Reconstruction and Beyond.
Please review last week's assignments. You may also optionally find it useful to
preview the
In-class reading assignment.
The Gilded Age; Reappraising the Nineteenth Century's
Uniqueness.
Review the brief textbook overviews we studied during week one, with
particular attention to the
Very Brief History from Novosibirsk U.'s list
of events after 1845. What is the
single most important change or addition you would make to each of these
different overviews of the nineteenth century?
Please bring your list of representative individuals with you to class today.
The take-home portion of the exam will be given out in class today.
Preliminary Examination.
This exam will cover all material since the last test, with
particular emphasis on material from 1845 to 1890 that in some way
connects to our course themes and queries.
The take-home portion will have a choice of two out of three
essay questions for the long portion. These essays will focus on
major episodes (for example: "the compromise of 1850" in comparison to
the "transcontinental R.R.") framed in terms of major course themes.
There will also be a one paragraph thoughtpiece essay.
The in-class portion will include short
answer/fill-in-the blank questions and a short 2-3 response
paragraph. See the
Exam hints page for additional
information.
Episodes: A Tale of Two Cities.
Compare the
Historic Natchez on the Mississippi website with the
Historic New Albany, Indiana website. What aspects of each community's
historic past are featured? Based on your general knowledge of the
nineteenth century, what types of events and developments
have been left out, and why? What, for example, do these accounts tell
us about what it was like to work in these places?
Members of the RED and GREEN discussion groups will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
Episodes: The Railroad Wars of the Gilded Age.
Read the Enycylopedia Britannica's biographies of
Cornelius Vanderbilt,
Jay Gould, and
J.J. Hill.
From the book Chapters of Erie by Charles Francis Adams, Jr. (1871), read
Chapter IV: Stock Watering (approx. 10 pp.). To what extent do interpretive
approaches in the biographies share Adams' "muckraking" perspective? To what
extent do they present elements of an alternative "Captains of Industry"
viewpoint?
Read the
History of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, forward and pp. 1-4,
on the BLE website. What were the most significant organizational innovations
of the BLE in this period? When, where, and why did they occur?
Search the
History Engine
for episodes containing the keyword phrase "railroad accident."
Read at least four of the episodes that you find.
Members of the BLUE and PURPLE discussion groups will need to post comments to the Course Discussion Board before class.
Please be sure that you have updated your research journal for this week.
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Note: The instructor reserves the right to change any provisions, due dates, grading percentages, or any other items without prior notice. All assignments on this schedule are covered under the university's policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. See the syllabus statement for further details. This page was last updated on 10/21/2007.