The end of the Gilded Age coincided with the Panic of 1893, a deep depression, which lasted until 1897 and marked a major political realignment in the election of 1896. This productive but divisive era was followed by the Progressive Era.

How was the Gilded Age resolved?

As daunting as the political challenges were at the time, the Gilded Age came to an end with the reforms of the Progressive era and the New Deal. Those years saw countless changes in the rules of economic life as well as new taxes and social spending that gave the great majority of Americans a better life.

Why did the Gilded Age in American history come to an end?

When America entered World War I in 1917, the Progressive Era and any remnants of the Gilded Age effectively ended as the country's focus shifted to the realities of war. Most robber barons and their families, however, remained wealthy for generations.