On the fifth episode of American
History Too! we dive into a time period that, economic history aside,
often gets lost in historical discussion – The Gilded Age. We parse out the main issues of the era such
as the end of Reconstruction and the establishment of segregation in both North
and South, the prevailing culture of corruption, and the inexorable rise of big
business.
We encounter colourful characters along the way, including
Boss Tweed and the Molly Maguires, while Malcolm reveals his distaste for one
of the Gilded Age’s shining lights (terrible pun intended), Thomas Edison. In case you were wondering who invented the
modern world – it was all down to the Serbian Nikola Tesla. Also, find out what presidential election,
according to Mark, featured the best named combatants in American History.
All this and much more on this week’s American History Too!
We hope you enjoy the podcast and we will be back in two
weeks with a Christmas special.
Remember to get in touch at @ahtoopodcast, @contestedground
and @markmclay1985
Cheers,
Mark and Malcolm
Reading List
Kevin Kenny, ‘The Molly Maguires in Popular Culture’, Journal of American Ethnic History, 14:4
(Summer, 1995), pp. 27-46
Richard Schneirov, ‘Thoughts on Periodizing the Gilded Age:
Capital Accumulation, Society, and Politics, 1873-1898,’ Journal of the Gilded Age and
Progressive Era 5:3 (July 2006)
Nicolas Barreyre,
‘The Politics of Economic Crises: The Panic of 1873, the End of Reconstruction,
and the Realignment of American Politics,’ The Journal of the Gilded Age and
Progressive Era, 10:4 (Oct. 2011)
Kenneth D.
Ackerman, Boss Tweed: The Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New
York (Carroll & Graf, 2005)
Podcast
Recommendation
In Our Time on
Social Darwinism -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03vgq1q
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