America 250 · 1877–1900
What to read and watch aboutGilded Age
To understand Gilded Age, start with American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900 (H.W. Brands, 2010) — the book. 5 further picks — histories, biographies, novels, screen and audio — follow below.
Industrial capitalism builds the modern country; the country mostly hates it.
From the end of Reconstruction through the assassination of McKinley — the railroads, the trusts, the immigrants in the cities, the labor wars, the Populists. The first time Americans had to think hard about how rich some people were getting.
Presidents who served
Histories
American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900
H.W. Brands · 2010
The single-volume on how industrial capitalism remade America — Brands's answer to McPherson for the Gilded Age.
The Devil in the White City
Erik Larson · 2003
The 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the serial killer who used it as cover. The era's contradictions in one summer.
The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896
Richard White · 2017
Oxford History of the US. The successor to McPherson's Civil War volume — the period as a single argument.
Lives
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Edmund Morris · 1979
Pulitzer winner. TR's pre-presidency life — half the book is the Gilded Age he came of age in.
Fiction
The Age of Innocence
Edith Wharton · 1920
Pulitzer winner. Old New York in the 1870s — the social rules and the cost of breaking them.
On screen
The Gilded Age
Julian Fellowes · 2022
HBO drama from the Downton Abbey creator — the new money and old money of 1880s New York.
Common questions
What is the best book to start learning about the Gilded Age?
For a comprehensive overview of the era, American Colossus by H.W. Brands is an excellent choice. It details the triumph of industrial capitalism between 1865 and 1900, covering the railroads, trusts, and labor wars that defined the period.
Why does the Gilded Age matter to American history?
The Gilded Age represents the era when industrial capitalism built the modern United States, forcing Americans to confront the extreme wealth gap for the first time. It was a transformative period marked by rapid urbanization, labor conflicts, and the rise of the Populist movement.
What is the best screen treatment for the Gilded Age?
The 2022 series The Gilded Age is the recommended screen treatment for this era. It provides a narrative look at the social and economic tensions occurring between the end of Reconstruction and the turn of the century.
How does The Devil in the White City fit into the Gilded Age?
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson provides a specific look at the late 19th century. It captures the spirit of the era by contrasting the grandeur of the 1893 World's Fair with the darker realities of urban industrial life during the Gilded Age.
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