The Gilded Age is defined as a time period in American history from 1865 to 1902. It was a time of glitz, glamor, industrialization, individualism, political strife and corruption. Inventions, such as electricity, the telephone and the typewriter appeared, but this time period also paved the way and foundation for issues including race and ethnicity, immigration, labor, women’s rights, monetary policies and political corruption.
John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan and Leland Standford became important figures during this time and are still well known for their impact today. The Gilded Age had influential impacts throughout the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it also had a lasting effect in North Carolina.
One of the most well known symbols of North Carolina’s connection to the Gilded Age is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Built at the height of the time period in the 1880s, the Biltmore Estate was a showcase of the wealth accumulated by George Vanderbilt, II. Along with the Vanderbilts, this time period gave way to the Reynolds family, the Duke family, the Cone family and the Carr family, thanks to urbanization, and the rich tobacco and textile industries.
The Gilded Age in North Carolina was first started with the founding of the American Tobacco Company in Durham in 1890 by James Buchanan Duke. The company quickly became a key force in the tobacco industry, consolidating smaller tobacco firms and transforming cigarette production within the region. Thanks to a few smart business moves and actions, Duke brought immense wealth to himself and the area. He helped turn Durham into a major industrial center.
In the Piedmont region of the state, the Reynolds family was also making a lasting impact. In 1875, Richard Joshua Reynolds established his own tobacco factory in Winston. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was founded in 1888 and, almost 20 years later, in 1907, the Prince Albert smoking tobacco brand was created by R.J. Reynolds. Shortly after, Camel cigarettes appeared in 1913. The innovation of new tobacco blends and advertising brought economic wealth and development to the family and region, just like Duke did in Durham several years earlier.
In addition to the tobacco industry, North Carolina’s textile sector also flourished during the Gilded Age. The establishment of textile mills, such as the Cone Mills Corporation in Greensboro, led to a rapid industrialization. These mills provided employment opportunities for many people, pouring more money into the state’s economy.
North Carolina’s Gilded Age was also a period of political significance and issues. As North Carolina experienced economic growth and industrial development during the Gilded Age, social disparities became more recognizable. The wealth generated by industries, like tobacco and textiles, was centered in the hands of a few elite individuals. This led to increased leading income inequality with harsh working conditions in factories, long hours and low wages for laborers, many of whom were women and children. Racial segregation was also prominent in the state with the implementation of Jim Crow laws.
The Gilded Age’s impact on North Carolina shaped the state’s economy, society and political landscape for years to come. While the era brought about economic growth and industrial progress, it also confronted social inequalities and injustices that filled the state. Today, we still see the majestic structures, companies and achievements of the Gilded Age in the Tar Heel state, as well as the economic and social changes of the time period. Just take a trip to the Biltmore Estate or Reynolda House, and you will feel the impact of the time period.
