Unit Four - The Progressive Movement [Responses to changes brought about by Industrialization and Urbanization].
Who were the Progressive Presidents? This handout looks that this series of unique Presidents and I have included a short history of Teddy Roosevelt, Long Island's own President. He is responsible for many changes in American society that include the building of the Panama Canal in pictures.
The political issues during this era were complex and they are best understood with the Urban Political Machines document and the political cartoons showing the downfall of Boss Tweed.
Urbanization was rapid during these times and the Rise of the City handout tells through different testimonies, insights to life in urban areas such as New York. Along with the rapid growth and the flood of immigrants to the cities came Urban Problems that illustrate the changing populations and the harsh living conditions and changes within society. It was during the late 1800's that a famous book was written by Jacob Riis called How the Other Half Lives. He decided to live in the urban slums of New York and write about his experiences. The first link is a handout with key questions that is an extract from How the Other Half Lives. This handout describes the different urban enclaves in New York and contains a map that links to the text. The next document discusses the poverty in the urban slums, and it is the actual testimony and eye-witness account of Jacob Riis. To give you an idea of how the "Melting Pot" of New York City has changed, I have created a handout on the Ethnic Enclaves that details the components found within cities relative to its immigrant inhabitants. To supplement this, I have added a table showing the various ethnic areas of New York City in the present day.
The consumption of alcohol was a major concern in these times and the prohibition movement gained strength, indicated in the presentation of Temperance Posters of the late 1800's. Life for the immigrant, the poor, and the working class was extremely difficult. Their society issues are express through a set of photographs showing Early child labor in North America, their living conditions with the Tenement Improvement Plan and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory disaster.
The political ideology of socialism began to spread in the industrial centers. Who was Eugene V. Debs? is a lesson created to tell of his story and attempts to change American society. It was not only the immigrant suffered, it was also the African Americans also had their struggles.
Plessy v. Ferguson, "Separate but Equal" was a landmark case that set back equality in America. Legally, little could be done to support segregation because of this decision. However, two leaders emerged and the following document discusses the goals of Booker T. Washington versus W.E.B. DuBois who were integral for advancing African American rights.
Who were the Progressive Presidents? This handout looks that this series of unique Presidents and I have included a short history of Teddy Roosevelt, Long Island's own President. He is responsible for many changes in American society that include the building of the Panama Canal in pictures.
The political issues during this era were complex and they are best understood with the Urban Political Machines document and the political cartoons showing the downfall of Boss Tweed.
Urbanization was rapid during these times and the Rise of the City handout tells through different testimonies, insights to life in urban areas such as New York. Along with the rapid growth and the flood of immigrants to the cities came Urban Problems that illustrate the changing populations and the harsh living conditions and changes within society. It was during the late 1800's that a famous book was written by Jacob Riis called How the Other Half Lives. He decided to live in the urban slums of New York and write about his experiences. The first link is a handout with key questions that is an extract from How the Other Half Lives. This handout describes the different urban enclaves in New York and contains a map that links to the text. The next document discusses the poverty in the urban slums, and it is the actual testimony and eye-witness account of Jacob Riis. To give you an idea of how the "Melting Pot" of New York City has changed, I have created a handout on the Ethnic Enclaves that details the components found within cities relative to its immigrant inhabitants. To supplement this, I have added a table showing the various ethnic areas of New York City in the present day.
The consumption of alcohol was a major concern in these times and the prohibition movement gained strength, indicated in the presentation of Temperance Posters of the late 1800's. Life for the immigrant, the poor, and the working class was extremely difficult. Their society issues are express through a set of photographs showing Early child labor in North America, their living conditions with the Tenement Improvement Plan and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory disaster.
The political ideology of socialism began to spread in the industrial centers. Who was Eugene V. Debs? is a lesson created to tell of his story and attempts to change American society. It was not only the immigrant suffered, it was also the African Americans also had their struggles.
Plessy v. Ferguson, "Separate but Equal" was a landmark case that set back equality in America. Legally, little could be done to support segregation because of this decision. However, two leaders emerged and the following document discusses the goals of Booker T. Washington versus W.E.B. DuBois who were integral for advancing African American rights.
An additional section on immigration with primary source documents
The role of the average immigrant during these times is seen in this handout along with Selected immigrant poems, each telling a unique story of an immigrant family. If you are a New Yorker you know her but do you know these facts about her found in the handout Who is Lady Liberty?
A short history about Mary Antin, a table showing Famous Ellis Island immigrants and a lesson on the history of Coney Island show positive reactions to arriving in America. However, not very immigrant was welcome. The Immigrant Restriction League was against immigration and the lesson on Chinese immigration to America and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 tell of a different story towards foreigners.
A special look at American culture during this era
The following are not curriculum requirements but I have created the following five links to show what life was like during these times. A handout containing some Pictures of New York City around 1900 (no text, just pictures) make the city come to life. A presentation of some of the art of Currier and Ives depict a unique time in American history. Please note the introduction and the first few slides as they tell a local story.
Yard sales can be fun and I found the following three items from which I scanned certain pages and created presentations that are an extract from an early Sears catalog, a cookbook from 1900 extract and copies of pages from a 1914 Music Magazine from New York City.
American Imperialism
An integral part of the curriculum is a lengthy, detailed lesson on U.S. Foreign Policy from 1865 to 1914. One of the first major events towards American global dominance was seen with the Spanish-American War when the United States tried to support the freedom movements in Cuba against Spanish rule and subsequently ended in a short, victorious war for the United States over Spain. Opposition to American expansion and political domination is seen in this handout called Nuestra Platforma that discusses the vows taken by the White Caps of Mexico against the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
This lesson leads into the end of American policy of neutrality and begins the events that lead up to America and World War I. I have included specific focus on the war with the World War I lesson (a total overview of the war) and the World War I presentation. Most U.S. History textbooks give three causes for America joining the war; unrestricted warfare, the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram. However, through my own research, I believe there is a fourth, Black Tom, a hidden reason for war. To end this section I have included some American culture with the lyrics for the famous song "Over There", the Statistics for World War I in charts and a summation and finally Woodrow Wilson and the Fourteen Points, a brief summary.
An integral part of the curriculum is a lengthy, detailed lesson on U.S. Foreign Policy from 1865 to 1914. One of the first major events towards American global dominance was seen with the Spanish-American War when the United States tried to support the freedom movements in Cuba against Spanish rule and subsequently ended in a short, victorious war for the United States over Spain. Opposition to American expansion and political domination is seen in this handout called Nuestra Platforma that discusses the vows taken by the White Caps of Mexico against the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
This lesson leads into the end of American policy of neutrality and begins the events that lead up to America and World War I. I have included specific focus on the war with the World War I lesson (a total overview of the war) and the World War I presentation. Most U.S. History textbooks give three causes for America joining the war; unrestricted warfare, the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram. However, through my own research, I believe there is a fourth, Black Tom, a hidden reason for war. To end this section I have included some American culture with the lyrics for the famous song "Over There", the Statistics for World War I in charts and a summation and finally Woodrow Wilson and the Fourteen Points, a brief summary.
