The American Industrial Revolution
Background: In the last quarter of the 19th Century, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing; however, with the business boom came a number of concerns, including corporate influence in politics and waves of immigration, as well as a middle class in apparent decline. These developments seemed to threaten to alter the character of American society as new technologies introduced new social problems, as well as offering new opportunities. The rise of captains of industry (or robber barons), with their sway of politicians, created a widespread feeling among common Americans that they had had lost control of their government.
Required Source:
- The American Industrial Revolution from the Films on Demand database in the Ashford University Library.
Instructions: Based on your textbook and the assigned video, analyze how the revolutionary nature of this period impacted either Native Americans, immigrants, or farmers, using the following questions as the basis of your analysis:
- What were the most revolutionary social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century?
- How did the group of Americans you chose to examine respond to those changes, and how effective were their responses?
- What role did government play in these developments?
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and properly cite any references. You may use additional scholarly sources to support your points if you choose. Your references and citations must be formatted according to APA style as outlined by the Ashford Writing Center.
