Slavery

If it wasn't for the issue of slavery, the civil war would never have happened. Assess the valididty of this statement.

Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand says that government meddling in the economy CAUSED the rise of robber barons. Do the events of the Gilded Age support what Ayn Rand says about government and the economy or do they disprove her philosophy?

Cities

There is a myth that cities are more prone to violence, corruption, dishonesty, and immorality. Is this a myth? Do cities really breed immoral life?

Question

Take the opportunity to reply to THIS blog post by asking a debatable question of your own. This should be an easy short one so there is a limit of only two questions per student. You can of course reply to another students' discussion question.

Por Que?

Consider the most important changes of the Gilded Age

Scandal and graft
reform movements
Consolidation and trust
government passivity
poor leadership
Rapid growth
Westward expansion
Urban difficulty
Farmer's issues

Are these different from eras of the past? Are the same elements developing? Why is all this happening now?

Reform!

Consider the various reform groups of the Gilded Age

Mugwumps
Radical Republicans
Knights of Labor
AF of L
Populists

How are they the same or different from older reform groups

Jeffersonians
Abolitionists
Groups that spread from the Second Great Awakening
Utopian Communities

What can you account for these differences?

Immigration Restriction

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first time America ever limited the immigration of a person based on country of origin. Is this morally, diplomatically, and economically sound? Are there alternative solutions that are more "PC"?

What if...

There are many "what ifs" in the civil war. Explain what you think are some of the most important events and what would have been changed if their outomes were different.

Education

Is the eduaction system really what it claims to be?does it educate and give everyone a chance? Or does it exist to quell class war and serve as a national baby-sitter?

Civil War

What was the most important cause of the civil war? What event or change caused or was at the center of all the others?

The War of 1812

In what ways does the War of 1812 change everything for the U.S.? What new questions must be answered? Why old problems have found solutions?

Capitalism vs. Democracy

To what extent does capitalism pose a threat to democracy in the antebellum era?

Monroe Doctrine

To what extent was Monroe's Doctrine a break from Washington's policy of neutrality and Jefferson's policy of peaceful coercion?

Andrew Jackson

Was Jackson a hero or villain? Was he a tyrant or an advocate for the common man? What party did he really belong to and support?