It is clear this is based on Alva Vanderbilt who had the nerve to build a limestone house amongst brownstone homes. Alva was determined to make her mark and spent like crazy to achieve that goal. She “sold” her daughter to British royalty to lord it over the old money.

I feel like this society was defined by overblown high school cliques lol. It’s very interesting, I’m loving this series!

I'm already hooked on this show it is well written. I studied the Gilded Age in college.

The interesting thing about this period is that it's a facade of a wealthy prosperous society. When in reality there was a huge wealth disparity, most Americans and new immigrants were actually quite destitute and struggling to make it. Yes, there were black elites who lived in a mostly segregated world, but many black people were negatively affected with the end of reconstruction and the extension of slavery, lynchings, race massacres, and more horrible atrocities due to racism. Leading to the great migration and even more racist unrest.

I wish instead of showing the lazy stereotype of struggling African Americans this show had gone further to show some of the ACTUAL African American elite families that existed at the time in New York. An example would be The Downing dynasty, who literally created the concept of Oyster fine dining houses in New York City and were fabulously wealthy as well as patronised by the city's leading families and European royals. When Thomas Downing passed away he was one of the wealthiest men in the entirety of NYC, his children were educated in Europe etc...

It is said that the number was 400 because that was the number of people who would fit in Mrs. Astor's ballroom.

Great video. I can’t wait for your video on Alva. I think one of the things that get overlooked about her is has had the right lineage for those circles but she didn’t have the resources as her family had lost all their money. But her lineage and the Vanderbilt’s money made her a force to be reckoned with. She is rather a fascinating character. I don’t believe she was at all like the character on the Gilded Age who I find to be very whiny. Both her and her husband take turns throwing temper tantrums each episode. It was the efforts of Alva that is the reason the Vanderbilts made it into high society. The Vanderbilts has been the richest family not only in New York but on the US for 2 generations before Alva arrived on the scene. Money alone didn’t afford them the right to the 400.

The number of people whom were considered socally acceptable in high society was 400 because thats how many people could fit comfortably in Mrs. Astors ballroom. #flex

👍 THE GILDED AGE SEASON 2 IS HERE !!! New Plot Lines With Even More Drama Ahead! Teaser/Trailer ► kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oM-oarSKks-xeXk.html

The reason why it was old money vs new money is because they brought the cultural belief and mentality from Europe, particularly England, that money and title/family blood equalled status. Money alone did not give you status. Apparently it’s still that way for the most part in England.

I think this Gilded Age is so fascinating! The use of money was uninhibited by these ladies until the government started to tax them. I know this sounds rude but the actual photographs of these two formidable women especially as they age makes me think of the unflattering word "battleaxes". They were ruthless especially Alva who sold her daughter to the British aristocracy

I think the 400 was also a direct reference to the number of people Mrs. Astor’s ballroom could hold. So not only were they the most important people of the city, they were also the ones who got invites to invites to the Astor’s; allegedly.

Great video. It adds lots of amazing context to the TV show. Particularly to foreigners (I'm Brazilian). Thanks!

My great grandmother always referred to Mrs. Astor as lady Astor

Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt, his mother was “The poor little rich girl”… Love Grandma Debbie

It was conspicuous consumption at its absolutely worst. Why do we rever these people? They were the 1% of the day that watched as many in the other 99% starved, were homeless, and suffered in countless other ways.

It would be awesome if they tied this show into Downton Abbey. Countess Grantham was an American “dollar princess”. So her mom would have been a peer of some of the families 🤔🤔

I would enjoy a video about the prosperous Black families and their contribution to The GILDED AGE. It is a part of history of which I am completely ignorant and would like to be educated.

Old money starts as new money and in time new money becomes old money

Brilliant video. So informative & enjoyable. Loving the new series too

FYI the 400 refers to families, not people.

The gilded age was what we can call “A show of greed”. No matter what it displayed, it all came down to wealth.

Thanks for the explanation on "the real women" of the 19th century's New York society. I am recently introduced to "The Gilded Age," and appreciate any content that helps me understand it.

Pronounced: Mo beal. It's not a mobile hanging from the ceiling.

This historic background explanation is really very good, it gives more knowledge how society worked. I've watched The gilded age and appriciate the real historic background to the make believe. Thanks for that.

You showed a photo of Alva’s daughter Consuelo but you didn’t label it as such and it seemed like she was Alva. Documentaries alway lose credibility when photos are presented or labeled wrong.

If I am remembering correctly, married women of the time did not have complete control over their finances. So, Mrs. Astor’s husband could control her money.

It's a shame those magnificent homes were torn down. I would love to have seen their opulence.

JF has a sense of humor cause Mr Rakes certainly turned out to be a RAKE. And Marian and Larry need to be together

She wasn't from Mo-BYLE, Alabama ... she was from Mo-BEEL, Alabama.

I think it would have been a better story to have Mrs. Russell be from a wealthy Southern (Pictish) family instead of being from a Farming Gaelic (Irish) family. It would have given the great story even more realistic depth.

The Gilded Age of the late 19th Century was not limited to the USA. It helped initiate the glorious Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia. Let's hope that the current Gilded Age of the 21st Century initiates a second Bolshevik Revolution, this time worldwide!

Educational but one-sided. Would love to see a fuller exploration of the immigrant and newly emancipated labor force that propped up these elitist families.

Really enjoyed this series. Marathoned it to the end of the first season.

Alva has always reminded me of a grumpy bulldog.

Mrs Astor was the mother of John Jacob Astor. The richest man to die on Titanic. Possibly the richest man in the world at the time.

That was so interesting and educational. Thank you.

The narration is excellent. Sorry, but the photos are going off the rails. I realize that some are just to show the era, but others show up when you are referencing a specific person/thing: Your first photo of William K Vanderbilt is actually his son Willie K Junior. Also, after the photo of William there is a photo of someone that is not Alva. Why the photo of William's brother Cornelius' mansion? The photo of the staircase is from Alva's Newport "cottage" Marble House, not her 5th Avenue chateau.

Really enjoyed the movie The Guilded Age. Is there going to be anymore?

Omg one of the men at the tables was in Mansfield Park

Thanks, great vid. Subbed.

Glad HBO included other individuals in the series like Founders of Red Cross. Astor visit to Vanderbilt mansion with a artist rendering. Must have been some serious insignificant chit chat going on. You can pick a fight with me but hands off of my child. Mothers rich or poor protect their children. Gilded Age also known as no income tax years. Rich men were actually bailing out government and funding social services and charity.

Interesting that this show and the show “1883” are set during the same time in history.

This is very cool to learn.

Mobile, AL is pronounced Mo-beel.

My mother's family is from those echelons. They're not that freaking great. I mean seriously, look at the reality of her life, Mrs. Astor was really nothing more than a rude stuck-up snob who got MUCH worse when she married someone rich.

I’m thinking is she related to J.J. Astor

Prounounced skimmer-horn in NY

Disgusting waste of money while people were starving.

How many of these women we’re READY MEN?

The American Guilded Age 🤤🤤🤤

Why did they not include all the different accents of the various people who lived in New York at the time . Disappointing

Schermerhorn

I find it elitist that this is aired on HBO instead of PBS. We "poor" plebes can not afford to pay for premium cable channels!

I am happy and thankful i wasnt born of that time.

Great series.

Mobile, Alabama Pronounced "Mo - Beel' 🤦🏼‍♂️

This show is trying too hard to be like Downton Abby and Bridgerton. As someone enjoying British aristocracy, seeing it trying to happen in America with the minor storylines of the housemaids, just feels like HBO's desperate attempt to capture the attention. Nope. It's overplayed and boring.

Great video but please replace the voice with someone more human. This ruins it for me. I cant.

Actually "The Gilded Age" seems to be a take on "The Age of Innocence", and it doesn't do that bad a job. Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn isn't exactly out of place, and though she hold her own, she is no Granny Mingott. Granny Mingott would never be caught "out", and if she was, she wouldn't notice, and no one else would either. They had better not! The black girl, Denée Benton as Peggy Scott is totally out of place and order. Black people were invisible in that era, and to introduce them, especially in the superfluous way they have here is only to introduce racism - which they have here, which is cumbersome and totally drags down the story line.

This video literally is a reading of the Wikipedia page for Mrs. Astor. This isn’t creative or original at all. Just plagiarism with slide show. Not cool.

Why no LGBTQ characters? Everyone knows LGBTQ folks lived in The Guilded Age and it would be historically accurate to include a caste member

Utter nonesense.So derivative of Upstairs Downstairs,Downton Abbey,etc.