Browse Exhibits (32 total)
Urbanization in the Gilded Age
The late 19th century of America witnessed the birth of the modern industrial economy that we live in today. It was an era of incredible technological advancements, such as a national transportation system and communication network. And the early 20th century saw man take to the skies for the first time with the invention of the airplane. The gilded age experienced the incandescent light bulb being created, the first camera, and many other wonderous feats of technology that we still take advantage of today.
Those innovations would not have been possible without the rapid urbanization that occurred during this Gilded Age and Progressive Era of American history. The industrialization of America during this time led to an expeditious increase in individuals leaving the rural side of the country to populated cities, such as Chicago, New York, and Detroit in order to capitalize on the increase in careers these major cities had to offer.
Many historians often point out the issues that urbanization led to within these cities. For example, the increase in population led to overcrowding, the spreading of diseases, and a surge in dangerous crime that started to become commonplace in urban communities. Pollution and sewage also plagued these metropolitan areas. Furthermore, the corruption from local political leadership blocked the ability to make improvements to these critical issues.
While these unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances are troublesome when we reflect on them, I believe that if we hadn’t gone through this difficult period, we wouldn’t have the country that we live in today. The gilded age, however flawed it may have been, was the launching point for our present-day society socially and economically as a result of its rapid urbanization.
How Should Elizabeth Cady Stanton Be Remembered? by Alivia Young
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an incredibly influential figure in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, should she be remembered as a saint?
MGM's Impact on the Film Industry
How the controversial business practices and policies of the number one studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), contributed to the growth of the film industry.
MGM's rise to success in the early decades of Hollywood's Golden Age was due to its shrewd business practices, including the use of the studio system to maximize profits, the adoption of the "Star System" to create a cult of celebrity around its actors, and the establishment of opulent "Palace" theaters through its partnership with Loews1. Additionally, MGM pioneered technological advancements in the film industry, investing heavily in sound and color technologies that helped set it apart from its competitors and solidify its position as one of Hollywood's most successful and innovative studios.
Despite MGM Studios' essential contributions to the film industry during the 1920s, its history is marred by controversy surrounding its business practices and corporate policies, which continue to be evaluated and debated by scholars and critics. It aims to analyze the tensions between artistic vision and commercial interests that have characterized the studio's history by examining MGM's impact on the film industry and its role in shaping Hollywood's golden age.
Footnotes
1. Steven Bingen, et al. MGM : Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot. Santa Monica Press, 2011. EBSCOhost, MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot
Nabil's Demo Exhibit Title
This is Nabil's Demo Exhibit Title.
Political Corruption in the Gilded Age and turn of the 20th Century
This exhibit will investigate the concept of "graft" and the effect of political machines like Tammany Hall and the influence they held. Other pages of this exhibit will investigate election scandals like the compromise of 1877 or the Teapot Dome Scandal surrounding the Harding administration in the early 1920's.
Educational Reform in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
The Gilded Age and Progressive Era is a time period where there was immense change in the United States in terms of education reform. Without the key innovations of dedicated people with the aim of transforming education in America, it is impossible to tell what may have been and what might have happened, but it is obvious that education would look very different, and not in a positive manner. More than merely acquiring knowledge, education is crucial since it gives students access to social and life skills as well as protection from a potential negative home environment throughout the day. The changes that happened throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era are crucial, from creating places for kids to go while moms work, like Hull House, to creating tools to determine whether a student has a disability and needs additional support, such as the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale. Reformers such as John Dewey and Jane Addams steered the way for many years of education reform to follow.
Political Figures in the Gilded Age
Political figures in the Gilded Age resembled differently than political figures today!
Andrew Carnegie: Shrewd Capitalist or Reformed Robber Baron- Mitchell Seitz
Andrew Carnegie was a man of great influence, his leadership of the growing steel empire in America, was a representation of his power and influence over the industrial might of America. This influence came with its struggles as well as opportunities, with his power and monetary wealth came the opportunity to give back to the great country of America, that took in an immigrant boy from Scotland and saw him become one of the wealthiest and most successful Americans of a generation. The rise of Andrew Carnegie from humble immigrant beginnings to leader of the a large steel company is the definition of the “American dream” for all Americans1. Working his way up from an assistant to a railroad executive, to eventually running the western division of the Pennsylvania railroad2 the business education and professional opportunities of Andrew Carnegie were nothing short of impressive. What’s even more impressive is after all of his business success, he pledged to give back a majority of his money through charitable donations (Carnegie’s ideas behind charitable donations by the wealthy can be seen in his book Gospel of Wealth) . However, for all the impressive accomplishments of Andrew Carnegie and his philanthropic donations, he had a more cynical side to him.
In the article Robber Baron Turned Robin Hood, historian Richard Erensberger Jr. makes the case that Carnegie was a complicated figure in gilded age history. His philanthropic donations, and overall ideology about workers’ rights was something of an anomaly for the era he was in, but his treatment of his own workers, and his anti-union rhetoric leaves Ernsberger to view Carnegie as a “grey figure” in history 3. Ernersberger, comes to this conclusion by viewing Carnegie as a “whole person”, not leaving out the parts of Carnegie that were flawed (such as the Homestead Strike of 1892) 4 . While Carnegie’s should be celebrated for his donations and push to move society forward (through libraries and other public donations), his anti-union rhetoric and situations such as the homestead strike of 1892; show he’s a conflicted figure and deserves deeper thought into his character. This exhibit will provide the reader with the multiple flaws and triumphs of Carnegie’s professional career, and prove how Carnegie is someone who should be both celebrated and condemned in society.
1Staniford, Les. Meet You in Hell Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America. Paw Prints, 2010 pg.24-26
2 Staniford, Les. Meet You in Hell Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America. Paw Prints, 2010 pg. 31-35
3 Ernsberger Jr., Richard. 2015. “ROBBER BARON Turned Robin Hood. (Cover Story).” American History 49 (6): 32–41. pg.35
4 Ernsberger Jr., Richard. 2015. “ROBBER BARON Turned Robin Hood. (Cover Story).” American History 49 (6): 32–41. pg. 38-40