The Vibrant and Unpredictable Era of the Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was one of the most vibrant and unpredictable eras in the history of America. It brought about a new wave of industrial and economic opportunities that allowed some to build massive businesses and fortunes, while other lower and middle class citizens struggled to survive. Some would go as far to say it created a war between the classes across American societies. Giants of industry, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, revolutionized how big business led to the rise of corporate America, but also how it leveled competition in the free-market. The Gilded Age offered America rapid economic growth and new technological products that created an economical boom. Yet, these advancements were created at the costs of exploiting industrial workers and farmers working long hours in dangerous conditions for low pay and the American people sought political and social reforms in an effort to rebalance the scale of power in the United States. During the Gilded Age, the American economy had shifted from a nation of small farmers and craftsmen to an economy transformed by railroads and telephone lines that stretched from coast to coast. Confronted by new models of economics and politics, unforeseen struggles caused farmers and laborers to fight for survival while emerging industrialists celebrated new wealth. This period of transition left much of the population without a voice. The wealthy seemed to be running the country without any advice from lower