The Gilded Age

In one generation, late nineteenth-century America became the world's industrial leader—and created two classes separated by an unprecedented gulf of wealth.

This documentary chronicles the titans who built empires—Carnegie in steel, Morgan in railroads—and the workers who challenged them through strikes and political movements. The film reveals how fundamental questions consumed the nation: How should wealth be distributed? Does government exist to protect private property or help those crushed by industrial capitalism? The battles played out in Congress, courts, and streets with a violence and vitriol that would shock modern Americans.

A portrait of the era that established the fault lines still dividing America—when the debates raging today were first being fought.