What inspired this episode?

In The Gilded Age's first season, the theme of charitable donations came up a few times. We saw it on the show as both a necessary method of distributing funds to worthy organizations, like Clara Barton's Red Cross, as well as a way of flaunting wealth, status and buying one's way into otherwise closed social circles, as Bertha Russell demonstrated through her actions. In this podcast episode, we explore the meaning of charitable organizations that served to assist certain segments of the population: everything from necessary wartime aid to helping young women workers. We focus mainly on Clara Barton and her extraordinary life dedicated to giving, organizing, and public service. She was truly a trailblazer not just for women but facilitated the distribution of necessary services and aid to commun ...