The Infamous Boss Tweed
Go to the following link:
http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.php/course_locator.php?course=US History II&lesson=46&topic=1&width=800&height=684&topicTitle=The%20Tweed%20Ring%20and%20Machine%20Politics&skinPath=http://www.hippocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default
Watch the video presentation (there's a text version as well if you are having trouble getting the video to play) and respond to the following questions:
1) What are the similarities and differences between the political practices of the Gilded Age and today? (mention at least two of each)
2) Choose one of the three "explore" topics listed on the left side of the lesson (you have to start the lesson before they are available) and answer the question asked.
3) How did the rise of political "machines" cause the local, state, and federal governments to become involved in social welfare? Can you imagine a better solution?
This assignment will doubtless take you some time and effort - but I think you will enjoy the "Pre-Godfather" history of New York. Your essay should be at least 200 words long, with responses totalling 150 words. Last week's assignment was supurb - keep up the good work!
1.) There are many differences and similarties between the political practices of the Gilded Age and today. An example of them being similar is that,like I said in the last assignment,there were an abundance of immigrants migrating to America. A difference being that while today we have certain standards and requirements for working, in the gilded age the people worked until they could no longer work. If the people worked like this for so long, their bodies gave out and they were replaced by younger, stronger workers.
ReplyDelete2.) For the second part of the assignmet I chose the NY tenant houses. People lived in these tennant homes because they were close to their work as well as affordable. These were ideal for the poorer worker who could not pay for transportation, as well.Also these tennant home were close to museums,libraries, and universities. In addition, these homes, however small and underdevoloped,but they were a huge improvement from the living conditions in their native country.
3.)The rise of the political machine promoted social welfare by using federal money to help out financial issues. When these machines stopped the people had come to rely on this money.
Thank You,
Rebecca
The similarities between the gilded age and now. That’s difficult. Well first I believe now in this time we have a different way of thinking and different mindset that what they had. Both now and then, do something with our money, we spend it!! Back then, in my opinion, they knew how to spend it much more wisely than what they spend it on now. The Gilded age is a very interesting part in history to me. Gilded means having something that make look really good on the outside but maybe junk on the inside. It was all about the gold and money. They worry about getting jobs and how much money they are making. (Which that is good we need to be aware of that thing) Then they had the immigrants coming to America trying to find jobs and looking and seeking for ways to make money, which who could blame then? But then how would the Americans find the jobs and make a living ? So through the whole guilded age I think America learned some things about gold and money and many other things. I think sometimes we need something to open our eyes to see how the government is and to think if they our spending government money of importance
ReplyDelete1)For this week our essay is about the Gilded Age. In first place the Gilded Age was a period of history in the late 19th century. It referse to cheap commercialization, shorines and fakery; it is a mix of gold, welth and power. The industrialization was building and there were a lot of people that were uneducated. That is one different.A lot of people lived in the same house In the video that Mr. Akers gave us there is a girl that tell us that she lived with other 9 relatives (and sometimes more) in only two rooms.One similarity is that while the industialization was growing, people were moving in the city to look for job. Infact the industries were located in the cities.There are some of the similarities and the differences between the Gilded Age and today.
ReplyDelete2)New York City Tenement House: The living conditions in theese pictures seem bleack. Which of the statement is not a reason that people chose to live in tenements? Do to their central urban location, tenements provided easy acess to museums, libraries and universities.
3)Thank of the large amount of people that arrive in America, the machines were possible. There were poor and the
When thinking on terms of similarities between the Gilded Age and today, it's hard to come up with a lot because the differences out weigh the similarities. The people that lived in this particular time period has a very odd mind set... it was a streak of genius balanced with partial insanity. They had no qualms in many areas, everything looked promising on the outward appearance but once you got the slightest look inside you became quickly educated on the truth that lied beneath, everything was really only hanging by a thread. One similarity I notice is the economical problems there was a lot of investments to fall through in the lives of big industries. People had the money but weren't completely sure what to do its just a reoccurring process. The governmental status was alike in some ways like were they set laws in place for peoples protection but after a certain point and stretching so far there was only so much they could do... a lot like today.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Tweed political cartoon, I believe it quite possibly was aimed towards the gutsy people of that time... although many were in compromising positions some stayed quite stuck in their thoughts and went out on a limb. I think the artist was hoping for a strong reaction from these people to potentially begin some sense of a "strike" it's the only thing I can come up with.
The political machines put everything into a head spin and in the beginning threw everything off but then later in some sense they helped its all quite mind bottling for me and I find it hard to wrap my head around it all. But simply but a firm hand from the government things could have been different... in my mind (:
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your essay. It was very nicely laid out and I liked how you put so much obvious thought into and frankly you left me thinking quite a bit. I liked how you in a round about way stated that a few things could be learned from the Gilded Age... It really caught my attention. It was really good!
Marta,
Your essay was wonderful. You were quick and straight to the point. I understood all of the info with out having to read a big long description which is very helpful most times, your gave all of the points and backed them up nicely. Great job! (:
Rebecca,
I really liked the description you gave and the nice neat order it was all put in, it made everything easy to decipher and follow. You got all of the info without skipping a beat so very well with that.
Bethany-great job on your essay. You had a lot of information and put it in a way that was easy to read and very factual. Great job :)
ReplyDeleteMarta- as always your essay was amazing! It was neat and easy to read and very informative! Great job :)
Jessie- I really enjoyed your essay because it really made me think and you made excellent points. Anyway, your essay was full of info and was easy to read. Great job :)
Thanks,
Rebecca
There are obvious reasons on how America has changed from the gilded age to now. An example would be how there were a lot of immigrants coming to America, a difference being that we have specific standards for working and in the “ Gilded Age “ would work until they could no longer be able to work. And it was like this work a long time they went until their bodies basically gave up or out on them. Then they were replaced by younger people and more agile workers. In the Second part of the assignment I chose the New York tenant homes People lived in these homes because they were close to their work pl aces and were also quite affordable to them and they were also very close to all public places these places were quite underdeveloped and they weren’t the “ best “ living conditions but it was in there best interest. And the uprising of the political machine promoted social happiness by using the countrys federal money to help out other people with financial problems when the machines had stopped working they had to rely on these things because without money things go downhill . fast. So I can understand why they would rely so much on the federal money.
ReplyDeletebethany, great job on your essay it was definately well thought out and very well put together :)
ReplyDeletejesse, i thought your essay was very informative and overall it was great so good jobb!
Rebecca, I thought your essay was really great and you really put it together well so good job!
In the Gilded Age politics were becoming what they are now. Welfare had begun to be thought of in the city, state, and national budgets. Social services were also being provided for. Social services provided by the government started because reformers who had been first against the machine politics began wanting social services. There is always a better solution to problems, but we don’t always have the answers. I chose to “explore” New York tenement housing. Tenements were for city workers. They were close to the factories and other city jobs so that the workers didn’t have to pay for transportation. Four apartments shared one bathroom and the living conditions were not ideal. Some families lived in the attics of these tenements and most of us would not think to stay there, but believe it or not this life was better than the life they had. Many of them were immigrants who wanted the opportunity to change their and their family’s lives. America is the land of opportunity, right? It’s inspiring to hear and read how America started off, what our ancestors did so that we could live in this free and successful country today. The Gilded Age is probably one of the most important eras in our country’s history.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: During the Gilded age, the government only provided the three main functions of the government, those are providing defense, providing public goods and the last one is to protect the citizens from each other. The United States were also an economy based on Laissez-Faire, which is France for “leave alone”, this means that the government lets the free market regulates itself. Today the government has a lot more to do. It helps the poor and the weak and heavily regulates the market, a good example for this is the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
ReplyDeleteAnother difference is how the people get elected. They can not mobilize so big crowds like in the gilded age anymore, because the government gives the poor people money to live nowadays. Also there are more laws in place which try to protect citizens from corruption, they may not always work, but a least there are some.
Question number 2 Tweed Political Cartoon: I believe, the Author of the cartoon is trying to show the public how Tweed is stealing their money. The public is the only institution which could change something, because all the people who worked for the city were under the influence of corruption and fear. I think he tried to let the public revolt against the Tweed Ring and not trust and elect him anymore.
Question number 3: The government got involved, because the influence on the poor by the rich people was too great. The rich people could take control over the important positions by mobilizing the masses. When the government is paying, it also helps everybody, not only certain districts and cities. I believe, there is no better solution then the government. Businesses can not provide welfare, because they receive no profit from doing that. And private individuals also can not do it, because they would have a too great influence on the people and also would not do it high enough or to infrequently.
@ Catelyn:
ReplyDeleteI really like your essay, Catelyn you are answering your questions in a long and good form. You also have some interesting information in there. But I think you could improve answer number 3, since you are only describing how it was and the results and not a solution.
@ Amanda:
I really like your essay, you provide us with a lot of good side information about the gilded age and the term itself. But I think you forgot to answer the questions a little bit. But the rest of your essay is very well written and has a lot of information I did not know. Keep on going like this! :-)
@ Marta:
I like your essay, it answer all the questions correct and has a lot of good information. The only thing I maybe have to mention is, that the answer on the question number 3 got cut off. The rest is really good!