During the Gilead Age, the rich ruled over the poor and robber barons, 1% of the population, had too much power over the common people, workers, and over politics. Imperialism also happened during this time. Imperialism is when a country takes over another country or territory that has not already been claimed by another country. Most European Countries took over smaller and/or weaker countries in Asia and Africa. Countries did this to be seen as a world power. America started to imperialize Latin America and small islands surrounding or near the US. American expansionism, imperialism, was not justified.