Warning: Undefined variable $num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 126

Warning: Undefined variable $posts_num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 127

The Gilded Age was a time in American history shortly after the Antebellum era and right before the Progressive era, when urbanization began to increase throughout the nation. This urbanization is because of the easier means of transportation as well as the overproduction of crops in the agricultural sector of the nation. As Calhoun describes, many cities were being created with a more modernized organization and innovation. Cities had sewage systems, lighted streets, parks, and other amenities being constructed to enhance urban life.  Before historians began to actually research this era in American history, there were many negative associations with it; such as corruption from government officials and wealthy corporations. The interesting fact is that this is not the case, more so that there had been many great developments such as a more structured economic environment for citizens, which also helped for them to travel and go on vacation with higher frequencies. With more people traveling around more museums and other historical landmarks were created or preserved which also benefited future generations of historians to understand the past. What Calhoun says in great, is that more scholars are beginning to teach there students about different aspects of the Gilded Age, and not simply skimming through the era or completely skipping past it. I also agree with Calhoun, the best way to understand things that are happening today or cultural norms that are practiced is by understanding what the generation before it had done or major events that occurred to shape society. Then repeating that process for the generation before that and so on. The gilded age helped shape society to place it on the track of innovation and modernization and is an era that should be focused on more to better understand what the healing era did after the war.