High school history and books I read in the past led me to believe that this was a pretty awful period of time for most people. However, I've seen some historians questioning that perspective and stating that conditions were actually better for certain people — particularly marginalized people such as blacks and women. I know that since government regulation was practically non-existent during this time, some libertarians appear to idealize this time and I'm wondering if there is any validity to this claim, or is it wishful thinking?
You might want to clarify what you mean by "better or worse". Do you mean better or worse than present-day conditions or do you mean in comparison to earlier conditions? I don't think any reasonable historian would agree with the statement that life was better for most people during that time frame than it is today, women and African Americans, especially. I could go into more detail, but I want to make sure I understand what you're asking, first.