Beans and Brahmins: Boston in the Gilded Age (coming 9/15/26)

The Gilded Age was not limited to New York. While New York was unquestionably the center of financial and social power, other cities developed differently during the 19th century and responded uniquely to this period of great technological and economic growth.  Boston, Massachusetts, the heart of New England, had a very different story than that of New York. Wealth and a stark social divide defined Boston; the elite, known as the “Brahmins,” were quite different from the Astors and Vanderbilts of New York. Boston channeled its money into education, social reform, and cultural expansion. Indeed, Boston during the 19th century was a strong center for abolitionists and women’s suffrage. Boston’s story includes not only the Brahmins but also waves of immigrants from Europe, a Black population with longstanding roots in New England, and those arriving from the South.