We are in a second Gilded Age, some experts say
As economic inequality and wealth concentration rise, the U.S. is entering a new era of support for workers' rights, reminiscent of the Gilded Age. This historical period -- which ran from the 1870s and to the early 20th century -- saw rapid industrialization and significant wealth disparity, with a small elite growing rich while the working class faced poverty.
Modern labor movements are at the forefront, increasingly challenging income inequality and drawing parallels to earlier struggles, keeping the fight for workers' rights alive. Just this week Boeing workers voted down a contract proposal from the company, choosing to strike until a better deal is made.
From the elegant HBO series "The Gilded Age" to the glamorous 2022 Met Gala, the influence of this opulent era and its excessive fashion continues to shine.
"It's an age of unprecedented wealth, creation of amazing technological innovation, like the advent of electricity, electric lights," historian Edward O'Donnell told ABC News. "We don't think of railroads as high-tech, but they were high-tech in those days."
