Analyzing Progressivism: Intentions, Effects, and Twain's View

This essay examines the era of Progressivism in America, focusing on its intentions and effects during the Gilded Age, as critiqued by Mark Twain. The essay explores the rapid industrialization and urbanization that characterized the period, highlighting both positive and negative impacts. It delves into the societal consequences of industrial expansion, particularly the challenges faced by immigrant communities and the deplorable living conditions in tenement structures. The author argues about the selective prosperity and widespread corruption, echoing Twain's perspective on the neglect of the common good by politicians and industrialists. The analysis includes references to the nexus between politicians and industrialists and the lack of government efforts to improve living conditions for the underprivileged, providing a comprehensive overview of the era's complexities.

Running head: PROGRESSIVISM
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Mark Twain coined the term ‘The Gilded Age’ as a sarcastic metaphor for
America after the Civil War, which many called the Progressive Era. Give at
least two examples of the intention and effects of Progressivism during this
period, and make an argument about why you agree or disagree with Twain's
attitude.
‘The Gilded Age’ is a novel composed by Mark Twain in the year 1873. The title of the
novel is indicative of a propitious aspect which implies prosperity and well being, if judged
literally, however the intention of Mark Twain was to take a jibe at the post civil war society in
the United States of America. The use of the symbolic phrase ‘The Gilded Age’ as the title of his
novel actually refers to the prosperity that had selectively transformed the lives of a chosen few
while the vast majority of the American population were untouched the upsurge of wealth and
prosperity. The main intention of Mark Twain is thus to critique the post civil war society of the
United States of America. Mark Twain had by using the phrase ‘The Gilded Age’ as the title of
his novel actually wanted to provide an account of the widespread corruption that existed among
the politicians seated at the national capital of Washington D.C. and also the wealth hungry
industrialists who had entered into an unholy nexus with each other to use most of the public
wealth for their personal benefit at the cost of neglecting the common good. The novel provides
a vivid account of the sprawling growth of industrial production and the vast expansion of the
corporations who had managed to create a monopoly for themselves by virtue of trade in steel,
petroleum and the transport industries (Twain, 2016).
Having provided an account of the basic idea of the novel ‘The Gilded Age’, arguments
supporting the claims made by Mark Twain shall be provided. The rampant industrialization had

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happened at the cost of displacing the indigenous population of the North American continent by
the Europeans. The interests of the indigenous people were totally neglected and it was only the
Europeans who had enjoyed the benefits of the economic prosperity. Thus ‘The Gilded Age’ was
supposed to be the prerogative of the few and the most others were deprived of it. Not that all the
Europeans had benefitted out of the rampant industrialization, it was only the rich industrialists
who had gathered quite a lot of wealth and the workers suffered exploitation at the hands of the
industrialists (Twain, 2016).
The politicians had turned a blind eye to the interests of the ones who were not
benefitting from the onset of ‘The Gilded Age’ and they only made policies which served the
interests of the industrialists even if that led to a compromise with the interests of the common
people. The nexus between the politicians and the industrialists were for real and that had been
very much felt during ‘The Gilded Age’ as mentioned by Mark Twain in his novel (Twain,
2016).
America felt growing pains in the late 1800s, many of which were negative
experiences. What influenced urban blight (e.g., standardized housing,
abandoned buildings, parts of cities falling into decrepitude due to crime) in
the decades around the turn of the century, and was industrial expansion a
positive or negative impact? In your response, make sure to address the
experience of rising immigrant communities and living in tenement
structures.

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The impact of the industrialization and the progressive era is both positive and negative.
The positive aspect lies only in the rapid economic growth which can be attributed to the rising
level of industrialization and the urbanization which taken together cumulatively accounts for the
capitalistic development that had taken place in the post civil war period. However there were
negative consequences as well which were a direct result of the industrialization and had been
owing to the deplorable living conditions that the immigrant communities faced. The cities had
developed around the industrial hubs and that had led to a huge level of migration from the rural
areas to the urban areas in search of jobs and that had led to haphazard settlement of people at
different locations around the industries which were devoid of planning and sanitation facilities.
There were no development plans whatsoever on part of the government to develop the
conditions of the underprivileged people living in the makeshift camps around the industrial
units (Navari & Cochran, 2017).
The situation of the people who lived in the tenement structures were indeed quite
deplorable and that can also be explained by means of providing the view of Mark Twain as
provided in the novel ‘The Gilded Age’. As per the view of mark Twain the politicians who were
there at Washington DC had turned a blind eye to the interests of the ones who belonged to the
marginalized section of the society and were not benefitting from the onset of ‘The Gilded Age’
as the politicians only made policies which served the interests of the industrialists even if that
led to a compromise with the interests of the common people. There had hardly been any effort
taken by the government to spend on affordable housing facilities and other basic amenities like
the proper drainage system, water supply, electricity, sanitation and above all the planning
system which would lead to the formation of a proper living complex that shall allow air and
light to pass through the apartments and make for a healthy living space. The nexus between the

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politicians and the industrialists were for real and that had been very much felt during ‘The
Gilded Age’ as mentioned by Mark Twain in his novel (Twain, 2016).

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References
Navari, C., & Cochran, M. (2017). Introduction: Progressivism in America Between the Two
World Wars. In Progressivism and US Foreign Policy between the World Wars (pp. 1-
19). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Twain, M. (2016). The gilded age. Xist Publishing.