MEANWHILE, THIS GILDED AGE

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Many of us are dutifully trying to figure out ways to save the United States from Donald Trump and his cult. Meanwhile, other processes are moving right along their paths of destruction. One of these processes is the second “Gilded Age.”

The original period in American history, given that label by critical novels, occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. That was a time of great disparities between the superrich and others. Mark Twain labeled the period “Gilded Age” to say it as glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath.

The so-called Gilded Age was a time in the United States of rapid industrialization, creating many factories and the need for workers. However, while there were millions of factory workers, the wealthy owners were only a small number of people.

These wealthy entrepreneurs were called “captains of industry.”

However, muckrakers often called them “robber barons,” because they got rich through ruthless means. These men included titans Andrew Carnegie (U.S. Steel), J.P. Morgan (banker), and John D. Rockefeller (oil). Economic disparities between workers and big business owners grew enormously during the Gilded Age. Workers had to endure low wages and dangerous working conditions to make a living, while big business owners enjoyed lavish lifestyles. Fortunately, a movement and a president came forth to curtail several of the most significant problems.

Intellectuals, journalists, and activists publicized these economic issues, government corruption, and other social welfare issues, sparking the development of the