US History - 550 words

Topic: Immigrants

Part 1 – 250 words

Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 (attached) and explore the Alien Menace (http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/19thcentury/alienmenace/assignment.php)  article thoroughly, viewing all of the links.

Reflect on the discrimination based on race, gender, and ethnicity that was common in American society during the last half of the 1800s. Think about how this discrimination was justified. Consider the particular challenges and opportunities that each group confronted during this period and the strategies they used to navigate them. Focus specifically on the group that you chose for your Final Project. How did your group fit into the dynamics of this period? 

Write: Based on chapters 1,2, and 3 and the required exhibit, answer the following:

Why was the last half of the 1800s a time of conflict over the meanings of citizenship in relation to race, ethnicity, and gender?

Explain the challenges faced by immigrants.

How did immigrants secure their places in the social and political hierarchy?

Part 2 – 250 words

Consider how the rise of big business and industrial capitalism affected different groups of Americans and how those groups responded to these developments. Reflect on the socioeconomic changes that occurred in the United States in the last half of the 1800s

Write: Based on chapters 1,2, and 3 and the assigned video  The American Industrial Revolution. (https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47596&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=), answer the following questions:

What were the most revolutionary social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century?

What role did government play in these developments?

How did your chosen group respond to those changes, and how effective were their responses?

Part 3 – 50 words

Reflecting on Part 1 and 2, address at least two of the following questions:

What struck you in particular as you explored the course materials this week?

What insights have you had?

What have you been struggling with?

What questions have come up for you at this point?