At first glance, it appeared as if the appearance of wage work was one of the ways in which liberty had been realized in America. By having contract and wage work, people were "free" to pursue the jobs that they chose. However, as ideal as this situation appeared at first glance, it actually created many problems for wage workers.
The work that many of these people pursued was underpaid, abusive, excessive or dangerous. Moreover, most people who engaged in this type of work did not consider themselves "free," as they felt coerced due to poverty and the need to take jobs that were unjust. This showed that contract work only provided the appearance of liberty, but did not deliver on its promises. This led Americans to question the meaning of liberty in various ways.
Americans questioned the meaning of liberty by identifying ways in which African Americans were restricted in ways that resembled slavery (such as share-cropping). Moreover, many Americans questioned whether businessmen should have so much power to influence legislation. Finally, some Americans developed progressive ideas, such as the development of a welfare state which would prevent people from being forced to work dangerous or unjust jobs.
