What was the gilded age?

Answer 1

Some would say that although American society was advancing after the Civil War, in the period 1870-1900, that many problems were not resolved beneath the surface. Yes, the overall level of richness and power of the country was increasing for example, but so was the level of poverty -- and the struggle to find legal rights to defend the individual was often made difficult. Big companies and powerful writers and politicians could defend the 'American dream' (the golden part) even while others were suffering, losing their rights (such as blacks in the South) or being exploited in the workplace (what was underneath the gilding on the outside). Even though there was much corruption people were supposed to believe that with enough willpower and determination, anyone could be a success, even become wealthy, if they just tried to fit in. However, this was not really possible. Yet everyone was expected to 'buy' the story of the golden American dream anyway.Here is a little story to illustrate the idea.The Gilded Age is when things were not made with the best quality ever, at least for most people. They made it look real nice and like it was worth something. Gilded means painting on a thin layer of gold. So lets say that you got a watch in the Gilded Age. The watch would be amazing. It would look like gold and seem beautiful. But in reality the watch was cheap on the inside, tended to break, and the "gold" on the outside was just a thin layer of brass that soon rubbed off anyway. That is what the Gilded Age is. (Or imagine it as a thin layer of rich people living in the grand manner---the gold layer---and the big layer of truth beneath which was the middle class and poor who did not have those luxuries underneath the thin gilded layer.)

Answer 2

In American history the "Gilded Age" refers to the post-Civil War and post-Reconstruction era, from 1865 to 1901

Answer 3

The time period of the Gilded Age is defined to be between 1877 and 1913. Another way of explaining this would be between the American Civil War and the passing of the 16 Amendment.

Answer 4

Mark Twain called the late 19th century the "Gilded Age." By this, he meant that the period was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.

Answer 5

1860s