DESCRIPTION ACADEMIC STANDARDS. Subject Area: United States History

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2 DESCRIPTION In less than 40 years, the American Industrial Revolution changed the nation. The transcontinental railroad transformed the steel, oil, and related industries; agriculture, farming, and ranching were forever altered by industrialization; and new inventions were prolific. Responding to this revolution, immigrants poured into cities and factories, ultimately leading to reforms in labor, education, housing, and environmental awareness. Reviews the price of progress and its impact. ACADEMIC STANDARDS Subject Area: United States History Standard: Understands how the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed American society Benchmark: Understands the impact of significant achievements and individuals of the late 19th century (e.g., the effects of major technological, transportation, and communication changes that occurred after 1870; careers of industrial and financial leaders of the late 19th century) (See Instructional Goals #1 and #2) Benchmark: Understands the economic and social changes that occurred in late 19th century American cities (e.g., where industries and transportation expanded; geographic reasons for building factories, commercial centers, and transportation hubs; why different groups moved from the farms to the big cities and how they adjusted; living conditions in the growing cities) (See Instructional Goals #2, #4, and #5) Benchmark: Understands social development and labor patterns in the late 19th century West (e.g., major technological and geographic influences that affected farming, mining, and ranching; conflicts among farmers, ranchers, and miners during settlement; life on the Great Plains and the idea of "frontier") (See Instructional Goals #3 and #5) Benchmark: Understands environmental issues of the late 19th century (e.g., environmental costs of pollution and depletion of natural resources; efforts of reformers to control pollution and promote concern for the natural environment) (See Instructional Goal #3) Standard: Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity Benchmark: Understands patterns of immigrant life after 1870 (e.g., where people came from and where they settled; how immigrants formed a new American culture; the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of different immigrant groups; ways in which immigrants learned to live and work in a new country) (See Instructional Goal #4) Standard: Understands the rise of the American labor movement and how political issues reflected social and economic changes Benchmark: Understands changes in business and labor practices during the late 19th century (e.g., reasons for child labor and its consequences, changes in business operation, how workers lives were affected after the Civil War) (See Instructional Goals #2 and #6) 1

3 INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS 1. To identify the major historical figures and events of the American Industrial Revolution. 2. To identify the connections between industrialization and the rise of big business and show how these institutions affected living standards and opportunity at different social levels. 3. To describe how agriculture, mining, and ranching were transformed by the Industrial Revolution and how this change impacted the environment. 4. To describe the massive immigration to America after 1870 and how new social patterns and conflicts developed amid growing ethnic and cultural factions. 5. To describe the gender and ethnic diversity of farmers, miners, and ranchers in the West and how this diversity contributed to growing cultural unrest in the growing cities. 6. To describe the beginnings of the American labor movement. VOCABULARY 1. transcontinental 2. Homestead Act 3. Social Darwinist 4. sweatshop BEFORE SHOWING 1. Use a timeline to review the period of United States history covered by the video. 2. Explain that the video will contain historical photographs and footage, not reenactments. Predict the quality of the pictures from that era. AFTER SHOWING Discussion Items and Questions 1. What was the fastest, most reliable type of long-distance transportation during this period? 2. What event occurred at Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869? Why was it significant? 3. How did the development of railroads affect the mining industry, the steel industry, and the meat packing industry? 4. Name some individuals who became very wealthy during this time period, and describe how they gained their wealth. 5. List some inventions of the time, tell why they were important, and name their inventors. 6. Describe general changes in the United States population during this period. Include size, distribution, and ethnicity. Explain the causes for these changes. 7. What act of Congress opened the American West to farmers? What agricultural improvements made it possible for American farmers to feed the country s rapidly growing population? 8. How did the modernization of agriculture lead to an economic crisis in 1890? 9. What was Social Darwinism? How did it relate to capitalism? 10. Describe the beginnings of the American labor movement. Identify the factors that contributed to its rise and growth. 11. How did the Industrial Revolution upset the balance between humans and nature? How did Congress and President Grover Cleveland respond to this problem? 12. Name organizations or individuals that played a role in attempting to restore the balance between humans and nature. Describe what they did. 2

4 Applications and Activities 1. Write a report on one of the major personages of this era. Describe his or her relationship to the Industrial Revolution. 2. Research industries that came into being during the American Industrial Revolution. Determine which still exist today. Identify their major products. 3. Predict population shifts in the United States of the 21 st century. Identify new industries or occupations that will attract people to new parts of the country. RELATED RESOURCES Captioned Media Program America s Transcontinental Railroad #3207 Chandler s Mill #7695 The 1880 s #1734 Homesteading: Seventy Years on the Great Plains #2667 Inventors and the American Industrial Revolution #1880 Organizing America: A History of the Trade Unions in the US #3278 World Wide Web The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; they were selected by professionals who have experience in teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Every effort was made to select accurate, educationally relevant, and kid-safe sites. However, teachers should preview them before use. The U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media Program do not endorse the sites and are not responsible for their content. ELLIS ISLAND The Ellis Island homepage. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Information about the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. ELLIS ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHS Stereoscopic photographs taken at the turn of the century at Ellis Island. 3

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