Shmoop University
Shmoop: Labor in the Gilded Age
The Gilded Age was a period of terrible labor violence, as industrialists and workers fought for control of the workplace. Workers organized the first large American labor unions during the Gilded Age, while employers tried to stop the...
Other
Austin Community College: Gilded Age Politics
This site from the Austin Community College is an excellent site with detailed description of the farmers plight during the Gilded Age including tariff policies and monetary policies.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: The Metropolitan Opera House Opens
A part of America's Story on the Gilded Age: gives brief information on the Metropolitan Opera House, and opera houses in general.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Gilded Age 1870 1900: Key Political Issues: Patronage, Tariffs, Gold
Political patronage was a big problem in the late 19th century and led to corruption within the government. This made it difficult to reform the civil service. Tariffs were another big issue and affected economic groups in different...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Politics in Gilded Age 1870 1900: Farmers' Revolt in the Populist Era
Learn about the development of the farmers' protest movement in the 19th century, and how it evolved into a political movement.
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Identity in the Gilded Age
Examine the tension experienced by African-Americans as they struggled to establish a vibrant and meaningful identity based on the promises of liberty and equality in the midst of a society that was ambivalent towards them and sought to...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Politics of the Gilded Age
Politics in the last half of the 19th century reflected mediocrity at best and corruption at worst. Read about the series of "forgettable presidents," beginning with Andrew Johnson. Find out how big business could buy the government that...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Coney Island, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
A Thomas Edison film and an essay about the amusement park experience, a new leisure pastime made possible by urbanization and industrialization.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Big City Politics, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Ash Can School artist John Sloan's painting Election Night captures the exuberance of urban politics in the early-twentieth century, and artist Henry Glitkencamp's illustration Voting Machines suggests its corrupting power. Both pieces...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Memory, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Twelve primary sources - historical documents, literary texts, and visual images - that explore ways in which the memory of the Civil War affected American life in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History Unit: Period 6: 1865 1898: Unit Test
This practice exercise from Khan Academy covers Period 6: 1865-1898 in American History. The Gilded Age, Western expansion, and the "New South" are included in the practice. This resource is designed as a review for the AP US History Test.
Library of Congress
Loc: American Variety Stage: Bijou Theater
Musical theater and vaudeville were popular in the Gilded Age. Here is a theater program from the Bijou Theater in Boston. Leaafing through the pages gives a great slice of life at the time, not only because of the playbills, but also...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History Period 6: 1865 1898: Quiz
This practice exercise from Khan Academy covers Period 6: 1865-1898 in American History. The Gilded Age is reviewed in this resource. This resource is designed as a review for the AP US History Test.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: Gilded Age: America Moves to the City
Discusses the urbanization that took place at the end of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. Includes questions for students at end.
Library of Congress
Library of Congress: Classic Books: The Circus Procession
Digital facsimile of The Circus Procession, published in 1888. This rhyming tale of a parade of funny animals, clowns, and a fairy queen perfectly captures the essence of a favorite Gilded Age amusement, the traveling circus.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: "The Slot," the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
A short story by Jack London that examines unrest between capital and labor in early-twentieth century San Francisco.
Digital History
Digital History: The Gospel of Wealth
Andrew Carnegie was a believer in the gospel of wealth. Read about his philosophy concerning the millions made by business tycoons in the Gilded Age, and see how he carried out this gospel.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Gilded Age
The United States had an industrial resurgence after the Civil War. Read about the growth of big business in many areas and the men associated with these businesses. See also the people who did not prosper during this time and evaluate...
US National Archives
Nara: Records of the Interstate Commerce Commission
The site for National Archives and Records Administration gives you the Records of the Interstate Commerce Commission, beginning with its history.
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art: "On the Beach, No. 3"
"On the Beach, No. 3, 1915" in an oil painting on canvas by Post-Impressionist Maurice Prendergast (American, 1858-1924).
Library of Congress
Loc: Music for the Nation: Music Published, America, 1870 1885
A wonderful collection of sheet music from the Library of Congress. Search this site to find the primary source documents of music published in America from 1870 through 1885. The site is separated into many different topics with an...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: "Burden," the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
This site includes poems and editorials, some of which that praise, others that harshly condemn what Rudyard Kipling asserted was the "White Man's Burden."
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Mark Twain, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Two essays by Mark Twain that condemn American foreign expansion and the immorality of imperialism. Includes questions for discussion.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Gross Clinic, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912
Thomas Eakins's controversial painting that reflects the skill of professional, scientific practitioners during the late-nineteenth century.