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"?