Gilded Age Leaders

 

                                                    Gilded Age Leaders

    The Gilded Age was a period of time when America experienced an "economic boom". With the start of the Gilded Age came many new wealthy leaders of our country. Some of these leaders abused their power which influenced inequality among common people ( people who were not as rich as them) while others put their wealth and power to improve the future of our country. But being one of these wealthy Gilded Age leaders also came with the constant competition between each other for power and success.

One leader who helped construct the Gilded Age was Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland and later he and his family moved to America searching for better work opportunities. He was first hired as a bobbin boy at a cotton factory making about 1 dollar per week. But with his hard-working and determined mindset to find better-paid work led him to be the superintendent of the railroad division of the Pennsylvania Railroad.  During his position as superintendent, he invested in railroad-related investments. Eventually, he left this position and cofounded his first steel company. His rise in wealth really influenced both his self-image, believing that he had more power than the regular people, and then paying his workers less than regular sparking strikes/very violent strikes. ( Homestead Strike ) In his late life, he donated organs to churches, and also gave 1.1 million dollars to pay for the costs of building the Carnegie Hall. 

I believe that Andrew Carnegie did influence America's progress in the steel company. But I know that he along with the other male Gilded Age leaders had an unfair advantage in life compared to those that worked in his own steel company because of their wealth. The Gilded Age was definitely a time of inequality, especially in pay. Those who did not have a large amount of money were not capable of owning or being able to experience the luxuries and power that came with being a leader. Being a leader meant having advantages in many ways, as well as the ability to get what they wanted just by using their money.

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