Holy Cross History Professor Predicts Upcoming Era for HISTORY

Are we living in a second Gilded Age?

In an article for HISTORY, Ed O'Donnell, associate professor of history at Holy Cross, explores that question, highlighting parallels between the two eras, from the booming economy, to the growing wealth inequality, intense political partisanship and anti-immigration sentiment.

But if we're in a new Gilded Age, should we be expecting and looking for signs of a new Progressive Era — a social activism and political reform movement, like the one in the early 1900s? O'Donnell says "It’s entirely possible, but as any good historian will tell you, history follows no script. Nothing is inevitable."

In addition to teaching a course at Holy Cross on Gilded Age America, O’Donnell is the author of several books, including “Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality: Progress and Poverty in the Gilded Age” (Columbia University Press, June 2015). He has been a sought-after expert for the media on this issue, with his latest endeavor being a contribution to “The Gilded Age,” a new PBS documentary which premiered on February 6, 2018.

To read the full article, go to History.com.