Major Changes and Continuity in Work from the Gilded Age to the End of Twentieth Century

Major Changes and Continuity in Work from the Gilded Age to the Closing Decades of Twentieth Century
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Major Changes and Continuity in Work from the Gilded Age to the Closing Decades of Twentieth Century
The Gilded Age and the first years of the 20th century were characterized by substantial economic growth and social changes in the United States. Approximately spanning the period between the Reconstruction era and the dawn of the new century, the Gilded Age ushered in rapid urbanization, industrialization, and innovations in science and technology (“The monstrous system”, n.d). Afterward, the initial years of the 20th century that followed were characterized by progressive reforms and futuristic political and social movements that strived to seek re-dress the challenges faced during the Gilded Age. Indeed, the advent of the New Deal Order in the early 20th century catalyzed fundamental social forces and institutions that would shape work in the century. 
The Gild Age period was characterized by agitation for economic and social reforms for workers. The formation of the Grange Movement in 1867 by farmers sparked a new era in workers' fight for economic emancipation and better prices for agricultural products (“The Science of Railways”, 1907). The ripple effects of the Civil War prompted Mid-Western farmers to organize and challenge the monopolistic grain elevator companies and railroads. They challenged exorbitant rates being charged by the companies to transport products to market. Later, the Farmers Alliance was formed in 1880 to fight robber barons (“The Poisonous occupation”, 1943). The organization was populist, with sizable membership championing the rights of farmers. Some of the platforms achieved in the 1880s by Farmers Alliance include nationalization of the income tax, railroads and postal services. 
Consequently, more reforms targeted corruption and injustice in the workplace. The Farmers Alliance became redundant in 1902, and Muckrakers assumed their roles. Muckrakers were a group of distinguished writers during pre-World War I (Williams, 1902). The group provided accurate and detailed accounts of the challenges faced by workers due to rapid industrialization, corruption and big business. Afterward, Woodrow Wilson won the presidency in 1913 and initiated significant reforms in the labor sector (“Race and Racism at the Knight”, n.d). Wilson's regime oversaw the enactment of the progressive income tax that alleviated the tax burden to the workers.
Further, World War I plunged the country into socio-economic turmoil through the Great Depression, necessitating New Deal Order labor reforms....