During the Gilded Age, there was substantial growth in population in the United States and extravagant displays of wealth and excess of America's upper-class during the post-Civil War and post-Reconstruction era, in the late 19th century. The wealth polarization derived primarily from industrial and population expansion. The businessmen of the Second Industrial Revolution created industrial towns and cities in the Northeast with new factories, and contributed to the creation of an ethnically diverse industrial working class which produced the wealth owned by rising super-rich industrialists and financiers called the "robber barons". An example is the company of John D. Rockefeller, who was an important figure in shaping the new oil industry. Using highly effective tactics and aggressive practices, later widely criticized, Standard Oil absorbed or destroyed most of its competition. COUNT 5
QSN1 What happened in the Glided Age/ ANS1 extravagant displays of wealth and excess of America's upper-class QSN2 In what time period did the Glided Age occur? ANS2 late 19th century QSN3 Where did the wealth of the Glided Age come form? ANS3 industrial and population expansion. QSN4 What did Financiers refer to rich industrialist as? ANS4 robber barons QSN5 What type of practices did John D. Rockefeller exhibit in the oil industry? ANS5 effective tactics and aggressive practices