Mark Twain

The wealthy lived extravagant lifestyles and considered themselves elitists.

The common people resented their snobbish attitudes and wealth. There was a caste system in the U.S.

1861---------3 millionaires----------1900--------3,800

1900, 90% of wealth, controlled by 10% of population

The Role of the Political Boss May serve as mayor; he:• controls city jobs, business licenses• influences courts, municipal agencies• arranges building projects, community

services• Bosses paid by businesses, get voters’

loyalty, extend influence

Social Darwinism• A powerful idea of the Gilded Era was Social Darwinism.• In 1859, Charles Darwin argued that plant and animal life had evolved over the years by a process he called natural selection.• Social Darwinists applied this “survival of the fittest” idea to human behavior.• Industrialists like John D. Rockefeller heartily embraced the theory. Rockefeller said the growth of huge businesses like his own Standard Oil was “merely the working out of the law of nature and the law of God.”

Gospel of Wealth• Andrew Carnegie advocated a gentler version of Social Darwinism that he called the Gospel of Wealth.• This philosophy held that wealthy Americans should engage in philanthropy and use their great fortunes to create the conditions that would help people help themselves. Building schools and hospitals, for example, was better than giving handouts to the poor.• Carnegie funded libraries all across the nation.

Fond of saying that "the man who dies rich dies disgraced," Carnegie then turned his attention to giving away his fortune. He abhorred charity, and instead put his money to use helping others help themselves. That was the reason he spent much of his collected fortune on establishing over 2,500 public libraries as well as supporting institutions of higher learning. By the time Carnegie's life was over, he gave away 350 million dollars.

Andrew Carnegie