A guide to every real-life historical figure on 'The Gilded Age'

Bertha and George Russell are based on different figures from the real Gilded Age. Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Season four of "The Gilded Age" premiered on November 1. While some of its characters are fictional, the show is populated with real people from the era. Grover Cleveland, Booker T. Washington, Oscar Wilde, and Clara Barton have all popped up. Few eras have captivated people more than the Gilded Age, a period in the late 19th century characterized by extreme wealth (and wealth inequality), progress, immigration, and a certain ruthlessness among the age's businessmen. And now, any history buff can tune into HBO's "The Gilded Age" to see this iconic time period brought to life. The show is populated by a mix of entirely fictional creations and a few characters who differ only in name from real people of the time. Here's a guide to every real person who made the jump from history books to HBO in "The Gilded Age." Warning: There are some season three and four spoilers ahead. Carrie Coon plays Bertha Russell, who's based on Alva Vanderbilt. HBO; Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was a Gilded Age socialite who married William K. Vanderbilt, a Vanderbilt railroad heir. In 1882, the couple built a mansion that took up a whole city block on Fifth Avenue in New York City — much like the mansion the Russells move into in the series premiere. Bertha isn't exactly Alva, but the similarities are there, including Alva's hunger and determination to be accepted by the upper crust of New York society, her strong personality, and love of the opera. Taissa Farmiga plays Bertha's daughter Gladys, based on Alva's daughter Consuelo. HBO; Gilliam Press Syndicate/PhotoQuest/Getty Images If there was any doubt that Bertha and Gladys were based on Alva and Consuelo, that doubt ended when Gladys married off to a British duke against her will, in order to elevate her family's status and credibility. While Gladys and Hector's relationship was at a high point at the end of season three — though, after the season four premiere, there seems to be a major conflict incoming — if you don't want to know what could happen to Gladys, skip ahead. In real life, Consuelo's marriage to Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, was largely an unhappy one, though she and her husband mostly lived separately. They separated in 1906 and were officially divorced in 1921. The marriage was annulled in 1926. However, Bertha's husband George (Morgan Spector) isn't based on a Vanderbilt. Much of his character comes from Jay Gould. HBO; Bettmann/Getty Images George is portrayed as a full-blown robber baron, much like Gould was. In fact, Gould is remembered as one of the most cutthroat railroad tycoons of the Gilded Age. As his Encyclopedia Britannica entry notes, he "remained ruthless, unscrupulous, and friendless to the end" before his death in 1892. George is similarly unafraid to cross anyone, as long as it benefits his bottom line. And much like Gould, while George spares no feelings for his competition, he has shown great love for his wife and children — and, as fans of the show have pointed out, is quite handsome. They even call him "Railroad Daddy." Peggy Scott, as played by Denée Benton, is inspired by a few real women, including Julia C. Collins. HBO One of the first things we learn about Peggy is that she's an aspiring writer, and a talented one at that. It's clear that "Gilded Age" creator Julian Fellowes was inspired by Julia C. Collins, the first Black female author to publish a novel. Collins' book, "The Curse of Caste; or The Slave Bride," was published in serial form across eight months in 1865. However, she died of tuberculosis before she was able to finish it. Thankfully, Peggy has fully recovered from the illness she contracted at the beginning of season three … and it introduced her to Dr. William Kirkland, her now-fiancé. Donna Murphy plays Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, the queen of New York high society. HBO; Heritage Art/Heritage Images/Getty Images During the Gilded Age, the undisputed queen of New York was Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, who, despite her husband William Backhouse Astor Jr.'s enormous wealth, was actually the richer of the two due to her family's wealth dating back to the first settlement of Manhattan by Dutch colonists in the 1600s. Astor was the leader of a group called the Four Hundred, a list that contained anyone who was anyone in the late 1800s. Perhaps coincidentally, her townhouse's ballroom could fit up to 400 people comfortably. Murphy, a two-time Tony Award winner, brings needed gravitas to the role. Just like in the show, her third daughter, Charlotte Astor Drayton (played by Hannah Shealy), caused a scandal with her divorce. Hannah Shealy plays Charlotte Astor in "The Gilded Age." Karolina Wojtasik/HBO The real Charlotte Astor married J. Coleman Drayton in 1879, and their relationship made headlines in 1892 when he challenged another man,