Society has different meanings to different generations."Society, or the Social world is made up of people who by reason of birth, wealth, personal attainments, or social or public service, obtain a certain standing as citizens." Col. Mann.
In order to claim membership in the American Society, two requirements were necessary. Money, the more the better, is a dominant factor and the ability to advertise oneself. In New York men and women were judged by their bank accounts. Some of these inherited their fortunes from their ancestors; others became wealthy through their ownership of valuable real estate, and the social ladder climbers who married someone with a title, or a large bank account in order to establish their presence in society. These people who by their tastes of wealth, love to display their riches, to friends and acquaintances, are led to join together in all social functions, of the Society World. The social register, is comprised of the elite and most prominent people of society, which fit these qualifications.
Some families made great fortunes from their investments throughout the second half of the 19th century. They had the money and leisure to indulge in conspicuous consumption, furthering a new emphasis on Society manners. The Astors were one of the landholding and mercantile families that made great private fortunes during the early nineteenth century. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie, giants in the nation's growth, were multimillionaires resulting from their investments in transportation and industry. "Through his association with Philadelphia's old established firm of Drexel & Co, J. P. Morgan came to the forefront of American finance, at a time of big opportunity." Other business giants of the era were Rockefeller in oil, the Armours, Swifts, and Morris in meat-packing, the Havemeyers in sugar, and the Dukes in tobacco. The peak of power and wealth of these financial giants was during the years 1866-1897.
Before they even had the warmth of cash in their hands, the new millionaires were deciding upon the mansion they would build, one which would satisfy even their pampered wives and daughters. Soon there would be nonstop invitations to balls for themselves and their family. There-or at the most exclusive men's clubs-- they would rub elbows with the elite. Old money was essentially dead. Money, if enough of it, talked, however recently it was produced.
During my research of the early history of
Topics will include Children, Young Ladies, Men, Society Women, Balls, Dances, Social Registers and more. Those who achieved great wealth lived in staggering opulence, while the vast majority of rural Americans and Immigrants flooding into New York City barely could survive, living in tenement housing amid crime, filth and disease. The social treadmill, the idleness of the rich, the power struggles among men and women of society, the financial crashes resulting from sudden reverses of fortune, all are here. The businessmen who prematurely age due to supporting a family living beyond his actual means in order to stay in society; fortunes that are spent every year on lavish dress, entertainment, and opulent house luxuries from the Gilded era find their way to TheHistoryBox.com . (Here is link to the flash intro ) or you can bypass the intro and go to the Main Directory of the World of New York Society.
Please note: the flash version of the introduction will take time loading, once it is loaded if you wish to go back to it, it will be much quicker...also please keep your speakers on for the music and the voice.
Goodbye for now.....until the next time........When "Mimi Speaks."
contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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