Essay Example on the Gilded Age & Progressive Era: A Companion Guide

A Companion to The Gilded Age and Progressive Era is a book that explains the history of the progressive era in America and the factors that contributed to the era. The book answers the questions of what happened during the era and the different people and activities that made the USA emerge from being a middle-class country to the worlds biggest superpower. The authors studied different essays that contributed to the history of the progressive era, which makes the information ideal for understanding the history of America from 1877 to 1920. The authors address different themes that led to the formulation of the contemporary society. The themes include geographic, social, cultural, economic, political, diplomatic, ethnic, racial, gendered, religious, global, and ecological themes that contributed to the growth of America. While many scholars and historians have written about the Gilded stone age, Nichols and Unger have presented their book in a manner that is easy to understand the events chronologically since the beginning of the era and what led to the second Gilded age era.

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Many people have no idea on when the progressive age started and ended.Understanding the concept of the gilded age requires researchers and scholars to understand the time frame of their research. Therefore, according to Nichols and Unger, it is crucial to acknowledge that the gilded age was between the late 18th century and early 19th century.The contributing factors to the progressive era are crucial, but understanding the time is more important for researchers. Nichols and Unger stresses on the importance of understanding the history of the gilded age in a significant part of heir book. Although scholars have researched and compiled information on the gilded era, the authors stress on chronological study is commendable.

The American geographic position attracted many foreign nationals from all over the world to migrate to America.The history of immigration in America can be attributed to the industrialization that was happening in the European countries, which led to the displacement of many individuals. The immigrants settled in the USA with the expertise and skills that they had acquired from their country, and they started impacting on American industrialization. The growth of industries in Europe contributed further to the more immigration, especially of the poor peasants who could not afford to adhere to the stipulated guidelines presented by their leaders regarding land ownership. Therefore, the country's economic growth was contributed to by the immigrants, and the industrialization era in America started years after it began in Europe.

Nichols and Unger's book has compelling information about the social settings during the progressive era. Society is the major contributor to the success of a nation. Analyzing the Gilded age from a social perspective ensures that the authors comprehend the critical role of American society from 1877 to 1920, which contributed to the progressive age. Social classes were evident during the period, and classes struggled to have leadership positions emerged the most powerful. According to Nichols and Unger, a labor union was formulated in 1866 that declared dividing lines between two classes, the labor class and those that lived by others labor.The political study has also been analyzed and the growth of the country in leadership related terms. The authors stress on understanding the political position that the country was during the era to understand whether it played an essential role in the activities that took place.

The constitutional amendments that took place during the era have also been listed as crucial information regarding the progressive era. According to Nichols and Unger, the fifteenth amendment was the high water mark for the idea that every man should have a say in his government.The two major parties in the USA that is the Republican and the Democrats had different stands on the matter. The fifteenth amendment contributes majorly to the countries governance and the restriction of suffrage.

The authors stress the role the government played in the progressive era and the impact it had on society until today. The social classes formulated during the period and the political stand between the Republicans and the Democrats remains to be an issue even in the 21st century. However, the ideas and policies formulated positively impacted the countries economic growth and humane treatment of all the citizens of America.

The Contribution of the Book to the Historical Study of the Golden Age

The main idea in the Nichols and Unger's book has been used by researchers and scholars to understand the history of the American economy. The political choices and the social class discussed by Nichols and Ungers lay the foundation for studying the activities that happened in the Golden age. According to Richard, the golden age was characterized by a strong economy that led to Americans paying for entertainment, such as watching athletes.The emergence of a strong economy in America can be attributed to the industrialization that took place in the Gilded Age. Nichols and Unger's book also contributed to the study on the American civilization. The Golden age is characterized by the Americans' civilization, and therefore, the study of the activities that contributed to the civilization is essential.

Conclusion

The setting and the content of A Companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era makes the book by Nichols and Unger ideal for historians and other people who wish to understand the origin of the American prosperity. The main arguments in the book are the contribution of the political parties and the social classes to the American civilization and the Industrial Revolution, which led to the emergence of the United States of America as a superpower.

Bibliography

Nichols, C. M., & Unger, N. C. (Eds.). (2017). A Companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. John Wiley & Sons.

Richard, C. J. (2009). The Golden Age of the Classics in America: Greece, Rome, and the Antebellum United States. Harvard University Press.