Were there robots in the Gilded Age? 

The short answer is no, or at least not ‘robots’ as we think of them today. Yet automation and machine-like systems absolutely mattered during the Gilded Age.

The mid- to late-19th Century was defined by widespread mechanization and early attempts at automation. From complex industrial machinery to household innovations, Gilded Age folks were thinking robotics long before there was even such a word.

When you watch today’s video, you’ll get a sense of why this mattered during the Gilded Age—and how it still matters to us now.