The Gilded Age: The ‘High’ Point in America’s History

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The American story started hundreds of years ago when it was a lowly European colony, far from the grandeur and magnificence the world associates with it today. Generations worked hard to gradually transform the humble, dependent colonies into bustling independent states, which were united under a single flag.

This transformation from a weak and relatively poor dominion into a world-class international power was undoubtedly a long process, yet it achieved its peak in the late 19th century. At that time, the US managed to achieve change in many aspects, from economic and social to political and military. This period of growth has become known as the Gilded Age.

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[Jagueyes]

Cartoonists back then were a lot more imaginative than they are today.
Well done documentary.

[gregoryferraro]

Ah, the Gilded Age. I guess I should feel lucky to be living through a repeat of history.

[ClarisseRockinThatBow]

We toured Henry Frick house in Pittsburgh (before the family moved to NYC) and spoke to the curator about their lives. She commented that Henry Frick's children, after their father died became highly respected philanthropists and used their inheritance to do good in their community. She figured it may have been out of the guilt about their father's past deeds (the corruption, greed, etc.) that they used his money to make amends. Take that, Dad!

[paulkurilecz]

One of the big problems with the monopolies was the relationship between Vanderbilt and Rockefeller. Rockefeller convinced Vanderbilt to give him favorable rates for transporting oil and oil products while at the same time charging Rockefeller's competitors higher rates. The discovery of this lead to the formation of the ICC and the setting of railroad rates by public hearings.

[midlifeandnailingit]

History really does repeat itself. How quickly we forget.

[csm]

In the early '80s I was a waiter and bar tender. I was approached by the owner of the restaurant I worked at and asked if I would be interested in picking up some work as the only wait staff for a private party at a different restaurant. My restaurant was "catering" this party in their private dining room, as they didn't serve lunch. We were sending 1 kitchen person to handle/plate the prepared food, I was to bar tend, serve, clear, load their dish machine racks, and clear the dining room. I'd get paid the next day--with guaranteed tip, plus extra if the guests were happy. It was a couple of days out. It seemed a little odd as to why they didn't use their own staff, but nothing to raise red flags.

Upon arrival I touched base with the other owner who basically told me that I should be attentive--they were used to good service--but that privacy was very important to them. I was to stay in the room only while actively engaged in service. He told me to open the bar, head count until all 16 arrived and were served, close the bar, leave them alone for 1/2 hour, serve lunch, fill drinks, etc, then leave. Give them 1/2 hour to eat, check in, clear when everyone was done, serve coffee, place a cigar box on a side table, and to check back only as seemed necessary until they left. I was to knock on the door and wait a few seconds before entering. It seemed a bit unusual, but not extreme. No red flags.

They were all middle aged men, well dressed, well spoken, polite, in business attire. They stopped talking in specifics when I was in the room, but I heard a few concluding remarks before the speaker would either change the subject or change to pronouns and general terms and themes. ("it may change when that happens"). It was obviously a business lunch.

I really didn't think much about it until I stopped by the next day. The owner told me the guests had been very happy with the service and asked if I had recognized any of them. (This was not outlandish given the average income and profile of the area.) I hadn't. He paid me as agreed--with a hefty tip--in cash. He sort of suggested, without actually saying it, that I should just forget that the lunch party had taken place. And that there may be future opportunities for similar events.

I was in my early 20s. It was an easy gig with a fat cash payout so I was good. With age and cynicism came the realization that this was a table full of business execs doing something they shouldn't have been, in a place they wouldn't be caught. This was driving distance from NY and Philadelphia--as well as Allentown and Bethlehem--so my guess is something to do with steel or something made with steel. I'll never know for sure.

Point is--no matter what the laws--the robber barons still exist, the corruption will always exist--until you take "greed" out of the human condition,

[highjumpstudios]

There’s definitely a lot of rich people who still believe in social Darwinism. They’re just not as public about it anymore.

[nealwilliams]

The most shocking part of this is that the president actually did something to break up some of the monopolies powers...

Good times....

[rayfridley]

Talk about strikes. That steel strike was followed within five years of the equally destructive Pullman Palace Car strike.

[somethingabstractiguess]

American history books, channels, etc. never fail to put a positive spin on or completely ignore the grotesque suffering of millions of poor people, laborers of all ethnicities.

[zico]

No one thinks of the Gilded Age in a positive light but the modernization and industrialization is seen as necessary.

[dbsuperfanboy]

You left out the fact that the reason the troops where pulled out of the south was to combat the union movements in the north. Jim Crowe laws where passed to fight unions also.

[olivercuenca]

3:37 When government officials say they prefer a hands-off approach to governance, what they mean is they want to be paid a lot to do nothing. For most people a ‘hands-off approach’ to their work isn’t a legitimised philosophy, it’s just a fast track to being fired.

[lianakilgore]

Great video my daughter is learning about this in school and I have learned I have become a history buff so your video was very informative and I absolutely loved the HBO series the Gilded Age so this gave me a lot more facts surrounding that drama. Your video was easy to understand and was engaging.

[leedee]

I would love to hear right now a great history lesson like this only 100 years forward while we're still living now

[SammiPrince]

Just found your channel last night and I'm hooked ☺️

[TheChocolateNick]

Man feels great knowing we’re living in the precursor of the second Gilded Age

[coletroutman]

Guys we are in the Gilded Age right now… maybe even worse, because it’s been in place for quite a while now

3 dudes own half the economy…

[kfclovincat]

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it’s certainly whistling a similar tune.

[markjones]

The first skyscraper was built in Shrewsbury England this was where the blue print came from . Ditherington Flax Mill (promoted as the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings), a flax mill located in Ditherington, a suburb of Shrewsbury, England, is the first iron-framed building in the world, and described as "the grandfather of skyscrapers", despite its five-storey height.