The Gilded Age in Irvington – Interesting Stories, Interesting People

The “Gilded Age”, a term coined by Mark Twain, is often used to describe the tumultuous years between the end of the Civil War and the turn of the Twentieth Century.  This was a time of enormous change in American society – a period of expanding industry and growing prosperity, with the American economy almost doubling in size.  Yet the Gilded Age was also known as a period of crass materialism, political corruption and gross income inequality.  Building on the current Gilded Age exhibit on display at the McVickar House, Irvington Historical Society Board Member Chet Kerr will weave the stories of five Irvington residents whose lives reflect these cross-currents and changes in society, both locally and across the wider United States.