What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on American society between 1870 and 1940? Was it largely beneficial or not?

You must answer two of the essay questions below; each answer is worth 100 points, for an exam total of 200 points. Each essay should be about three or four typed, double-spaced pages. Remember that you are creating arguments in your essays. Use the assigned readings from The American Promise and documents from the DQs to provide the evidence or examples to support your contentions. No other source is permitted or expected.

When you’ve finished your exam and saved it in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format, return to this dropbox and click on the Submit Assignment link in the right-hand corner of the window and follow the instructions. 

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on American society between 1870 and 1940? Was it largely beneficial or not? Or was its impact more mixed? In your answer, be sure to consider the economic, social, and environmental consequences of industrialization.

2. Discuss the history of African Americans during the period from 1865 to 1940. In doing so, pick three themes and write about them across these years, making sure to be specific throughout your essay.

3. One theme this class has been about, if not always focused on, has been the increase of the power of the federal government. Provide examples of that increase, and then discuss whether the government used its influence in a healthy way for American society. Be sure that your essay covers the entire period weve discussed in the class, and make sure youre relying on specifics at all times.

4. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were an extraordinarily violent time. Discuss the idea of violence as it occurred within the United States as it relates to three of the following groups: African Americans; Native Americans; workers; and immigrants. Are there connections you see between these collection of acts of violence? What are they?