NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS – ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS17 February 2010 – Gilder Lehrman Institute Seminar/Woestman

Unit 5 The Industrial Revolution (1870 – 1900): Essential Questions

How was America’s Post-Civil War Native American Removal policy a reflection of the government’s desire to further transform the nation into a market economy and reinforce the industrialist notion of private property and the accumulation of personal wealth?

How did America attempt to maintain its idyllic identity considering the reality of rapid demographic changes, as well as the ongoing problem of the inclusion of Native and African Americans?

How does geographic location shape human interaction with the environment and influence economic choices- influx of available labor supply, naturally occurring mineral/oil deposits, natural harbors, adequate food supply, market availability with emphasis on New Jersey (Paterson silk manufacturing, Standard Oil of NJ, ship building in Newark)?

How did the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transform American society?

What were the goals of Industrial America’s newly emerging interests groups (e.g. labor unions, women’s and civil rights groups)?

What was the nature of the government’s intent to control the economic, political and social development of human interests groups (e.g., Munn v. Illinois (1877), Interstate Commerce Act, Sherman Anti-Trust Act)?

How were the places of origin and the settlement patterns of industrial era immigrants different from those immigrants who came before them?