The Gilded Age is a term to describe the United States from the 1870s-1890s. It was a time of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration.

Just about everything you enjoy today is derived from something invented during this time period.

We will explore the economic side of Industrialization in this book.

A monopoly is formed when an individual owns or controls the majority of an industry. This occurred during the Gilded Age because the government had a "hands-off approach" to big business, know as Laissez-Faire economics.

Vertical integration is the purchase of companies at all levels of production.

Horizontal Integration occurs when a larger company or industry purchases smaller, similar companies to eliminate competition.

Standard Oil Company

John D. Rockefeller controlled more than 90% of the oil industry during the Gilded Age. He used horizontal integration to create the Standard Oil Company monopoly.