What was the Gilded Age known for?

The Gilded Age, which roughly spanned from the 1870s to the early 1900s, is characterized by rapid economic growth alongside significant social inequality. This period saw the United States undergo substantial industrialization, leading to the rise of factories, railroads, and a burgeoning economy fueled by new technologies and a growing population. However, this economic boom was not evenly distributed; it resulted in stark disparities in wealth and living conditions.

Many wealthy industrialists and entrepreneurs amassed fortunes, while a large portion of the workforce, including immigrants and laborers, lived in poverty and faced poor working conditions. Labor strikes and social movements began to emerge in response to these inequalities, highlighting the struggles of the working class. The term "Gilded" itself implies a thin veneer of prosperity that masked deeper issues of corruption, exploitation, and social strife beneath the surface.

Political reform, military expansion, and environmental conservation efforts were relevant in different contexts but do not define the central themes of the Gilded Age as effectively as the combination of rapid economic growth and the resulting social inequalities.