Summary: Throughout history, golden ages have emerged when societies embraced openness, curiosity, and innovation. What qualifies as a golden age? The civilizations that created golden ages imitated and innovated. Today we are living in a golden age that has its origins in 17th-century England, which in turn drew from the golden age of the Dutch Republic. Donald Trump says he wants to usher in a golden age and appeals to a supposedly better past in the United States.