The Gilded Age exposed significant disparities between America's economic growth and the lived realities of many citizens. Despite incredible industrial expansion and technological innovation, the era was marked by extreme wealth inequality, with a small elite amassing fortunes while many workers endured poverty and harsh labor conditions. Labor strikes and riots highlighted the struggles for workers' rights, while corruption and political patronage were rampant. This era prompted calls for reform and laid the groundwork for future social movements, including labor rights and progressivism, revealing that the American Dream was often unattainable for the working class.