The Gilded age, “The term described the practices and corruption of American government and industries as well as luxurious lifestyles of the wealthy.” Years after reconstruction, had negative and positive effects on Arkansas. This period was called the “Gilded age.” However, there was only around five percent of people who enjoyed the wealth, but ninety-five percent of those people struggled with just surviving.
Lynching in Arkansas was an illegal hanging. Over two hundred and fifty Arkansas were lynched. In this unbelievable practice, most of those that were hanged were African Americans. Many whites did this to African Americans if they, tried to vote, insulted whites, killed livestock, etc. They also lynched them in fear that the blacks might do something to try and hurt them. Arkansas was so bad in lynching that it ranked third in the nation.
Best services for writing your paper according to Trustpilot
The country of Spain and the United States went to war. While there was problems during the war, crop prices actually helped Arkansas families live a better lifestyle, North and South soldiers were brought together. Cuba was wanting their independence for many years, and finally won its independence when the war ended. Also, “Guam, Puerto Rico, and Philippine Islands became American Territories.”
Fewer than fifty percent of children were going to school. Progressives made a school in Conway for teachers to receive training. Even though most children went to school, the schools for black children didn’t get much attention as would white schools. The State Board of Health tried to control the health concerns in the state of Arkansas. The disease that were spread were, hookworm, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, malaria, and smallpox. Today however, these diseases are more controlled.
“A great flu outbreak in the United States killed 10 times as many Americans as World War l.” Many people would think that a lot of the injuries or deaths would be caused by the war, but many of it was caused by diseases. Hospitals were made, medical science tried to help, but when that didn’t work, people went to home remedies instead. “When the epidemic was over, nearly 675,000 Americans had died, including 7,000 Arkansans.”
The Gilded Age time period wasn’t the best for Arkansas. There were lynchings, diseases, health issues, war, and education struggles. I don’t feel as though this time period is expressed enough to show the hardships and the struggles. Even though things are better now, these things will be remembered and be shown as an example of how we do not want our state/country to be like again.
