The philanthropic activities of many American business leaders during the Gilded Age raised the social issue of vast economic inequality and the responsibilities of the wealthy toward society. While industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller amassed enormous fortunes, their philanthropy highlighted the stark contrast between their wealth and the poverty and poor working conditions faced by many laborers

. Carnegie, for example, promoted the idea that the rich had a duty to use their wealth for the public good, as outlined in his essay "The Gospel of Wealth." However, this philanthropy also raised questions about whether such charity was enough to address the deeper social problems caused by industrial capitalism, such as labor exploitation and social stratification

. Additionally, the philanthropic efforts sometimes revealed tensions between social classes. Wealthy women, often involved in charity, used philanthropy as a socially acceptable way to participate in public life, but their activities sometimes put them at odds with working-class women and highlighted inter- class animosities

. Moreover, philanthropy was sometimes criticized as a form of paternalism, where the wealthy controlled how aid was distributed and used, reinforcing social hierarchies rather than genuinely redistributing wealth or empowering the poor

. In summary, the key social issue raised was the growing economic inequality and the debate over the role and effectiveness of philanthropy in addressing the social consequences of industrial capitalism during the Gilded Age