But.... in other ways it was a great time for our country. Farmers worked hard and people worked hard. Had good healthy food, not the package crap we have today full of chemicals. Didn't drink sugar soft drinks. Most went to Church, probably got a better education in a one room school house than the public education of today. Had recently finished the terrible Civil War and put our country back together. I cannot imagine how bad it would have been to have USA North and USA South. We would never have become a strong and great nation like we are (or should be) today. And all our currency I think was backed by gold and silver.