A
movement in the mid
1800s that consisted of
rich men becoming the new
American hero.
Because of a
laissez-faire thought,
trusts were established as the dominant force in the
economy and
society.
The new
hero was the image of a person
struggling,
working, and then
winning and becoming rich and
famous.
This brought in a new wave of
literature called "Pluck and Luck" stories. This included the famous
Horatio Alger stories. Alger articulated this success cult with his stories of
young street boys taken in and becoming rich.
This movement was also supported by
Social Darwinism.
The response to this movement was the
labor movements invloving the
National Labor Union,
The Knights of Labor, and the
American Federation of Labor.