As you go through the readings and Dr. Becker’s lecture notes, keep in mind the themes of this module: Reconstruction, westward expansion, industrialization, new immigration, and imperialism. Using cited sources from Major Problems in American History, create posts that engage with other classmates on. You should have one post for each prompt:
What were the arguments for and against citizenship and voting rights for freed slaves, former Confederate rebels, women, and incoming immigrants into the United States. To what extent were citizenship rights regarded as earned? What values shaped those debates, in the South as well as in the rapidly industrializing cities that drew new immigrants through the late 19th century?
The place of the West in the American imagination and U.S. policy. To what extent did democracy and capitalism interact amid competing ethnic, religious, and racial interests? How might we compare and contrast frontier settlement with U.S. imperialist actions outside the United States toward the end of the 19th century?
Also, create posts (or responses) that examine how these historic issues might mirror current events? How have the discussions about citizenship, the right to vote, and claims to land ownership evolved since the late 19th century?
Video Lecture: The Gilded Age (Background on Capitalists and Workers)
Video Lecture: The Frontier and Primary Source Analysis (Professor Wrisley)
COURSE MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE ENCLOSED
Support your discussion with cited evidence from Major Problems in American History. You can also use additional cited material drawn from your other assigned readings and/or scholarly websites. Avoid encyclopedic sources (except to follow the footnotes to find new sources) and be sure to formulate your comments in your own words