In this class, students explore the “Gilded Age,” a time of rapid industrialization and economic growth in the United States. Lessons focus on how new industries, big businesses and wealthy industrialists shaped society and politics. Students also examine the lives of workers, immigrants and farmers to understand the challenges faced during this period. Special topics also discussed will include: the reconstruction of the South, women’s suffrage, temperance unions and prohibition, immigration and the labor union movement. Primary sources (including documentary videos), discussions, and activities will help students analyze both the progress and problems of this era. By the end of the class, students can explain why the Gilded Age was marked by both opportunity and inequality.