity
There were also a lot of problems being created by the prosperity that were hidden
under the success that everyone was seeing.

3. Political Issues in the Gilded Age
Problems:
1)Political Machines
2)Bribery and Graft
3)All groups aren’t represented in
government
Solutions
1) Voting by secret ballot
2) 17th amendment providing for direct
election of Senators
3) 19th Amendment giving women the right
to vote
4) Pendleton Civil Service Act—required
taking an exam to get a government job
rather than just giving money to the
correct political party

4. Social issues in the Gilded Age
Problems:
 Cities were crowded and unsanitary
 Large numbers of immigrants and
different cultures came to the US
 Many felt that alcohol abuse was a
rampant problem
Solutions:
 Housing Codes mandated bathrooms and running
water inside as well as windows (thanks to the
work of Jacob Riis)
 All schools required to have playgrounds
 By 1907 all major cities have sewers
 Settlement houses were created to help
immigrants adjust to life in the US
 18th Amendment prohibiting manufacture,
transport and selling of alcohol

5. Economic Issues
Problems:
 Businesses were forming monopolies
 Workers were enduring:
1) low wages
2) long hours
3) unsafe working conditions
 Tariffs were too high which was hurting US
trade and costing the US government
money
Solutions:
The Sherman-Anti Trust Act was created to
break up monopolies
The government began to support labor
unions to fight those problems
The US government passed the 16th
amendment to create an income tax to raise
money for the US government

6. So while there were many
problems in the Gilded Age,
this time period also began an
era in which people knew they
needed to work together to
solve these problems

7. references
By K Cloer for NCVPS