gilded age
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The period after the Civil War to the early 1900's is known as the second Industrial Revolution. The Civil War was a catalyst for the second Industrial Revolution. America was the best place for a revolution to take place. There was an abundance of natural resources, plenty of labor, investment capital, and technologies were booming. Many people "struck while the iron was hot" and became very wealthy. Social critic, Mark Twain, termed this period of history "The Gilded Age".
Twain's title of the period refers to the newly formed rich class who desired to find more wealth and leisure. The definition of gilded is to give a more attractive appearance to something. The "Gilded Age" referred to a time when the rich became richer and the poor were still held down on the bottom of society. During the revolution industries boomed, and growth of factories were astronomical...