1. The
Gilded
Age
By Brad Harris,
SE: US 2A, 3A, 3B. 3C Grand Prairie HS

2. Historical Eras
Characteristics of an Historical Era
1) They have certain recognizable
characteristics.
2) They often overlap with other eras and
time periods.
3) They are often unique to a specific
country or area.

3. Historical Eras of U.S. History (since 1877)
1) Gilded Age ……………………….. (1870s-1900)
2) Progressive Era ………………. (1900-1920)
3) World War I ……………………….. (1914-1918)
4) Roaring „‟20s …………………….. (1920-1929)
5) Great Depression …………… (1929-1939)
6) World War II …………………….. (1939-1945)
7) Cold War ………………………….. (1945-1991)
8) Civil Rights Movement …. (1950s-60s)

4. The Gilded Age
The term “Gilded Age” was coined by writer
Mark Twain

5. The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age is the period in U.S. history
between 1870 to around 1900

6. The Gilded Age
The era was called the Gilded Age because although
life in the U.S. looked bright and shiny, underneath the
surface, there was lots of poverty and corruption.

7. Characteristics of Gilded Age
1) New policies dealing with Native Americans
2) Rise of political machines running local politics
3) The growth of industrialization

8. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
Native Americans
Native Americans were forced onto reservations and their
children were forced to assimilate into American culture

9. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
African Americans
Blacks were denied many basic rights and lynching
of blacks was a common occurrence in the South

10. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
Farmers
Overproduction of goods and price gauging by
railroads drove many farmers out of business

11. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
Immigrants
Many immigrants were discriminated against and
most lived in horrible inner city conditions

12. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
Women
Women were denied the right to vote in most states
and could not work the same jobs as men

13. The Gilded Age
Groups that suffered during the Gilded Age:
Children
Most children lacked good educations because they
went to work after they learned to read and write

14. Coming up next:
The Old West