The Era Of The Gilded Age - 1153 Words

From 1865 to 1900, the American industry paved the way for an era like none that has been seen before. The country built and invented more supplies and materials than anyone had thought possible. Even though, this time in history seemed progressive on many fronts, it was known as the â€Å"Gilded Age†. The Gilded Age was a three decade time in America that involved an expanding economy and a useless government. The thought of going to an American city, getting a job, and getting paid was ideal to most outsiders. The problem was, once they arrived and found a job, it was not as wonderful as it seemed . It was called the Gilded Age because, from the outside, everything looked wonderful, but on the inside it was spoiled. During America’s†¦show more content†¦Along with other factors, the ghettos shined a bad light on immigrants because the ugly and unkempt house were a reflection of the immigrants living there. The city people were no longer accepting of the forei gners and nativism began. Nativism is protecting the interests of native-born people against the interests of immigrants. Most Americans were afraid of the immigrants and the power they had on the economy, so they started to attack the immigrants, both physically and socially. Many political cartoons were published supporting anti-immigration and violence was geared towards the newcomers (Appleby 310). There is no doubt the abundant numbers of immigrants created issues amongst the American people. Immigration was an issue that needed attention. In attempt to hinder the incoming population, the Chinese Exclusion Act started in 1882. The act prevented all people of Chinese origin to move to America. It also prevented any Chinese person already living in America to gain citizenship, if they had not already (310). The government also began to put regulations and restrictions on who could enter the U.S. In 1907 the Immigration Commission was established. This department only had to deal with immigration and immigration laws. They prevented unskilled immigrants and criminals from entering the U.S. Their job was also to deport any immigrants that had committed a crime (America and Immigration). The government understood the problems immigration was creating