1865-1890: The Emergence of Modern America: From Reconstruction to an Industrial Power, 1865-1890
How would the victorious North reintegrate white Southerners (who had just failed in their bid for independence) into the American political discourse? How could the newly freed slaves be assimilated into the fabric of American life? What attempts were made to revitalize the Southern economy to uplift the region? In what ways did Reconstruction fail?
What is meant by the “closing of the frontier?” How was the frontier closed? How was the “Indian issue” resolved? What impact did the loss of a frontier have on the United States?
Why did the United States enter into a period of rapid industrialization in the latter half of the 19th century? How did industrialization change American society? What were the growing pains of industrialization? How did industrialization change American politics and economics? What did it mean for American to become more urban than rural?
Module Description
Between the end of the Civil War and 1890, America experiences a period of rapid change which forever altered the social, political, and economic life of the nation.
In the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the victorious Union had many important decisions to make. How would they reintegrate white Southerners (who had just failed in their bid for independence) into the American political discourse? How could the newly freed slaves be assimilated into the fabric of American life? And what was the best way to revitalize the Southern economy to uplift the region? The failure to effectively address these issues during Reconstruction would plague the nation for years to come.
This period also saw the closing of the frontier – the ultimate realization of the antebellum dream of manifest destiny. The raw materials and agricultural products of the plains and the West would help fuel the industrial revolution and feed America’s new urban society.
This, of course, was the most important change in the latter half of the 19th century. The rapid growth of industry and the rise of large metropolitan areas forever changed the United States. But rapid change is never easy. The rise of big business also led to an era of Robber Barons, violent labor disputes, corruption in government, and absolutely horrid living conditions in the burgeoning cities. But at the same time, the shift to the production of consumer goods, the rise of a strong, educated, and suburban middle class, and more available leisure time in the cities led to a flowering of urban culture and the creation of modern America.
Module Objectives
1. identify key events, peoples, individuals, terms, periods, and chronology of the history of the United States from 1865-1890; distinguish between historical fact and historical interpretation; and connect historical events in chronological chain(s) of cause and effect
2. develop critical thinking skills by discussing the living nature of history, using historical evidence to critique competing interpretations of the same historical events, explaining the nature of historical controversies for the 1865-1890 time period
3. synthesize diverse historical information and evidence related to broad themes of U.S. history and present this information in coherent, well-articulated, and well-substantiated analytical discussions
4. develop the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision making by examining the motivations and actions of key figures in U.S. history from 1865-1890
5. develop an understanding of civic and social responsibility by examining interactions within and between regional, national, and global communities in U.S. history from 1865-1890
6. analyze primary source documents relating to the time period of 1865-1890
7. demonstrate basic awareness of the historical geography of the United States for the 1865-1890 time period
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