African Americans: Racial inequality was a persistent problem during the Gilded Age. African Americans, other minorities, and women struggled in a losing battle as they sought to gain equality.
Mexican Americans: In what had been their own land, these new American citizens faced racial discrimination including loss of property, low wages and even lynching.
Chinese Immigrants: In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act put a ten-year moratorium on Chinese immigration, but did allow some students and businessmen into the country temporarily. ... The Foran Act in 1885 prohibited American businessmen from traveling to China to recruit workers.
Women: Many educated women of the age felt that many of society's greatest disorders could be traced to alcohol. According to their view, alcohol led to increased domestic violence and neglect. It decreased the income families could spend on necessities and promoted prostitution and adultery.
Farmers: Many attributed their problems to discriminatory railroad rates, monopoly prices charged for farm machinery and fertilizer, an oppressively high tariff, an unfair tax structure, an inflexible banking system, political corruption, corporations that bought up huge tracks of land.
