Gilded Age (jan 5, 1870 – jan 1, 1900)

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Named by Mark Twain, implying things were pretty on the outside, but ugly on the inside.

The US had a false reputation as a country of millionaires.
- Andrew Carnegie
- John D. Rockefeller

Popular ideas of the time:
- Social Darwinism: applies darwinism to business. Survival of the fittest; strong businesses will succeed. No gov intervention, and monopolies are ok.
- Laissez faire = gov policy of leaving business alone.
- Protestant Work Ethics: belief that hard work = success in the US. Implies that poor people are lazy or not holy.

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