American History Homework Seven Answers - Model

Lecture - Questions - Student Answers

1. What was the "Gilded Age"?

The Gilded Age was the name given to the period after Reconstruction by Mark Twain He described the period 1878 to 1889 as looking very nice on the outside but as actually dreadful on the inside. Although this was the view expressed by Mark Twain, the Gilded Age was also a time of economic growth and of many inventions. (Joseph M.)

2. What do you like about Thomas Edison, and do you think homeschooling him created enormous wealth?

... [W]hat I find most amazing about him is his work ethic. Very few people can even bear to do as much work as he did, let alone recognize the necessity of work and maybe even enjoy it. "Do you think homeschooling him created enormous wealth?" Well, I’m sure being homeschooled helped to form his character, focus on his interests, and live up to his full potential. He probably wouldn’t have invented so much or had so great a work ethic if he hadn’t had to basically educate himself. ... (Addison DM)

3. How do you think the frontier might have affected the views of Americans?

The Americans saw the frontier as a mystery, alluring and attractive, all that land just out there for the taking! The frontier encouraged them to go out and start up a farm, building communities and towns and expanding America. It was the opportunity for them to seize and make use of the freedom granted to them by their citizenship. In a nutshell, it was the American Dream. ... (Katie B.)

4. What do you think is special about the United States that has made it the world leader in inventions?

I think the huge amount of freedom (freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of pretty much any BELIEF or idea!) that American's have encouraged and still encourages people everywhere to invent new things! ... (Deborah B.)

5. How influential do you think political cartoons really are? Give an example or two.

6. Other than Thomas Edison, who do you think was the most influential person between 1877 and 1896?

7. Please interpret the above cartoon, with special emphasis on explaining the images used and including a description of the point of view of the cartoonist.

Honors (answer 3 out of 5):

H1. Do you agree that the Democrat Grover Cleveland was a conservative, and why?

H2. The Blaine Amendments: good, bad, or bigoted? Your view, please.

H3. Write about any controversy or mystery relating to the time period covered by the lecture.

Debate question: Should government break up monopolies? Sometimes. A monopoly may, by buying up all its competition, end up emulating from the private sector the same sort of practices found in a planned economy; most importantly, inefficiency, since there is no competition to deal with or to potentially lose customers to. A monopoly may lower the standards of an industry in general. If a serious or necessary industry becomes monopolized and subsequently inefficient, then I would probably support breaking it up. ... (Addison DM)

H4. Do you support or oppose unions? Use an example from the late 1800s.

H5. William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech: right, wrong, and/or pure demagoguery? Your view, please.