Growing Pains Projects
You are to pick one or more of the major topics/concepts of the growing pains the United States faced after the restoration of the Union. The Federal victory (the North) helped accelerate America’s transformation into an agricultural and urban-industrial nation-state. The Republican-led Congress pushed through legislation to foster industrial and commercial development as well as western expansion.
As a nation we turned our attention to the unfinished business of settling a continent and completing an urban-industrial revolution begun before the war. This revolution was also an agrarian revolution. Farming became highly mechanized and traditional ways of farming generated political revolts and social unrest. The political scene was forever changed.
These clashes resulted in deep economic depression, agrarian unrest, and labor violence which unleashed the fear of class warfare. The election of 1896 would determine the future of America and our entrance into modern times. The Republican candidate William McKinley who campaigned on behalf of modern urban-industrial values roared past William Jennings Bryan and the Populist Party who defended America’s rural past.)
Rockefeller/Standard Oil
Steel/Carnegie
Immigration
Ellis/Angel Islands
Positive and negative effects of industrialization
Work conditions
Birth of Unions
Government Corruption
Political Machines
Urbanization
Railroads (building and impact)
Haymarket Affair
Indian Wars
Agrarian Protests
Spread of racial segregation
Urbanization (overcrowding/tenements/crime/sanitation)
Robber Barons
Monopolies/Trusts
Social Darwinism (beliefs and pro/con reactions)
Populist Movement
I recommend that you work individually but you can choose to work with a partner
If you are caught ‘not working” in class, you will lose 1 letter grade on this project for each time that you are “caught” (I am giving you 2 VITAL days of class time – you will use them or there will be consequences)
The project will be worth 50points
70% Ideas and Content
15% Conventions
15% Citations
Here are options, but be creative and see me if you have a project idea that is not on here:
Presentation – PowerPoint/Prezi/etc. (20 slides minimum, 75% with words)
Video (like the ones we have watched in class that were made by other students and put on YouTube) – images/narration or words/music (5-8 minutes, like what I showed you in class)
Skit/movie – write it, film it, edit it (5-8 minutes)
You MUST, MUST, MUST, MUST include a cite/list of ALL resources used (10-20% of grade) – all websites, books, movies/videos
Do not use ANY blogs or anything that has “wiki” in it
“Google” is NOT a resource. It is a search engine. Use the website that Google takes you too
CAUTION! DANGER…DANGER. Be careful when choosing a partner.
If you end up with a partner who does not do their fair share of work then I have no way of “proving” that and you both will receive the same grade. If you are concerned about this – work ALONE. Consider yourself warned.
Having said that, you can choose to work with a partner, but if you are not done by the end of class tomorrow then you will have to be able to get together over the weekend to finish. Projects are due Thursday – NO EXCEPTIONS