SOCRATIC SEMINAR PROMPTS - Select three of the following prompts and write a one paragraph response to each prompt.
1. Explain how the transcontinental railroad network provided the basis for the great post-Civil War industrial transformation.
2. Identify the abuses in the railroad industry and discuss how these led to the first efforts at industrial regulation by the federal government.
3. Describe how the economy came to be dominated by giant "trusts," such as those in the steel and oil industries.
4. What early efforts were made to control the new corporate industrial giants, and how effective were these efforts?
5. Compare the impact of the new industrialization of the North and the South. Why was the "New South" more a slogan than a reality?
6. Analyze the social changes brought by industrialization, particularly the altered position of working men and women.
7. Explain the failures of the Knights of Labor and the modest success of the American Federation of Labor.
8. William Graham Sumner said that the wealth and luxury enjoyed y millionaires was justifiable as a "good bargain for society". Based on the industrialists' role in the late 1800s, support or criticize Sumner's assertion.
9. How did the industrial transformation after the Civil War compare with the earlier phase of American economic development? Why were the economic developments of 1865-1900 often seen as a threat to American democracy, whereas those of 1815-1860 were not?
AGREE OR DISAGREE - make a "T" Chart of the prompt that follows. Label one side "Agree" and the other side "Disagree." Write 3 sentences explaining 3 pieces of evidence that would support the prompt and write 3 sentences explaining 3 pieces of evidence that would oppose the prompt. After completing the evidence chart, use it to write a thesis statement that addresses the prompt.
"Business leaders of the late nineteenth century were great captains of industry whose entrepreneurial skills and tactics produced economic growth." Agree or Disagree?
CATEGORIZE - make 3 to 5 categories of evidence to answer the following prompt and then list facts in each category to support the category. After completing the chart, write a thesis statement that answers the prompt. Your these statement must address the evidence that supports your opinion.
Compare and contrast the National Labor Union, Knights of Labor, and American Federation of Labor in regard to their origins, goals, and leadership. Account for the failure of the first two and for the success of the AFL.
STUDENT QUESTIONS - Write down at least 3 questions about either concepts that you did not understand or thought provoking questions that will generate discussion.
