Monday, September 21, 2015

Gilded Age

In what ways do Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” and the Populist Platform represent the values of the Gilded Age? Where do the two documents agree and disagree? You may use additional examples or sources to support your point.

***Note: this could be an essay question, but please DO NOT write an essay in the comments. One idea/example per comment, please! Feel free to comment multiple times and respond to your classmates’ comments, but limit your answers to a few sentences.

This post will be available for comments until Monday, September 28.


27 comments:

  1. Both documents show how valued money was during the Gilded Age. However, it was valued in a very different way by the millionaires and the laborers. Carnegie, who represents the wealthy, believed that the disproportionate distribution of wealth is fine because it will allow rich people to fund public institutions such as free libraries and museums. He thought that this will help the poor better instead of just giving them charity. Populists believed that wealth should be more evenly distributed among the people to avoid corruption and oppression by the wealthy.

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    1. Very true. To be more specific both Carnegie and Populist refer to economic growth and rights of individuals and the State role in said pursuit. "The State of Pennsylvania ...new tax is to be a graduated one. Of all forms of taxation this seems to be the wisest one," says Carnegie. In the Populist Platform, the 3rd demand under finance is a graduated income tax. The 2 agree that, "Wealth belongs to him who creates it," (Populist Platform, Second declaration). How they defined that is very different. The Holmstead strike displays that difference well. Carnegie, who believed in a free unregulated market, used a private police to attack the strikers. Strikers in turn were defending their economic freedom. They created wealth but didn't receive their share. The Populist Platform defended the right of rural and urban workers right to labor unions.

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  2. Like Liting said, money was really important during the time of the Gilded Age because it was needed to rebuild the country after the war. But there were issues where the wealthy didn't want to give up their money to pay for the war and there weren't enough jobs and the economy was in a very bad place, especially for farmers. The documents express the importance of the necessity and value of money during this time, because they were rebuilding a nation which was in an economic crisis. But the issue was between the high class and trying to balance the money that was being giving to the people, because it caused oppression and segregation and even more issues between the corruption that came with money. The wealthy were at a very high advantage because they could use money to gain anything they wanted/needed without much effort while there were people who were struggling to just get by, causing oppression and and more issues between laborers and people who were wealthy.

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  3. Both documents expressed the importance of money during the Gilded Age. Money has always been important but more so in this time because it was needed to rebuild the United States. Carnegie believed he had an obligation to use his money to better the U.S. He also believed the best way to help the poorer were to "place within [their] reach the ladders upon which the aspiring could rise." So he funded the building of libraries and museums to help educate communities and, in his opinion, better them. The Populists believed money should be in the hands of the working class. They believed too much corruption was occurring due to the power the higher class held, which resulted directly to the lower class being overlooked. They also stated that the railroad should be owned by the people, and not by the railroad companies, in order to keep the price of transporting goods low and favorable for workers.

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  4. Both of the documents discuss how crucial money and wealth was during the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was a time of economic growth and development all over the U.S. Many people grew wealthy during this period, however, many more people were left behind in terms of wealth, thus creating a wealth gap. Carnegie didn't mind the wealth gap and thought that it was actually a positive thing as it would lead the wealthy to creating a better economy and society. The Populist Platform sought for an equal distribution of wealth among all of the people. These two documents expose the values of the Gilded Age by presenting the large wealth gap that is present in this era. There was a large disparity between the minuscule wealthy population and the large middle-class to poor population in America during this time.

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  5. In "The Gospel of Wealth" Carnegie believe that the best way to improve society is to rise money on "-free libraries, parks, and means of recreation...improve public taste; and public institution of various kinds, which will improve the general condition of the people," instead just giving money to the poor. By simply giving money to the poor, it would be just a temporary assistance and it won't last for long. The populist party prefers that the wealth should be equally distributed between the rich and the working class. "All land now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their actual needs, and all lands now owned by aliens should be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only." They believe that working class should have equal rights in acquiring those natural resources and access to the railroad system. However, they believe that it should be given to natural born citizens only.

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  6. Both documents, as previously stated above, express the growing importance of money during the Gilded Age. These documents both expose the idea of a wealth gap. Carnegie's document illustrates the wealthy side of the wealth gap and explains that people who have more money should do more with it to improve society. The Populist Platform illustrates the lower end of the wealth gap and explains that wealth should be evenly distributed between the rich and the working class. The working people should have equal access to the land and equal ownership opportunities. Both documents show how the country was growing economically uneven.

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  7. Like many have stated above, both document focused mostly on money. Money has been a huge problem during the Gilded Age because the United States really needed to rebuild its economy after the reconstruction. Money also caused problems toward the wealth gap according to Carnegie's document. He suggest to help the poor by telling the wealthy to provide public assistance. Although the Gilded Age provided many opportunities, not everyone prospered. This created a huge wealth gap in the population. The populist on the other hand focused on money going to the working class and equal access to opportunities. Both documents showed that economic growth only benefited some people.

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  8. Money is the main topic of both these documents. The Gospel talks about how the rich and the wealthy should use their money to help the poor and society that they should be the trustee to the people and that "to die rich a disgrace". While the populist wishes for all people to have more equal amounts of money and that the people who work should benefit not just the company owner.

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  9. Both of these documents focused on the monetary aspects of the gilded age and it's distribution. The gilded age was seen as being a period in which the core was dark but enveloped with gold to procure deception. Both of these documents unintentionally allowed the reader to see that perception as being factual because the country was having deep rooted internal conflicts with equality and immigration. While the Populists and Carnegie were discussing monetary issues, those weren't the main conflicts. Carnegie believed that the wealthy should keep hold of their money but provide public support, providing opportunities to excel and innovation, in other words "help those who will help themselves." Meanwhile the Populists believed that distribution of money should be equal.

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  10. A similarity between "The Gospel of Wealth" and the Populist Platform of 1892 was the need to benefit the nation as a whole. In the "Gospel of Wealth," Andrew Carnegie wanted to "...fund the creation of public libraries..." and to give "...money to philanthropies and charities ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" (28). According to the Populist Platform of 1892, it proposed "...to restore democracy and economic opportunity..." by asserting government control over the currency and to give farmers public ownership of the railroads so they have access to the markets (48). The difference between the two documents was the treatment towards the ideal working man. Carnegie opposed labor unions and his "Gospel of Wealth" did not necessarily support his workers. However, Populists called for economic and political support for workers, especially the farmers.

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  11. Both of the documents show how important money is during Gilded Age. The Populist Party discusses how the wage gap was negative and that wealth should be more equally distributed between the people. While Carnegie’s document reveals from the side of the wealthy how beneficial people with more money can be to making the economy and whole society better.

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  12. As others were saying, the commonality between the "Gospel of Truth" and the Populist platform was the focus on money and it's distributions during the Guilded age. I would say that the defining difference between the two is support or the lack thereof for the working class. While Carnegie doesn't outright stand against the working class, not only does he not support labor unions but his stance in the "Gospel of Truth" is centered on not giving out charity. Rather, he wished to open public libraries, parks, etc. so that all may benefit from it. The Populist platform focused on the working class. They believed that wages should be equal and that money should be distributed equally among them. They believed that the workers should be the ones reaping the fruits of their labor.

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  13. Andrew Carnegie the gospel of wealth basically stating that wealthy people should help others who don’t share the same wealth. He believed that the rich should help others but not in the sense of giving someone poor money but giving to a charity or some kind of positive cause that will help others. The populist platform was a set of policies to improve labor/government conditions for the people. These two documents disagree Carnegie believed that the rich people were fit to survive than the poor, he believed that had more advantage in society because they were wealthy. And because they were more successful they had ways to help out the poor, but the populist platform was to create equal opportunity of obtaining wealth and opportunities to advance, save money, receiving pensions and so forth. I do agree that it does widen the gap between rich and poor but it also benefited workers to save and have an opportunity to advance.

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  14. The documents give us a pretty clear picture that money in the Guilded Age and the distribution of wealth was a very disputed topic. The Populist platform believed in equal pay to the working class against the ideas of Carnegie who looked at this as "charity". Carnegie however thought he was helping the general public through the creation of parks and libraries which ultimately the working class didn't agree with. The working class has good reason to think against this logic because they saw all the wealth being in single individuals hands as an opportunity of corruption and rule over the majority.

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  15. Both documents focused on how wealth should be distributed and the gap of wealth between the rich and poor. Carnegie believed in building free institutions rather than donating to charity. He believed the gap between the rich and poor was a good thing that proved society was advancing forward. The populist platform wanted a more equal distribution of wealth so the gap between rich and poor isn't so huge. They wanted more equal opportunities for people to make a decent living wage.

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  16. Both documents addressed the role of wealth and it's role in the lives of those who were fortunate and those who were not. Carnegie justifies the divide in wealth by asserting that it was the responsibility of the wealthy to further societal progression through the construction of social institutions. On the otherhand, the Populist Platform was from the perspective of the working class who argued for better opportunities for people to generate their own wealth. The platform suggests that the current system inherently widened the schism between wealthy and poor and sought to obtain benefits for the working class.

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  17. Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” and the Populist Platform reveal the increasing importance of money in the Gilded Age as the gap between the wealthy and the poor became ever present in American society. Both documents agree that a small minority should not hold the majority of the nation’s wealth and that it was the duty of the wealthy to better the conditions of the country through philanthropy and charity. Despite their similarities, both documents disagree on the key topic of labor unions. Carnegie vehemently shuts down labor unions while the Populist Platform believes that labor unions should become a permanent part of society.

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  18. The Gilded Age was given its name to describe a time in which only a few had power and wealth while the rest of the population were treated unjustly and had little political input due to their status. The title suggested a layer of gold covering a core of little real value. Andrew Carnegie himself fit into this age in that he represented a part of that 1%. In his “The Gospel of Wealth” he essentially says that only a select few should be able to control the wealth of the country in order to help society move forward as a whole, representing the golden layer of the age.
    The farmers on the other hand represented the ugly core of the age. The Populist Reform urged for an equal spread of the nation's wealth, an urge that was not being respected due to those with wealth having the political power.

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  19. The two documents agree in the belief that wealth is important. However, on the side of the wealthy, wealth was important for those who had it and it was up to them to make sure that the wealth was used to better those without. On the side of the poor, wealth was needed in order to escape the unfair conditions under which they were kept with those who were in power, in power. As far as the poor was concerned, as long as the power was unevenly distributed, the many people on the lesser end of the not-so-continuous spectrum would never be able to have a say in the matters that impacted them as well as the wealthy.

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  20. Andrew Carnegie believed that as long as he used his wealth for public creations such as parks and libraries, he was doing good for the country, sufficiently keeping society running smoothly. However, the nation's next great could have been there locked in a position where he or she was unable to advance due to his or her socioeconomic status.
    This is a problem that I still believe exists today. So many children are stuck in neighborhoods with poorly funded schools yet with the minds of Einstein and Franklin, and are unable to exercise their minds due to their socioeconomic statuses telling them that they cannot.

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  21. As explained in several of the previous comments above, both the documents create a solid outline that boils down to money and how it is necessary for economical rebuild throughout the Gilded Age. These documents aimed towards a solution that addresses the fall in the economy, however, the difference between Carnegie's “Gospel of Truth” and the Populist Platform is that Carnegie supports helping the less fortunate/wealthy via giving back to the community to rebuild connections with people and organizations that are available to help (public parks, libraries, etc). The Populist Platform, on the other hand, believed in reconstruction of labor policies to help reduce the large wealth gap. The Populist Platform was supported by most people in the labor force because they saw it as a direct form of benefits.

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  22. Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” and the Populist Platform represent the positive value of federal assistance during 1870-1890, also known as the Gilded Age. The two documents agree on the benefit of a federal enforced graduate tax towards the wealthy in order to improve the economic status of the working class citizen. However exact intentions for the authors support of this tax differ and disagree as Andrew Carnegie explain this tax as something that will continue to allow free trade but make the wealthy into trustees of the community for the general good, in almost an altruist way. Carnegeie takes this a idea as a responsibility of the wealthy as a natural progression of separation of class. However the authors of the Populist Platform find the idea of the tax as something the wealthy could further more influence but as a bridging of the gap between the classes in some ways.

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    1. prof-read edit for clarity---

      Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” and the Populist Platform represent the positive value of federal assistance during 1870-1890, also known as the Gilded Age. The two documents agree on the benefit of a federaly enforced graduate tax towards the wealthy in order to improve the economic status of the working class citizen. However exact intentions for the authors support of this tax differ and disagree as Andrew Carnegie explains this tax as something that will continue to allow free trade and make the wealthy into trustees of the community for the general good. Carnegeie takes this a idea of responsibility of the wealthy as a natural progression of separation of classes. However the authors of the Populist Platform find the idea of the tax not as something the wealthy could use to further more influence communities, but as a bridging of the wealth gap between the classes in some some form.

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  23. Carnegie and the populist party both believed in the redistribution of wealth. However Carnegie believed in the privatization of the redistribution through private donations to public institutions while the populist party believed in the governmental monitoring of redistribution of wealth. The populist party wanted the wealthy to bridge the wealth gap created. However, major businessmen believed, or claimed, that wealth is earned through hard work and defended that people should create their wealth through education.

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  24. The two documents represented the Gilded Age by depicting the harsh unfair work conditions of the working class, as well as what they wished to accomplish, through organized protest. And uneven distribution of wealth, Carnegie speaks about providing funds to those that are more affluent in efforts to create a more cultured society. Which is a clear definition of Marc Twain's coined term “The Gilded Age” this would become synonymous with graft, materialism, and corruption in public life. The documents agreed in proving society a better life experience, but at the cost of the superfluous.

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  25. Both documents discuss the distribution of money between classes and the monetary value. Andrew Carnegie supports the wealthy class because he believes that it will be administered through the rest of society. The Populist Platform on the other hand, believes that wealth should be distributed, and that "wealth belongs to him who creates it", not solely based on class.

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