Men Who Built America End Assignment

Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford - their names are synonymous with innovation, big business and the the American Dream.  These leaders sparked incredible advances in technology while struggling to consolidate their industries and rise to the top of the business world.  The Men Who Built America chronicles the connections between these iconic businessmen and explores the way they shaped the country, transforming the U.S. into a global superpower in just 50 years.  

Tracing their roles in the oil, stell, railroad, auto, and financial industries, this series uses stunning CGI and little known stories to examine the lives of these iconic tycoons.  How did these leaders advance progress, and what were the costs and consequences of American industrial growth?  What role did everyday Americans play in this growth, and how were their voices heard?  This series is an excellent companion for courses on business, American history, and the Industrial Revolution.  

Episode 1:  A New War Begins

As the nation attempts to rebuild following the destruction of the Civil War, Cornelious Vanderbilt is the first to see the need for unity to regain America's stature in the world.  Vanderbilt makes his mark in shipping and then the railroad industry.  Railroads stitch together the nation, stimulating the economy by making it easier to move goods accross the country.  But Vanderbilt faces intense competition early on, showing that captiains of industry will always be challenged by new innovators and mavericks.

Terms to Define: 

• ARCHETYPE
• ENTREPRENEUR
• INFRASTRUCTURE
• INGENUITY
• INNOVATION

Questions to answer:

1. Some may have called the United States a "failed experiment" after the Civil War.  Why?
2. What role did Vanderbilt play in helping the country rebuild after the Civil War? (Check video link after #4)
3. What is a hostile takeover?  How did Vanderbilt deal with this kind of competition?
4. What major industries emerged in the decades after the Civil War?
5. Thomas Nast created cartoons criticizing the robber barons for their role conflicts in the railroad industry wars.  What does the cartoon below reveal about the railroad wars?
   
6. Alternately, search for another Nast cartoon and analyze it.  This question is worth 2 points.  1 point for the hyperlink to your cartoon and 1 point for the analysis on the cartoon.   

This video will help with number 2.

Episode 2:  Oil Strike 

Vanderbilt expands his enterprises, realizing that oil is the nation’s next crucial commodity. The demand for oil is high and Vanderbilt knows that it will be an important item for his trains to transport. He turns to a young oilman from California named John D. Rockefeller to make a deal that will work for both businessmen, but rivalries emerge between them. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil has become one of the nation’s first monopolies. A financial panic in 1873 shows that the American economy is on shaky ground even as it expands.

Terms to Define: 

• ETHIC
• MODERNIZATION
• MONOPOLY
• REFINERY
• REVENUE

Questions to answer:

1.  (Watch the video clip at the end of the questions first.  It will help you to answer them.)What does it mean to “beat the odds,” and how is John Rockefeller an example of this concept?
2. What is refining oil, and why was it so important when oil first became a popular commodity?
3. Standard Oil was one of the nation’s first monopolies. What is a monopoly? Why do you think leaders like Rockefeller wanted to shut out competition?
4. What was the Panic of 1873?
5. In this episode, viewers learn about the Panic of 1873. Research this economic crisis and write a short essay about the causes and consequences. 

This video will help answer the above questions.

Episode 3:  A Rivalry is Born

Andrew Carnegie is an immigrant from Scotland who arrives in the u.S. with his parents and starts working at age 12. He finds a patron in railroad executive Tom Scott who teaches him about the business. Scott hires him to build a bridge over the Mississippi River to link East and West. Carnegie agrees even though the project carries risk. He finds his answer in steel. The bridge opens in 1874. Before Carnegie realizes the full potential of steel, his mentor Scott dies in a state of humiliation over the success of John D. Rockefeller’s oil pipeline. Carnegie vows to have his revenge and best Rockefeller. With the steel industry thriving, u.S. cities start to grow. But can Carnegie stay at the top of his game?

Terms to Define: 

• CAPITALIZE
• DECIMATE
• OMINOUS
• SURGE
• UNPRECIDENTED 

Questions to answer:

1. What was the Bessemer steel process and how did it transform the construction industry?
   
2. Why were infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads so important to American growth?
3. Why do you think Carnegie and Rockefeller became rivals?
4. What did they have in common and what divided them?
5. Andrew Carnegie published an essay entitled “Wealth” (later titled “The Gospel of Wealth”) in which he discussed his views on capitalism. Read an excerpt from this essay at http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5766 and write a 1 paragraph response to this explaining what Carnegie felt were the "responsibilities of wealth. 

This video will help you with the above questions. 

Episode 4:  Blood is Spilled

Carnegie hires Henry frick to help him achieve his goal of dominating the steel industry and besting Rockefeller. The partnership seems promising, but frick is pushing workers to  a breaking point. Meanwhile, the Johnstown flood of 1889 leaves 2,000 people dead, and Carnegie’s South fork fishing  & Hunting Club faces blame. Worker unrest culminates in a massive strike at the Homestead Steel plant in 1892. Violence ensues when frick calls in the Pinkerton security agency. The strike is a major turning point in American labor history, showing how workers would fight for fair wages and conditions when faced with injustice.  Carnegie is determined to make up for these scars on his reputation.

Terms to Define: 

• ANARCHIST
• INDUSTRIAL
• MAGNATE
• MERCENARY
• PROGRESSIVE

Questions to answer:

1. What caused the Johnstown flood? What were some of the outcomes of this disaster? What role did the American Red Cross play?
2. Do you think Henry frick was a good leader? Why or  why not?
3. Why did workers strike at the Homestead Steel plant? Why was the strike an important turning point in American history?
4. Do you think Carnegie was responsible for the Johnstown flood and the Homestead strike? Why or why not? 
5. The Johnstown flood was one of the worst disasters in American history.  Read these stories from the New York Times: johnstownpa.com/History/hist30.html.  Research the flood online and write a short 1 paragraph essay about the flood and its outcomes, including the role of the Red Cross.

Watch this video on the Homestead Strike 

Episode 5:  A New Rival Emerges

   

While Carnegie and Rockefeller continue to battle, J.P. Morgan arrives on the scene and establishes a bank in New York City that has one goal: to further the technological advancements of America through finance. As he builds his empire and consolidates industries, Morgan decides to take a big risk. He enlists inventor Thomas Edison to help bring electricity to every home and business in the country. Rockefeller continues to expand his Standard Oil Company and aims to keep kerosene as the dominant resource powering electricity. Regardless of these competitive dynamics, American infrastructure is growing and cities are on the rise.

Terms to Define: 

• COMPENSATION
• EMPIRE
• LIABILITY 
• PATENT 
• RESOLVE
• VOLTAGE

Questions to answer:

1.  What were some of the challenges Carnegie faced? Do you think he could have avoided these difficulties?
2. What were J.P. Morgan’s major areas of business? Why was he such an important figure in U.S. history?
3. What role does risk play in big business? What kinds of risks did Carnegie and Rockefeller take? 
4. View this short video to learn more about J.P. Morgan and the rise of American finance.  

Episode 6:  Owning it All

With an investment from Morgan, the Edison Electric Company is created and begins wiring homes in New York. A rival, Nikola Tesla, soon emerges with a different technology for electric light. A battle between Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) power ensues. Morgan eventually buys out Edison and forms General Electric which adopts AC power, setting the stage for the next several decades of electric power.  Meanwhile, there is increasing unrest among American  workers as the gap between the rich and the poor grows.

Terms to Define: 

• BEDROCK
• HORSEPOWER
• PRIVATE SECTOR
• STREAMLINE
• VIABLE
• VULNERABILITY
• WATERSHED

Questions to answer:

1.  What is the difference between AC and DC power?
   
2. W hat do you think of Morgan’s decision to buy out Thomas Edison?  Do you think this desicion was fair to Edison?
3. Why was J.P. Morgan's ability to loan funds to the federal government so important?  Do you agree with the commentator that this was an "act of nationalism"?
4. What is Morganization?  Why was this approach an important and notable feature of the American economy?
5. After visiting this site to view a photo gallery of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, write a one-two paragraph essay explaining the importance of the event in U.S. and world history.  World's Fair Photo Gallery

Episode 7:  Taking the White House
Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan have gone unmonitored for decades, but American politicians are about to change that.  They want to guard against monopolies and an unbalanced use of power.  The men, some lifelong enemies, come together with a play to gain influence with the White House.  Their candidate, William McKinley, wins the White House and passes legislation favorable to big buisness.  Morgan and Carnegie create U.S. Steel, the first billion-dollar company in the U.S. while Rockefeller takes control of 90% of North American oil.  

Terms to Define: 

• ANTI-TRUST
• CAPITAL
• ELITE
• LUCRITIVE 
• NICHE
• PROSPERITY
• RUTHLESS

Questions to answer:

1. Why were American workers upset at the time of the 1896 election?  How did William Jennings Bryan attempt to address some of their concerns?
2. Why did the business tycoons put their support behind William McKinley?  Were they successful?
3. What does ant0trust mean?  Do you agree with the strategy of breaking up businesses that become very dominant in one industry?
4. Click on this link and watch the video: Morgan Video.  Then take a look at the Sherman Anti-Trust document from the National archives here: Sherman Anti-Trust Act.  After completing these two items, answer the following question:  What does it say about monopolies, and what punishments did it suggest for violators?  

Episode 8:  The New Machine

After McKinley is assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt becomes president and quickly passes a series of regulations increasing oversight of American business. Henry ford devises the plan for a gas-powered car, and he launches the assembly line as an innovative method of production. He targets the middle class with his Model T and changes the landscape of America.  The Panama Canal opens up new trade routes. Rockefeller is put on trial for anti-trust violations. He loses in court and his company, Standard Oil, is one of the first monopolies broken up by the u.S. government. J.P. Morgan helps to establish the federal Reserve and cements his legacy as the father of modern capitalism. He and other big business leaders become major philanthropists. As the U.S. Army sets sail for Europe in World War I, one thing is clear…these men didn’t discover America, they built it. 

Terms to Define: 

• DURABLE
• MONOPOLY
• PHILANTHROPY
• SUPERPOWER
• UTILITARIAN

Questions to answer:

1. W hy was the election of President Theodore Roosevelt  so significant? What were some of the major changes he made?
2. What were some of Henry Ford’s key innovations?
3. Why was the Panama Canal such an important project?
4. What is philanthropy? Do you think all business leaders are obligated to also be philanthropists?
5. The Child Labor Act of 1916 was developed to eliminate the abuse of children in the workforce.  View the Child Labor Act and read the text as well as viewing the related photos by Lewis Hine linked on the National Archives Site by clicking here: National Archives.  In two paragraphs, write a short essay about child labor violations and the importance of this act.  

Click on the following pictures for futher viewing about the contributions of these two men.

American Industrial Revolution Web Quest - Presentations

The Industrial Revolution

This will be a 2-part assignment:

Part 1 - After sharing with me your google email address, I will share a Google Presentation document with you.  On this presentation, there are 15 different topics.  Each of you will have one topic that you are responsible for.  These presentations will need to be 4 minutes in length and will answer all of the pertinent questions about your topic (who, what, where, when, why, and how, as well as their importance of your topic to the Industrial Revolution in American History).  They need to be completed by the end of the day on Friday, January 23.  You will have time in class to work on them Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday so plan according.  They will be graded on completeness, creativity and on the short study guide that you create for the rest of the class.  The presentations will be given in the order that they are arraged in the presentation and will be intermixed while we watch the History Channel Series, "The Men Who Built America."

Part 2 - There is a webquest component to this assignment as well.  This assignment is simple. You will need to create a google document and share it with me using the email shipdog65@gmail.com.  In this document you will answer the following questions using the links I have provided.  This assignment will be due by the end of the Series we are watching.  This will be (tentatively) about Wednesday Feb. 4.

Webquest :

Follow all instructions in order.  

STEP ONE:  Industrial Revolution Summary
Go to the following link and read the overview of the Industrial Revolution (make sure you read both pages).  Then answer the following questions in your google doc:
                    http://americanhistory.about.com/od/industrialrev/a/indrevoverview.htm
     1.  What was the Industrial Revolution?     
     2.  When and how did it begin?
     3.  What were some of the causes?
     4.  What were the three important developments?
     5.  How did it change society (what were the effects)?  LIST AND EXPLAIN all of the ways mentioned in the article (mostly on page 2).
     6.  Is this article a primary or secondary source?  Explain.

STEP TWO:  Definitions
1.  Copy the following definition onto your paper.
        Industrial Revolution - a period of rapid growth in the use of machines in manufacturing and production (a rise in factories)
2.  Look up the following definitions (on dictionary.com or wikipedia in a separate window) and define and explain how they relate to the industrial revolution:
        a)  textiles      b)  technology  c)  mass production                d)  trade unions                  e)  strikes                   f)  Lowell System     
        g)  Sarah G. Bagley and Labor Reform   

STEP THREE:  Discover the Inventors and Inventions
For each of the inventors below, click on the names and terms to go to websites that explain them.  Then answer the questions that follow for each of them:

1.  Francis Cabot Lowell
                a)  What was his invention or creation?
                b)  Explain it.  Also explain how it was part of the industrial revolution.
                c)  Explain how his system was important to American history.
2.  Samuel Slater 
                 a)  Who was he and what did he create?
                 b)  Read the part about child labor:  What was life like in the mills?  Why did he employ children?
                 c)  What was in slatersville?  (Why was it important?)
                 d)  Why do you think we have child labor laws today?
3.  Samuel Morse
                 a)  What did he create?
                 b)  How was his invention important to history?  How was it useful?
4.  Robert Fulton
                a)  What did he have a part in inventing?  Explain the invention.
                b)  Why was this invention so important to America?
5.  Eli Whitney***
                 ***a)  What was the very important invention that Eli Whitney created?
                 b)  Why was this such an important invention for America (what were the advantages)?
6. Peter Cooper
                a)  What did Peter Cooper Create and Why was it important?
7. John Deere
                 a)  Who was John Deere and what did he create?
                 b)  How has he impacted history?
                  c)  How is the company still relevant today?
8. Cyrus McCormick
                 a)  What did he invent and why is it important?
9. Isaac Singer
                  a)  What is he famous for creating?
                  b)  Is his invention still used today?
                  c)  What else did he invent?

STEP FOUR:  Transportation Revolution
Answer the following questions from the reading HERE. 
1.  What was the transportation revolution?
2.  Why was it important?
3.  What were the new forms of transportation?
4.  Explain how each of these new methods of transportation affected Americans.  (For example, the railroads allowed people to travel farther and to go westward eventually.  They helped move goods and people across long distances.  There were many people against them though...they were loud, uncomfortable, slow, etc.)

STEP FIVE:  POWERPOINT REVIEW QUESTIONS
Look at the Powerpoint attached HERE to answer the following questions.
1.  (Slide 3)  Describe how the population was changing from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s.  Also, In what direction was it changing?
2.  (Slides 2-3)  Why was the population changing?
3.  Explain Indian Removal (Slide 5).
4.  Summarize and explain the following slides:  12, 15-21

STEP SIX:  Critical Thinking Questions - At least 2-3 sentences each.
Use your notes and your brain from all of the previous steps to answer the following:

1.  How did the Industrial Revolution shape or change America?
2.  What were some of the positive results of industrialization?
3.  What were some negative effects of the industrial revolution?
4.  How did the growth of factories change American life?
5.  How did the transportation revolution change the economy?

Read the following website:  http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/Baker_00/2002_p7/ak_p7/childlabor.html
6.  What was child labor like in the factories.  Why were children used as workers?
7.  How were the children treated?  Give examples.
8.  What reform efforts have been made (last paragraph on website)?  Are children still allowed to work today?  Why or why not?
9.  Why do you think we have a labor day?

Civil War Web-Quest

This Web Quest focuses on students exploring the different perspectives of the American Civil War, and several different writing pieces.

Introduction

There are many causes of the American Civil War. The leading cause resulted in the tension between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. The other main causes are the Compromise of 1850, the differences between the Northern and the Southern economies, the argument of the legality of slavery and states rights, and Secession. In this WebQuest you will listen and read about the treatment of slaves, how the Southern plantation owners felt over slavery and its impact in their economy, and the position that the North and South held on the resulting causes of the Civil War. This WebQuest will take you approximately 2 to 3 class periods. As you are completing the WebQuest, imagine if you had to live during the 1860's. Think about all the possible perspectives that were held at that time period.

Task

Imagine you’re living through the beginning of the Civil War. Your task will be to complete three different processes and have three different writing pieces where you are exploring the different perspectives of the causes of the Civil War. In this WebQuest you will complete:

1.      A Title page

2.   A Introduction

3.   A Journal entry

4.      A news article

5.      A chart explaining the North and the South’s differences

6.   A Conclusion 

Process

Introduction

Begin by completing A great introduction to the topic.  Click on this link:

This is a site commemorating the 150^th anniversary of the civil war as done by the History Channel.  It is a top notch resource.  There are 7 different major links that are on this site.  Explore all of them, and their sub links as they will do a tremendous job explaining the civil war to you.  When you have completed this task, create a cover page with name, class, and topic on it.  Make it creative.  Then create a 3 to 5 paragraph introduction to your project with this site as the sole source. 

Process 1:

Slavery was a major cause of the Civil War. It was an uncontrollable conflict between the North and South.  In the West, the United States was expanding, and questions over the territories becoming a slave or fee state caused conflicts in Congress. 

Northern opposition to slavery caused the South to fear a threat to them owning slaves and their economy (slave based Plantation systems).  Abolition movement (group of people who considered slavery to be morally wrong) was growing strong in the North.   Southerners found slavery profitable and considered slavery to be good. 

Approximately a ¼ owned slaves, and a ½ of the families owned fewer than 5 slaves.  Most Southerners who did not own slaves supported slavery because they believed the Southern economy would collapse without slaves and Blacks were inferior to whites. 

Assignment: Imagine you were a slave during the 1800's, and the horrible treatment you would face. Use your previous knowledge on slavery and the following Web sites to write a journal entry where you are pretending to be a slave. This journal should be about 1 page in length.  Include the following criteria:

1. How slaves were treated by their masters?

2. What different things slaves faced?

3. Describe working and living conditions?

4. Describe slaves’ lives outside of working on the plantations?

Web sites:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/

http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2958.html

Process 2

The South’s population in 1860 was approximately 12 million, with about 4 million enslaved people. Most people lived on farms in spread-out communities, lived on self sufficient plantations, and cities were trading centers. The economy was based on agriculture, supported by slave labor, and the growth of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar. Large plantation owners controlled much of the Southern traditional and conservative society.

 Assignment: Imagine you were plantation owner during the 1800's, and you are defending the need for slavery and how abolishing slavery would negatively affect the South’s economy. Use your previous knowledge on the South’s economy in the 1800’s and the following Web sites to write a news article explaining why slavery should still be used. This article should be 1-2 pages in length.  Include the following criteria:

1. Why Southerners believed slavery was okay?

2.       Describes the South’s economy in the 1800’s.

3.       How the South’s economy would be affected if slavery was abolished?

Web sites:

http://www.civilwarhome.com/kingcotton.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/filmmore/ps_grayson.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/filmmore/ps_fitzhugh.html

Process 3

The following are Causes of the Civil War:

Slavery: The North and South argued over the morality of slavery, and the treatment of slaves.

Compromise of 1850: This was a group of acts that were passed to settle the slave question and give satisfaction to both the North and South. Henry Clay proposed that One, California be admitted as a free state (slavery not permitted); Two, Utah and New Mexico would use Popular Sovereignty (decide to be either a free or slave state); Three, The US would allow slavery to continue, but would abolish the slave trade in Washington, DC. Four, A stricter fugitive slave law that would require Northerners to return escaped slaves back to their owners.

Legality of Slavery: The North and South continually argued over the legality of slavery. The North feared it might bring competition between slave laborers and wage earners, or would threatened to reduce status of white workers. They also supported the Wilmot Proviso. In the South, whites feared a social and economic revolution if slavery was not legalized, and believed slaves as property were protected by the Constitution. They were against the Wilmot Proviso. 

Secession: In December 1860, South Carolina seceded, and was the first state to secede.  In January 1861, Mississippi , Florida , Alabama , Georgia , andLouisiana seceded. On  February 4, 1861 representatives met in Montgomery , Alabama and established the Confederate States of America . The President elected was Jefferson Davis (of Mississippi ) and Vice President elected was Alexander H. Stephens (of Georgia ). On March 2, 1861, Texas seceded.

Economies: The North’s economy was based on manufacturing, producing textiles, ships, iron, and lumber, and foreign trade. The South’s economy was based on agriculture, slave labor, and the growth of cash crops.

States Rights: The North and South argued over how much control the federal government had over the states.

Your Assignment is to create a chart that explains what the North and South’s position was on EACH of the above causes of the Civil War.  Use the following Web sites to complete the assignment and the chart example.  

Chart Example:

	North	South
Compromise of 1850
Slavery
Secession
Economies
Legality of Slavery
States Rights

Web sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://www.americancivilwar.com/kids_zone/causes.html

http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/slavery.htm

http://www.civilwarhome.com/gordoncauses.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0813116.html

Evaluation

Evaluation on the task and assignments of the:

Which side would you have chosen during the Civil War? WebQuest

	3-Excellent	2-Satisfactory	1-Unsatisfactory
Slave Journal Entry	Creative, clear descriptions, includes an accurate explanation of the specified criteria, and has specific references from the given Web sites	Minimum explanation on the specified criteria, and references to the given Web sites.	Did not follow the specified criteria, provides no references to the Web sites, no explanation, and is unclear.
Southern Plantation Owner News Article	Creative, clear descriptions, includes an accurate explanation of the specified criteria, and has specific references from the given Web sites	Minimum explanation on the specified criteria, and references to the given Web sites.	Did not follow the specified criteria, provides no references to the Web sites, no explanation, and is unclear.
North and South position on the Causes	Chart Clearly explains what the North and South positions were on the Causes of the War, and uses specific references from the given Web sites.	Chart has Minimum explanation on the North and South’s positions on the Causes of the Civil War, and uses minimum references from the given Web sites.	Chart does not accurately explain the positions of the North and South, provides no explanation, there are no references from the Web sites, and is unclear.

Conclusion

This WebQuest was to help you understand a variety of perspectives from that of the North and the South over the resulting causes of the American Civil War. It was also to help you be able to describe the life of a slave, and explain the Southern mentality about slavery and their economy. Just to remind you, the North’s cause was to keep the nation together and to abolish slavery, while the South’s cause was to keep their economy strong and keep their cheap work force intact. Which side would you have chosen to fight for? In a one page summary, tell me which side you would have been on and why?

The Union Army or The Confederate Army ??