The Gilded Age, marked by rapid industrialization, saw vast wealth accumulation by a small elite while many lived in dire poverty. The period is named for its superficial glamour, symbolized by luxurious items that mask deep exploitation and inequality. Those at the top monopolized industries, creating a stark wealth gap, with the richest 0.01% controlling significant portions of national wealth. Photos from this era starkly illustrate the economic divide, showcasing the dismal living conditions of the poor in tenements against the opulence of the wealthy's mansions. This inequality spurred reforms during the subsequent Progressive Era.
The Gilded Age's wealth inequality eventually led to reforms in the Progressive Era.
While gilded ceilings and furnishings are coated in gold, appearing shiny and luxurious, they serve as a metaphor for the dark underbelly of exploitation and inequality.
Photos show how the poor lived in cramped tenements while the rich built multiple mansions.
All that glitters is not gold.
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