The period between 1877 and the early 1900s was the post-Reconstruction period, characterized by a booming economy and the emergence of plutocratic ideals, or rule by the rich, within the society known as the Gilded Age. This period also saw the continuation and finally progress of the women's suffrage movement, but unfortunately it did not end with an amendment giving them the right to vote: it will still take about twenty years for this to happen. These years were very important for the US economy and without them, America probably would not be called a global superpower or have the huge economy it has today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Gilded Age led to an increased quality of life and increased free time for many families in the United States. The Gilded Age was a term created by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in a satirical novel titled The Gilded Age A Tale of Today in which they criticized the corruption of the government and members of Congress during this era. Mark Twain despised Congress because of its corruption; he also said, “Suppose you are an idiot and you are a member of Congress. But I repeat myself (Mark).” Although Mark Twain criticized the government on the grounds of corruption, the government was important because it laid the foundation for the beginning of the Gilded Age. Several acts of Congress laid the foundation for the beginning of the Gilded Age; they included: the Railroad Enabling Act of 1866, the Desert Land Grant Act in 1877, and the Stone and Timber Land Act in 1878. These laws gave millions of acres of land and underground resources to farmers. These laws, combined with the expansion of the railroad and the cessation of Native resistance, opened the territory west of the Mississippi River to settlement and trade. The Supreme Court also contributed restricted interstate commerce laws that sought to stop federal regulation. Another thing that contributed greatly to the economy at this time was new innovations and demographic changes. New inventions such as the Bell telephone, the Bessemer converter, and the telegraph were very important to the economy because they fundamentally reinvented the way things were done. The Bessemer converter was very important in the production of steel, while the telephone and telegraph reinvented the way people could communicate. New methods of transportation have also aided urbanization by concentrating production in urban areas. The demographics during this era changed dramatically because there was a lot of immigration which led to population growth, which in turn led to further urbanization and industrialization. In 1890, about 62 million people lived in America, almost double the number in 1860. Many immigrants worked for very low wages, which meant more money for employers. The quality of life also improved dramatically and this also increased the American population. People began to see that America was becoming a powerful country through innovations and economic growth. The Gilded Age also saw the beginning of many types of businesses and companies that also contributed to massive economic growth, including: mass marketing companies, mail order businesses, department stores, chain stores, and franchises. Department stores had people traveling many miles to large shopping centers instead of going to stores near their home. They appeared in America about the same time as they appeared in France and England. The emergence of department stores hasunearthed a wide variety of products in the same place. This revolutionized the consumer market because now people could go to one place to get everything they needed. Department stores back then were very similar to the ones we have today because they bought large quantities of goods from manufacturers and resold them at a reduced price; they also offered refunds. They also legitimized the appearance of women in public, which was revolutionary for the time due to the ideas of the Cult of Domesticity which we will talk about later. Mail order businesses were similar to department stores because they sold a wide variety of items but brought convenience to people living in rural areas instead of urban ones. The first mail order company was founded by Montgomery Ward in 1872, although the most famous was founded by Richard W. Sears and A. C. Roebuck in Minneapolis in 1893, it is called Sears, Roebuck and Co. but its common name is just Sears. The emergence of these two types of businesses (department stores and mail order companies) created competition as one would expect in a free market economy. Local businesses would encourage people to take the catalogs to their stores and burn them. In response, mail order companies sent their catalogs to local businesses in unmarked packages. These new businesses allowed people to purchase a wide variety of goods from one place; this increased convenience and expanded the economy. People were greatly influenced by the Golden Age for many different reasons, including the expansion of leisure during this era. Due to the vast expansion of the economy due to new innovations in technology and transportation, people were earning more money than ever before, which meant they could purchase luxury items. The new types of stores allowed them to purchase luxury items without having to go to separate stores. The quality of life improved and this can be demonstrated with the rapid expansive growth in the United States, people were not dying as quickly. The new circulation of money probably also contributed to new medical discoveries that kept people alive and increased the average age. This new lifestyle has allowed more people to relax and increase their life expectancy. While there were many improvements made since the Golden Age, there were also some widespread negatives. One of the most widespread negative aspects was the corruption mentioned by Mark Twain in his book. One of the major scandals that ruined the Grant administration was the Credit Mobilier scandal. This scandal began in 1864 when Thomas C. Durant purchased the Pennsylvania Fiscal Agency which was renamed Credit Mobilier. Its purpose as a construction company was to build the Union Pacific Railroad. The government first became involved when Oliver and Oakes Ames, the latter a congressional representative for Massachusetts, purchased stock in this company, thus indirectly purchasing the Union Pacific Railroad. The government was paying large sums of money to this company to help build the railroad. The problem arose when Oliver Ames replaced Durant as owner of the company; this made it appear that Oakes was benefiting from the money the government was paying for the construction of the railway. The railroad was financed for about $50 million more than necessary, and Oakes began selling his shares to the congressman at reduced prices so that he would not be exposed and so that there would still be beneficial legislation. Rumors began circulating in 1867. It became a presidential issue in the 1872 race, several people.