Gilded Age Discussion Questions
Part I: Articles
Muckrakers: Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair
1. Discuss your reaction to Jacob Riis’ book excerpt and photos. What issues was he trying to raise, and what reaction and/or action do you think he was trying to elicit in his work? How effective was he?
2. Discuss your reaction to The Jungle. What issues was he trying to raise, and what reaction and/or action do you think Sinclair was trying to elicit in his work? How effective was he
3. What are the benefits and limitations to these two works for a reformer using them to make change in Gilded Age society?
Eugenics Article
1. Share your reaction to the eugenics article. What surprised you most?
2. What link did eugenics have to other economic and societal philosophies of the Gilded Age?
3. How could eugenics be interpreted as a kind of social reform during the Gilded Age/Progressive Era?
Part II: Analyzing Problems and Solutions
· Complete as much as you can of the Political/Economic/Social chart on the back of this handout. You can add to this (or create your own) as you finish Chapter 19 and read Chapter 20. As you work through this with your group, discuss the trends you see developing within each category.
· Using your knowledge from class and from the textbook, answer and discuss the following questions with your group:
1. How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers from 1875-1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.
2. What were the limitations and achievements of urban governments run by political machines?
3. Why did so many reform initiatives of the early 20th century emerge in large cities? What were some of those initiatives, and what was their political impact?
4. Based on what you’ve studied so far, does this era deserve the title Gilded Age? Explain why.