The Gilded Age was a period of rapid industrial growth and wealth in the United States after the Civil War and Reconstruction. The name comes from a satirical novel by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner published in 1873, suggesting that the glittering surface covered social problems. Railroads, steel, oil and finance created great fortunes for men such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J. P. Morgan, while millions of immigrants arrived to work in factories. Workers faced low pay and dangerous conditions, and the period saw major strikes, the growth of labour unions and political corruption. The reaction against these problems helped bring about the reforms of the Progressive Era.
Before and after
- from 8 December 1869 to 20 October 1870First Vatican Council
- 31 December 1869Birth of Henri Matisse
- 1870Founding of Commerzbank AG
- 1870Construction of Metropolitan Museum of Art
- from c. 1870s to 1900sGilded Age
- c. 1870sPublication of God Defend New Zealand
- 7 February 1870Birth of Alfred Adler
- 22 April 1870Birth of Vladimir Lenin
- 9 June 1870Death of Charles Dickens
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 2 September 1793 to 28 July 1794Reign of Terror
- from 11 August 1804 to 8 June 1867Austrian Empire
- from 1858 to 1947British Raj
- October 1871Schliemann begins digging at Hisarlik
- 1879Altamira cave paintings are discovered
- 1899Oracle bones reveal early Chinese writing
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.