The ABSURD Lifestyles of Gilded Age Millionaires

Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorian Step into the absurd world of America’s Gilded Age, where fortunes built on railroads, oil, and steel were flaunted in the most spectacularly wasteful ways imaginable. From Newport “cottages” larger than Versailles to masquerade balls lit by thousands of gas flames, the wealthy turned every corner of life into a performance of extravagance. Pets wore diamond collars while immigrant families lived in overcrowded tenements a few blocks away. Banquet tables sagged under towers of oysters that rotted before anyone touched them, and scandals were whispered through society even as opera houses and libraries bore the names of robber barons. This was an age gilded, not golden — a thin sheet of brilliance laid over coal dust, hunger, and strikes broken by Pinkertons. 🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep Tools Looking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend: • Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy • Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f • Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE • Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn • Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu • White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTw These are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy. #GildedAge #HistoryForSleep #DrowsyHistorian #VictorianEra #WealthInequality #AmericanHistory #CalmHistory