CHA 3UE: HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS 2008-2009

Unit: Industrialization & Reform, 1865-1929

Goal: in your group, you will write and perform a scripted debate between the seven 19th century writers (below); the debate will answer the question: Did life in the United States improve across the period 1865-1929 ?

This activity will require a number of periods to write; the objective is to see the completion of the scripts before the holidays, thereby preventing you from having to work on History over the break.

Instructions: students will stage a scripted debate answering the problem question. The debate must be built on an evaluation of two sub-topics within the area of 19th century industrialization: (i) industrial consolidation (+/-); and (ii) labour relations / immigration (+/-). Please refer to your course handout and the I.B. Glossary Terms on the last page for a defintion of 'evaluation'.

Each group must declare a 'moderator' of the debate. This role will be scripted so as to illicit for the audience the areas of similarity and difference existing between and among the various 19th century perspectives. The creation of the moderator might require the group lose the persepective of one of the seven theorists; this is okay. Decide which theorist's perspective can be lost without the debate losing a valuable side. If it works out you have eight students in your group, then you don't need to lose a voice in the debate.

Along with a moderator, each group must develop a scenario in which the debate takes place. Have fun with it; it need not be historically accurate - but it must lend itself to the purposes of this activity. For example, you might want to stage an Oprah or Jerry Springer style talk show, with a host and 6 guests. You could stage an episode of Big Brother, the Apprentice, etc... As long as the discussion takes place, evaluation of the (+/-) for each sub-topic, and a resolution is achieved, the scenario is secondary.

At the present time, you will develop a more thorough response to the sub-topics of Industrial consolidation and labour relations than that of immigration; chapter 17 is more heavily weighted towards the former. Develop these areas first and then we'll work on immigration in subsequent periods.

Realise that not all 19th century writers will define "improvement" in the same way. One writer's ''improvement'' might be another writer's lack of improvement. To get your script going, look for natural groupings among the writers relative to the problem question and then evaluate each sub-topic from their respective perspectives.

Selecting your Groups: There should be two or three (in rare cases four) students assigned to each of the 19th century theorists. Create a group of students with one of each theorist; allow for duplication if uneven numbers warrant.

Students are to read chapter 17 & 18 in Brinkley, American History. The following themes will structure discussion in this unit:

i) industrial consolidation	(positive developments)	(negative developments)
ii) labour relations	(positive developments)	(negative developments)
iii) immigration	(positive developments)	(negative developments)

Contemporary arguments and analysis will be conducted through the study of the following writings:

1. Henry George, Progress and Poverty (1879)
2. Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, (1888)
3. Andrew Carnegie, Wealth, (1889)
4. William Graham Sumner, The Absurd Effort to Make the World Over, (1894)
5. Henry Demarest Lloyd, Wealth Against Commonwealth, (1894)
6. Samuel Gompers, Letter on Labour in Industrial Society, (1894)
7. John D. Rockefeller (1909)