Mark Twain used the term "Gilded Age" to describe the late 1800s in America, a time period marked by greed and corruption despite the glittering wealth on the surface. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Gilded Age, Part 4. Please read the License before distributing this eBook. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Omissions? The Gilded Age is defined as the time between the Civil War and World War I during which the U.S. population and economy grew quickly, there was a lot of political corruption and corporate financial misdealings and many wealthy people lived very fancy lives. Harry Brierly is a young engineer In this piece the main character, Colonel Beriah Sellers, is the typical get-rich-quick speculator. The great burst of industrial activity and corporate growth that characterized the Gilded Age was presided over by a collection of colourful and energetic entrepreneurs who became known alternatively as “captains of industry” and “robber barons.” They grew rich through the monopolies they created in the steel, petroleum, and transportation industries. Also contains a biography and quotes by Mark Twain ... Mark Twain > The Gilded Age > Chapter XVIII: The Gilded Age ... to understand their significance. Historic Background of The Gilded Age and Reconstruction Era in The USA The term Gilded Age defines the period between the Civil War and the beginning of the twentieth century. The term, though it has stuck, is a misnomer. Gilded Age, period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption in U.S. history during the 1870s that gave rise to important novels of social and political criticism. This book was not written for private circulation among friends; it was not written to cheer and instruct a diseased relative of the author's; it was not thrown off during intervals of wearing labor to amuse an idle hour. Gilded Age. “The Gilded Age” is the term used to describe the tumultuous years between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century. A network of railroads, factories and communication systems was developed and the country's economy grew at a fast pace. Meaning of the term “Gilded.”. Rhymes to Remember the Order of the Planets, From Boyd to Chao to Buttigieg: The History of the Secretary of Transportation, Your Guide to Renewable Energy Resource Types, Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed In-Person Retail Shopping in Lasting Ways, A Brief History of Insults: How Different Cultures Use Spoken and Written Verse to Mock and Mediate. Twain and The Gilded Age (excerpts) Mark Twain. Mark Twain, from The Gilded Age (1873) In this excerpt from his satirical book "The Gilded Age", Twain skewers the speculators and the new values of the late 19th century. Twain’s satire was followed in 1880 by Democracy, a political novel published anonymously by the historian Henry Adams. Mark Twain The Gilded Age (1873) Social commentary Positives? Despite the country's increasing wealth, there was still widespread poverty in the South due to the aftermath of the Civil War and falling farm prices. Two depressions occurred during that time, the Panic of 1873 and the Panic of 1893, which led to shifts in the social and political landscape. The Gilded Age is a period of American history between 1870 and 1900. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Mark Twain named the 1870’s to 1900 the Gilded Age. Twain ingeniously combined both the era’s widespread corruption with its tremendous growth. Like other national literatures, American literature was shaped by the history of the country that produced it. An American Politician, by Francis Marion Crawford (1884), focuses upon the disputed election of Pres. Fiction Excerpt 1: Excerpt from The Gilded Age by Mark Twain Background: Colonel Beriah Sellers is a speculator who hopes to get rich quick, not unlike many of the industrialists at the time. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Analysis and discussion of characters in Mark Twain, Charles Dudley Warner's The Gilded Age The Gilded Age was a time of enormous growth that attracted millions from Europe. During this era, the United States changed from a primarily agrarian society of small farmers to a more urban economic force of industrial corporations. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Gilded-Age, America's Story from America's Library - Gilded Age, Digital History - Overview of the Gilded Age, Gilded Age - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). There were political scandals, dishonest corporate leaders and unprincipled land speculators. Mark Twain Books You Should Know: The Innocents Abroad (1869) Roughing It (1872) The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873) The Adventures of Tom … Industrialization National growth Negatives? The age between the Civil War and WWI when the American economy grew rapidly and individuals were able to use monopolies to amass great wealth. Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, but its significance as a political novel is diluted by an overdose of popular romance. The term gilded age, commonly given to the era, comes from the title of this book. The era was also marked by reforms, such as women's suffrage and the Sherman Antitrust Act, that curbed business monopolies. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Digital History ID 2916. Political…, American literature, the body of written works produced in the English language in the United States. The novel gives a vivid and accurate description of Washington, D.C., and is peopled with caricatures of many leading figures of the day, including greedy industrialists and corrupt politicians. For almost a century and a half, America was merely a group of colonies scattered…. What Are the Pros and Cons of Restorative Justice? Marked by political corruption and shady business deals. A Tale of Today(1873), which is a satire on materialism and political corruption. Corrections? Harry Brierly, a young engineer, learns a disheartening lesson about the role of money in the relationship between American businesses and the government. The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today is an 1873 novel by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that satirizes greed and political corruption in post-Civil War America. Due to the relatively high wages for skilled workers compared to that of Europe, millions of immigrants streamed into the country, yet they continued to live in poverty. The Gilded Age During The Gilded Age 717 Words | 3 Pages. One of the articles in today’s post describes the Gilded Age era well: “The Gilded Age in US history spans from roughly the end of the Civil War through the very early 1900s. Mark Twain and the Gilded Age: Mark Twain (1835-1910) was the pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens was an American author and publisher. The Gilded Age By Mark Twain This is a copyrighted computer-generated audio performance of Project Gutenberg's public domain book, "The Gilded Age", by Mark Twain. Although not one of Twain's best-known works, it has appeared in more than 100 editions since its original publication. There is good reason why Mark Twain (and fellow writer Charles Dudley) would have referred to an entire age using the word "gilded." The term was coined by writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, satirizing what they believed to be an era of serious social problems hidden by a thin layer of gold. By this, he meant that the period was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath. The political novels of the Gilded Age represent the beginnings of a new strain in American literature, the novel as a vehicle of social protest, a trend that grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the works of the muckrakers and culminated in the proletarian novelists. The book is remarkable for two reasons—it is the only novel Twain wrote with a collaborator, and its title very quickly became synon… Gilding refers to the process of coating cheap metals with a thin layer of gold. Mark Twain called the late 19th century the "Gilded Age." Shakespeare's lilies were never gilded; the quote ("King John," iv.2) is, "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily." It satirizes greed and political corruption in post-Civil War America. The Gilded Age : The Gilded Age 865 Words | 4 Pages. Gilded Age, period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption in U.S. history during the 1870s that gave rise to important novels of social and political criticism. Mark Twain coined the term "The Gilded Age" to describe conditions in the late 1800s, when a class of very rich people reveled in ostentatious displays of wealth while downtrodden workers organized for fair wages and safe factory conditions. The term “The Gilded Age” was used by Mark Twain to synthesize the political corruption and greed that was in the air after the civil …show more content… It caused men to not be able to come back to their wives and this led the women to spend their life having fun and not waiting on their significant … He coined the term in his satirical novel published in 1873 titled, "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today." Workers formed labor unions to demand fair wages and improved working conditions. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Gilded Age. In 1873 Mark Twain and Charles Dudley published a book titled “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.”. Mark Twain used the term "Gilded Age" to describe the late 1800s in America, a time period marked by greed and corruption despite the glittering wealth on the surface. 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