Horatio Alger was one of the first to publish a novel about New York or America in general that was about the formula for success and rags to riches stories. His book was the first to also portray New York in a positive and cheerful way and described it in a beautiful way where poor people could rise with having just hard-work and dedication. New York got the best and worst of the Industrial Revolution and soon it became labeled “The Empire City”. It got this name for its finance, marketing, metropolis, place for immigrants and so much more. Philosophers, politicians, writers; they all had different opinions about the future of the country.
Rockefeller soon became significant as he grew significantly in the industries and soon controlled about 90% of the petroleum. Gotham also became big and very important to the new economy-based country. Most of America’s billionaires lived in New York City by 1900. New York only continued to grow and become stronger over the American economy. The city had to keep up so it kept transforming to be able to adapt. So many technological and societal advances were happening and big changes were coming about like the Brooklyn Bridge which was said to fit Gotham’s spirit so well. However, in the Gilded Age, Gotham was a portrayal of what a government should not be.
New York soon became the biggest city in America and its population was rapidly increasing and it led to it becoming its own empire. William Tweed became an important man in New York politics and business as he became the main symbol of Tammany Hall. Tweed held many positions but never mayor. And although he used unapproved methods, his enemies admitted that he, undoubtedly, helped the city grow and advance in many ways. Also, his governmental activism benefited many people/businessmen who worked to better the city even more. During this time of prosperity, there wasn’t all good everywhere. Riots were still breaking out and the city would be out of control at times. These riots piled up and were labeled “The Tammany Riot” and this built a stronger case against Tweed but it was still not enough evidence. Later, however, evidence was found against the corruption of Tweed and his men.
The prosperity of the Gilded Age in New York made New Yorkers selfish and disinterested in anyone’s business. The difference between wealthy and poor continued to grow until it became more apparent. Many journalists and writers took on these problems but Jacob Riis played a major role in the debate about causes and consequences of these problems in the late nineteenth century. Riis was a hardworking immigrant who became well known for publishing books about poverty and other controversial topics. Jacob Riis showed people what they couldn’t see so clearly. These horrors became widespread and the Gilded Age quickly became associated with many negative images. Lowell had a huge influence in improving a lot of conditions for people in prisons, workhouses and many other work places. When poverty and all these injustices came to light, people paid attention and contributed to the cause.
The Gilded Age taught that Alger’s secret to prosperity was no longer relevant to New Yorkers. People began to look for help from others instead of only depending on themselves. New York’s unions began to grow one step at a time and they began to have greater influence. Labor activism became huge and widespread all over with thousands of strikes breaking out. Henry George worked extremely hard to speak at union meetings, rallies, factories and even on the street. Hewitt won and this started many rumors of corruption in Tammany. The American Federation of Labor became the most influential/important labor organizations in American history. However, even amongst all these improvements and unions, strikes still occurred such as the Brooklyn Trolley strike of 1895.
Young children also became part of these labor movements and people often sympathized them more than adults. Newsboys’ strikes and other young laborer issues spread quickly through Long Island to Manhattan then into Brooklyn and Jersey. Protests, strikes, and riots just became part of the urban culture among all workers; men, women and children. The problems of these children had a great impact on the economy of New York and greatly affected everyone. As Riis stated, “the problem of the children is the problem of the state”. These children grew to be the adults who shaped the society and how it came to be organized. This is the story of the Empire City in a Gilded Age.
