1. Gilded Age Discussion
Your participation in the discussion will count as a double HW grade
Everyone must participate ONCE
No more than TWICE
If you are absent, the alternate assignment is to answer ONE of the “Big Questions to Consider” questions in the ACES paragraph format

2. Big Questions to Consider
How did industrialization, immigration, and urbanization shape America in the Gilded Age? Were those effects largely positive or negative? Be prepared to explain.
What are the similarities between the Gilded Age and today’s society in terms of politics and economics? What issues from the Gilded Age do we still talk about today?
What is the legacy of the Gilded Age culturally, economically, socially, and politically?
Are we living in a new “Gilded Age”

3. Innovation
How did technological innovations and inventions shape American society socially, economically, and politically?
Immigration:
What was the experience of immigrants?
Is America more like a melting pot (assimilation) or salad bowl (not so much assimilation)? Why?
Consider how various ethnic groups impacted American culture
Urbanization
How did cities develop as a result of industrialization and immigration?
What were the positive aspects of urbanization? The negative?
Industrial Capitalism
How did American social and economic values influence the development of Industrial Capitalism? What were the effects of this?
How did opportunity and inequality grow side by side? Should there be a limit on wealth and/or power?
Is capitalism good or bad? Does it depend on who we’re talking about?
Labor
Why were labor unions forming? What were they fighting for?