As industrial giants such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie began to change traditional management and business practices nationwide, their efforts inadvertently altered the face of society. A giant influx of Eastern Europeans during the 1890s, along with new developments in city development forced many into unfamiliar societal positions. Although despairing situations still continued for many, the middle and upper classes enjoyed new found luxuries which in turn affected their standard daily lives. Political reforms opened job markets as well, allowing many to successfully practice social mobility. With advancements in the nation's manufacturing and economic sectors, the American population evolved drastically; new classes were established and for some, standards of living were raised, marked by new forms of material class distinction, while others' lives fell into complete economic and social despair.

The catalyst for the late 17th century's social reform was the new incursion of immigrants to...