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Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History - Theme Workshop 2012
This document provides guidance for students on developing topics related to the history day theme of "Revolution, Reaction, Reform". It defines the key terms, discusses how to narrow topics within these areas, and provides examples of potential topics involving revolutions like the American Revolution and reforms around issues like child labor. The document cautions that determining what constitutes a revolution can be subjective and advises students to consider multiple perspectives. It also stresses the importance of reactions in shaping how events unfold and notes that one of the three theme elements should be the jumping off point for topics.
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Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History - Theme Workshop 2012
- 1. Revolution, Reaction, Reformin History History Day Theme WorkshopSeptember 27, 2011
- 2. Revolution, Reaction, ReformProvidesan opportunity to explore the moments that changed history
- 3. Revolution, Reaction, ReformProvidesan opportunity to explore the moments that changed history Students are encouraged, but do not need to use all 3 theme words
- 4. Revolution, Reaction, ReformProvidesan opportunity to explore the moments that changed history Students are encouraged, but do not need to use all 3 theme wordsExtremely broad theme – consider multiple perspectivesRevolutionRevolution:
- 5. An overthrow orthorough replacement of an established government or political systemRevolutionRevolution:
- 6. An overthrow orthorough replacement of an established government or political system
- 7. A radical changein society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violenceRevolutionRevolution:
- 8. An overthrow orthorough replacement of an established government or political system
- 9. A radical changein society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence
- 10. A sudden, completeor marked change in somethingRevolutionAmerican Revolution
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14. Green RevolutionRevolutionTopicNarrowing within a Revolution
- 15. RevolutionTopic Narrowing withina RevolutionWhat are the causes and effects of a revolution?
- 16. RevolutionTopic Narrowing withina RevolutionWhat are the causes and effects of a revolution?What led to the revolution?
- 17. RevolutionTopic Narrowing withina RevolutionWhat are the causes and effects of a revolution?What led to the revolution?What are the outcomes on participants?
- 18. RevolutionTopic Narrowing withina RevolutionWhat are the causes and effects of a revolution?What led to the revolution?What are the outcomes on participants? Who won? Who lost? What are the consequences?
- 19. RevolutionTopic Narrowing withina RevolutionWhat are the causes and effects of a revolution?What led to the revolution?What are the outcomes on participants? Who won? Who lost? Why was it revolutionary?
- 20. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution
- 21. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violent forms of protest
- 22. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violent forms of protestIs peaceful protest in the 1960s revolutionary?
- 23. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violent forms of protestIs peaceful protest in the 1960s revolutionary?MahtmaGhandi and Indian Independence?
- 24. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violent forms of protestIs peaceful protest in the 1960s revolutionary?MahtmaGhandi and Indian Independence? Is King a revolutionary?
- 25. RevolutionNot all changebrings about a revolution Ex. Martin Luther King Jr. and non-violent forms of protestIs peaceful protest in the 1960s revolutionary?MahtmaGhandi and Indian Independence? Is King a revolutionary? Arguing multiple “revolutions” in a topic can become confusing Revolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjectiveRevolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 26. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll Revolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 27. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll
- 28. Ex. Art –Monet and modernism Revolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 29. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll
- 30. Ex. Art –Monet and modernism
- 31. Ex. Inventions –Ford’s Model T and the assembly lineRevolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 32. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll
- 33. Ex. Art –Monet and modernism
- 34. Ex. Inventions –Ford’s Model T and the assembly line
- 35. Ex. Acts orLaws – National Origins Act of 1921Revolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 36. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll
- 37. Ex. Art –Monet and modernism
- 38. Ex. Inventions –Ford’s Model T and the assembly line
- 39. Ex. Acts orLaws – National Origins Act of 1921
- 40. Ex. Ideology –King Henry VIII’s break with RomeRevolution What constitutes a revolution can be very subjective
- 41. Ex. Music –1950s rock n’ roll
- 42. Ex. Art –Monet and modernism
- 43. Ex. Inventions –Ford’s Model T and the assembly line
- 44. Ex. Acts orLaws – National Origins Act of 1921
- 45. Ex. Ideology –King Henry VIII’s break with Rome
- 46. Failed revolutions canbe interesting moments in history to explore
- 47. ReactionRevolutions are oftendefined by how people reactReactionRevolutions are often defined by how people reactReaction:Action in response to some influence, event, etc. ReactionRevolutions are often defined by how people reactReaction:Action in response to some influence, event, etc.
- 48. Reactions can bewords, actions, or changes in a way of thinking ReactionImportant to include multiple reactionsReactionImportant to include multiple reactions
- 49. Most human elementof a historical story ReactionImportant to include multiple reactions
- 50. Most human elementof a historical story
- 51. Reactions should notsimply exist in a person’s thoughts
- 52. Consider how people’sreactions cause or halt change?ReactionImportant to include multiple reactions
- 53. Most human elementof a historical story
- 54. Reactions should notsimply exist in a person’s thoughts
- 55. Consider how people’sreactions cause or halt change?
- 56. What happens whenreactions are stifled? ReactionImportant to include multiple reactions
- 57. Most human elementof a historical story
- 58. Reactions should notsimply exist in a person’s thoughts
- 59. Consider how people’sreactions cause or halt change
- 60. What happens whenreactions are stifled?
- 61. Reaction proceeds andsucceeds both of the other R’s
- 62. Ex. Reaction promptsreform/revolution, revolution/reform causes reactionReactionReactions can take the form of: protests petitions polls boycotts rallies editorials political cartoons letters diary entries crimes
- 63. ReactionPeople react outof: fear anger joy greed failure success morality survival supremacy equality
- 64. ReactionPeople react outof: fear anger joy *find your favorite historical greed reaction – there are revolutions failure and reforms there as well success morality survival supremacy equality
- 65. ReformReform: The improvementor amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. ReformReform:The improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc.
- 66. To change forthe betterReformReform:The improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc.
- 67. To change forthe better
- 68. Correction of evils,abuses, or errorsReformReform:The improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc.
- 69. To change forthe better
- 70. Correction of evils,abuses, or errors
- 71. Is reform alwayspositive? ReformChanges to society do not happen overnight, reforms can take decades to developReformChanges to society do not happen overnight, reforms can take decades to develop
- 72. Students will needto narrow topics by isolating a particular event or person involved in the process of reformReformChanges to society do not happen overnight, reforms can take decades to develop
- 73. Students will needto narrow topics by isolating a particular event or person involved in the process of reform
- 74. Reforms themselves maynot be the main focus, rather why is reform needed? Who were the reformers? Revolution, Reaction, Reform Reform leads to reaction
- 75. Revolution, Reaction, ReformReform leads to reactionRevolutions come of reactions to reform
- 76. Revolution, Reaction, ReformReform leads to reactionRevolutions come of reactions to reformReaction explodes into Revolution
- 77. Revolution, Reaction, ReformReform leads to reactionRevolutions come of reactions to reformReaction explodes into RevolutionLack of reform prompts reactions which lead to revolution
- 78. Revolution, Reaction, ReformReform leads to reactionRevolutions come of reactions to reformReaction explodes into RevolutionLack of reform prompts reactions which lead to revolutionOne of the three “R’s” should be the focus or jumping off point to explore the other theme words
- 79. Topic Idea –American Revolution
- 80. Topic Idea –American RevolutionReforms before the war: Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, Sugar ActTopic Idea – American RevolutionReforms before the war: Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, Sugar Act
- 81. Reactions before thewar: Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty, Letters from a Pennsylvania FarmerTopic Idea – American RevolutionReforms before the war: Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, Sugar Act
- 82. Reactions before thewar: Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer
- 83. Reforms after thewar: Constitution replaces Articles of Confederation, Northwest OrdinanceTopic Idea – American RevolutionReforms before the war: Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, Sugar Act
- 84. Reactions before thewar: Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer
- 85. Reforms after thewar: Constitution replaces Articles of Confederation, Northwest Ordinance
- 86. Reactions after thewar: Shays’ Rebellion, British reaction to lossTopic Idea – Child Labor Reform
- 87. Topic Idea –Child Labor ReformRevolutionaries/ Reformers: Photographer Lewis Hine, organizer Mother Jones, National Child Labor CommitteeTopic Idea – Child Labor ReformRevolutionaries/ Reformers: Photographer Lewis Hine, organizer Mother Jones, National Child Labor Committee
- 88. Reactions: Newsies 1899strike, Children’s crusadeTopic Idea – Child Labor ReformRevolutionaries/ Reformers: Photographer Lewis Hine, organizer Mother Jones, National Child Labor Committee
- 89. Reactions: Newsies 1899strike, Children’s crusade
- 90. Gradual Reforms: FlorenceKelly, Hull House, Children’s Bureau, Keating-Owen Act, failed Constitutional amendment, Fair Labor Standards ActCautions about RRRA theme heavy with point of view
- 91. Don’t include personalreactionsCautions about RRRA theme heavy with point of view
- 92. Don’t include personalreactions
- 93. Stay away frommodern revolutions – topics should be 20 years oldCautions about RRRA theme heavy with point of view
- 94. Don’t include personalreactions
- 95. Stay away frommodern revolutions – topics should be 20 years old
- 96. Historical significance shouldbe clear
- 97. Why is thistopic important? Tips for Tackling the Theme Be clear on how you will use the theme words
- 98. Tips for Tacklingthe Theme Be clear on how you will use the theme wordsUse current revolution or reforms as starting off points, or think about what causes heated reactions today
- 99. Tips for Tacklingthe Theme Be clear on how you will use the theme wordsUse current revolution or reforms as starting off points, or think about what causes heated reactions todayUse analysis instead of fact reporting
- 100. Tips for Tacklingthe Theme Be clear on how you will use the theme wordsUse current revolution or reforms as starting off points, or think about what causes heated reactions todayUse analysis instead of fact reportingAlways ask the “W” questions
- 101. Science and TechnologyMarchof Dimes and Polio VaccineMayo Brothers found the Mayo Clinic
- 102. Social IssuesChild Laborduring the Industrial RevolutionCharles Dight and the Minnesota Eugenics Society
- 103. CommunicationFrances Densmore –Preserving Native customsPolitical cartoons of Thomas Nast
- 104. EducationLittle Rock Nineand School DesegregationHarriet Bishop and Education Reform in Minnesota
- 105. Arts, Literature, MusicFrankLloyd Wright andOrganic ArchitectureWPA Art Project
- 106. Labor Movement1917 TwinCity Rapid Transit Company Street Railway StrikeTriangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and Worker’s Safety
- 107. Environment1894 Hinckley FireRachelCarson and Silent Spring
- 108. Famous PeopleSister ElizabethKenny and Polio President Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
- 109. Military HistoryWomen inthe Military during WWIIJapanese Internment during WWII
- 110. AgricultureBonanza FarmsEli Whitneyand the Cotton Gin
- 111. TransportationStreet cars inMinneapolisHenry Ford and the Assembly Line
- 112. Politics and GovernmentBostonTea Party
- 113. Women in HistoryJaneAddams and the Hull House
- 114. Pop CultureElvis andthe “King of Pop”
Editor's Notes
- #16 Ex. Kansas-Nebraska Act – Change occurs, the act established that settlers could vote to decide whether to allow slavery, in the name of popularsovereinty or rule of the people.
- #21 When is a person revolutionary? Like innovation – don’t try to force everything into being a revolution. It becomes confusing and the word starts to lose its meaning and impact.
- #22 Revolution is a hefty term
- #24 Is rock and roll music revolutionary? Does it bring about a revolution in music?Is Monet a revolutionary? Or is the modernism a revolution against the realism movement that had dominated art?
- #25 Is rock and roll music revolutionary? Does it bring about a revolution in music?Is Monet a revolutionary? Or is the modernism a revolution against the realism movement that had dominated artIf the assembly line revolutionary? Does it bring a revolution within the manufacturing industry? Is it just one innovation within the larger Industrial Revolution and the assembly line is your narrowed point?
- #26 Is rock and roll music revolutionary? Does it bring about a revolution in music?Is Monet a revolutionary? Or is the modernism a revolution against the realism movement that had dominated artIf the assembly line revolutionary? Does it bring a revolution within the manufacturing industry? Is it just one innovation within the larger Industrial Revolution and the assembly line is your narrowed point? Is the National Origins Act of 1921 a revolution? What does it change? Is it a true break from previous immigration policy?
- #27 Is rock and roll music revolutionary? Does it bring about a revolution in music?Is Monet a revolutionary? Or is the modernism a revolution against the realism movement that had dominated artIf the assembly line revolutionary? Does it bring a revolution within the manufacturing industry? Is it just one innovation within the larger Industrial Revolution and the assembly line is your narrowed point? Is the National Origins Act of 1921 a revolution? What does it change? Is it a true break from previous immigration policy? Is King Henry VIII’s split with the Catholic Church a revolution? It is a sudden change, the Church of England is formed.
- #28 1848 revolutions in Germany states – desire to be a unified state and to improve civil liberties in the mid-19th century pushed the educated middle class in Prussia and Austria to protest and demonstrate against the monarchy and demand political reform. The revolution ultimately fails, but it is an extremely interesting moment worth studying in history despite the lack of “change”. The middle class and working class components of the Revolution split, and in the end the conservative aristocracy defeated it, forcing many liberals into exile.
- #34 Reactions to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire help push for change within labor laws and ensuring a safe working environment. Reactions of white politicians towards emancipation after the Civil War results in the Jim Crow law or black codes which prevents true freedom for African-Americans. Change is stifled. Using fear and violence the Nazi party stifles reactions towards the discrimination and ultimate execution of Jews, handicapped, gypsies, etc. and the Holocaust is a result. Violence, segregation, and discrimination all are allowed to flourish when reactions are stifled
- #35 Reactions to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire help push for change within labor laws and ensuring a safe working environment. Reactions of white politicians towards emancipation after the Civil War results in the Jim Crow law or black codes which prevents true freedom for African-Americans. Change is stifled. Using fear and violence the Nazi party stifles reactions towards the discrimination and ultimate execution of Jews, handicapped, gypsies, etc. and the Holocaust is a result. Violence, segregation, and discrimination all are allowed to flourish when reactions are stifled
- #37 Reactions are emotions – fear, anger, hatred, empathy, etc. all dictate reactions and related outcomes.
- #38 Reactions are emotions – fear, anger, hatred, empathy, etc. all dictate reactions and related outcomes.
- #39 Reactions are emotions – fear, anger, hatred, empathy, etc. all dictate reactions and related outcomes.
- #43 Reform in regards to Native American policy in the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries – Indian Removal Act Who is on either side of the reform? Who is implementing the reform? Who is effected by the reform? Is it the same? The story does not always have to end neatly and positively – history is not studied to paint a rosy picture of the past.
- #45 The women’s suffrage movement is nearly 70 years of women working towards the goal of reforming the voting system in the United States. Need to pick a moment within the reform to focus in on – the strategies of early suffragist are different from those used by Alice Paul in the 20th century. Same goal of reform but different methods to get there.
- #48 Colonists react to the reforms handed down by the British government, which eventually leads to the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States.
- #49 Colonists react to the reforms handed down by the British government, which eventually leads to the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States.
- #50 Colonists react to the reforms handed down by the British government, which eventually leads to the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States.
- #51 Colonists react to the reforms handed down by the British government, which eventually leads to the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States.
- #54 Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania is a series of essays written by the Pennsylvania lawyer and legislator John Dickinson (1732–1808) and published under the name "A Farmer" from 1767 to 1768. The twelve letters were widely read and reprinted throughout the thirteen colonies, and were important in uniting the colonists against the Townshend Acts. The success of his letters earned Dickinson considerable fame.[1]
- #55 Established the Northwest territory, the first official territory of the United States. Any state claims over the land were abolished.
- #60 Work done at the Hull House
- #61 Revolutions should be radical, thorough, or widespreadReforms should be should be impactful changesReactions should not just be in a person’s mind
- #62 Revolutions should be radical, thorough, or widespreadReforms should be should be impactful changesReactions should not just be in a person’s mind
- #63 Revolutions should be radical, thorough, or widespreadReforms should be impactful changesReactions should not just be in a person’s mind
- #68 Following the 1883 tornado that devastated the city of Rochester, W.W. Mayo and his two sons Charlie and William were innovators in the medical field, and pioneered new reforms in the field. They reacted to a need for a modern clinic in the rural, farming community. Today the Mayo clinic continues to provide cutting edge medical care. United States: Polio was a serious concern for families and the government until the development of a vaccine. Epidemics of this disease shook communities and had significant, lifelong consequences for those afflicted. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine in the 1950s along with the help of many organizations, like the March of Dimes. The medical community and government implemented campaigns to inoculate as many as possible from polio. There are many ways to connect these ideas to the annual theme – how was the vaccine, the fundraising work of the March of Dimes or even the vaccination campaigns examples of revolution in history?
- #69 Child labor became a particularly noticeable social issue at the turn of the century as the Industrial Revolution changed the type of labor children were conducting. Reactions after the Triangle Shirtwaist factory and increasingly long hours and injuries pushed social reformers such as National Child Labor Committee, Lewis Hine and others to bring public awareness to the issue. Child labor wasn’t completely illegal until 1938 – could be a long term revolution in reforming labor and eliminating child labor.Charles Fremont Dight formed the Minnesota Eugenics Society at the University of Minnesota in 1923, believing eugenics could bring reform to Minnesota by espousing the idea that the state should administer reproduction of mentally handicapped adults. Successful in passing a steralization law in 1925, but failed to have the law implemented beyond those individuals who were institutionalized.
- #70 Thomas Nast drew weekly cartoons for Harper’s Weekly from 1859-1886. His work addressed a variety of issues, from slavery and reconstruction to Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall. Take a close look at one particular issue in history that Nast addressed in his cartoons. How did the reaction of one man influence public opinion and history? Was he successful in bringing about reform? He brought down Boss Tweed head of Tammany Hall in NYC in the 1870s? His reaction to government corruption? In the early 1900s Frances Densmore began visiting Ojibewe bands in Grand Portage and Grand Marais where she began to transcribe the music. She was a prolific author, writing over twenty books and 100 articles, and recorded over 2,000 wax cylinders of Native music. Her records preserved a vast amount of Native American music and culture during a period when white settlers were moving into Native lands and encouraging the tribes to adopt Western customs. Her reaction to native music and the lack of interest in preserving? Instrumental in bringing about gradual reform to Bureau of Indian Affairs?
- #71 There are many connection between the Civil Rights Movement and this year’s NHD theme. If we look at the Civil Rights Movement as the revolution, one reaction to this was the desegregation of schools through Brown v. Board. The struggle to implement this reform can be seen in the actions of the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas in 1957.Harriet Bishop as part of a program led by educational reformer Catharine Beecher to send women teachers to help educate and civilize frontier children, traveled around what would later become Minnesota. Bishop became active in many moral issues such as temperance, educational reform, and women's suffrage. She is credited with starting the first public school in St. Paul and the first Sunday school, which led to the first Baptist church in the area. Reacting to lack of public education in Minnesota Bishop worked to bring education reform to St. Paul students. Revolution in public education?
- #72 More than just designing homes and buildings, Frank Lloyd Wright created a whole new architectural style – Organic Architecture - in which the buildings harmonized with their environment. How did the innovative architecture of Wright change the way buildings were designed? What reaction did other architects have to his ideas? Can we argue that his architectural style was revolutionary? The Work Progress Administration (WPA) was one of the "alphabet agencies" of the New Deal, the broad sweeping social and economic experiment created by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first term in office during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It included a construction unit and three other agencies: the Federal Art Project, the Federal Writers' Project, and the Federal Theater Project. Reacting to the Great Depression President Roosevelt put in the place the New Deal, a series of reforms
- #73 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took the lives of 146 immigrant workers in New York in 1911. Many who died were trapped in the building or jumped from the 9th floor to their deaths. What were the typical conditions for workers at the time? What were the reactions of those on both sides – workers and management – to the fire? Were reactions to poor working conditions prior to the fire heard, or stifled? What long and short term reforms resulted from this tragedy?The strike began on October 6, 1917 when the president of the Twin City Rapid Transit Company refused to negotiate with the streetcar drivers or their union. In reaction to the World War I citizens were called upon to support the war effort and to guard against the nation’s defeat, which fueled fear which prompted the strike. Seen by the Minnesota business community as one of the most threatening foreign influences, the International Workers of the World (IWW), the "Wobblies," were organizing labor unions on the Minnesota Iron Range, in the building trades, and with the streetcar drivers. In the end the strike was broken, the union defeated. Eight hundred men lost their jobs and were replaced by non-union workers, any reforms or improvements workers were striking failed and were not realized.
- #74 Rachel Carson was a scientist and author who was most well-known for her book “Silent Spring.” Published in 1962, her book publicized the dangers of pesticides for humans and the environment, sparking a revolutionary environmental movement and prompting a reactionary stance from industry. Why did she write this book? What long-term reforms did her book inspire?On September 1, 1894 the Hinckley fire destroyed 480 square miles and raced across 360,00 acres of land. A long drought made for tinder-dry conditions in miles of cutover forests — the wasteland resulting from the unregulated logging practices of the time and lack of reform within the logging industry. In reaction to the destruction and lack of prevention new lumber and logging laws were successful put in place in Minnesota
- #75 Abraham Lincoln did many significant things during his life and presidency. Consider focusing on just one of his revolutionary actions – like the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. This stated "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." This revolutionary speech did not end slavery, but in the reactions of many, this proclamation changed the meaning of the Civil War and was the first attempt at bringing about reform. In the 1940s Sister Elizabeth Kenny experimented with the revolutionary idea of using physical therapy to help treat patients with polio, a much rejected idea in the medical community. Positive reactions to her program helped popularize her method and eventually her procedure opened the modern day era of rehabilitation medicine. Is reform different in the medical community?
- #76 The bombing of Pearl Harbor immediately changed American opinions on World War II, bringing the United States officially into the conflict. Reactions to this event were harsh and immediate for Japanese Americans as fear spread in the United States. Executive Order 9066 took many Japanese Americans out of their homes and places them in internment camps, often at great personal loss of property. How did reactions to Executive Order 9066 differ? What were the short and long-term results of this policy?Women have served in military conflicts since the American Revolution, but World War II was the first time that women served in the United States military in an official capacity. Although women traditionally were excluded from military service and their participation in the Armed Forces was not promoted at the outset of World War II, it soon became apparent that their participation was necessary to win a total war. What reactions prompted military leaders to put in place this revolutionary decision? How did men react towards women after WWII ended?
- #77 In 1793 Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin revolutionized the labor-intensive process of separating seeds from cotton fibers. For cotton-producing landowners, this invention reformed cotton agriculture – making it much more profitable. Not all saw this reaction as a positive, however. As production of cotton soared and spread into new areas, so did slavery as the labor to power this growth. Was this a successful reform? Bonanza farms, huge acreages created from the sale of land by the Northern Pacific Railroad to investors to cover its debts, covered thousands of acres and produced large wheat crops. Through the creation of bonanza farms, Minnesota and North Dakota – Red River Valley in particular – became one of the country’s largest wheat producing areas. Fueled by the Industrial Revolution, between 1875 and 1890, bonanza farms became highly profitable through the use of new machinery and huge crews of cheap hired labor. Unfortunately lack of land regulation or reform over time resulted in the over working and exhaustion of the land.
- #78 Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line revolutionized the industry, drastically decreasing the amount of time it took to build a car. This allowed him to slash prices and made the car more popular than ever. Think about both the positive and negative aspects of this reform: How did it change the experiences of workers building the cars? How did it change issues of transportation the country?Beginning in 1888 streetcars were a symbol of the boom that the Twin Cities were experiencing at the end of the 19th century: wherever new tracks were built, new land was developed, and the cities expanded. The remarkable success of the electric streetcar in urban service led to its use in rural and intercity operation. What prompted the use of streetcars over horse and buggys? Reactions to poor transportation? What consequences resulted because of street cars? How did this reform to transportation in Minneapolis change the city?
- #79 The Boston Tea Party was about much more than just the price of tea. There was already a tense relationship between the colonies and Britain and the Tea Act was another reform that was viewed very differently on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Why did some colonists react so strongly? How did this reform fit into previous actions of the British? How was this event instrumental in bringing about the American Revolution?
- #80 Beginning in 1889, Jane Addams and others at Hull House worked to improve the conditions of life for immigrants and the poor in Chicago by helping them to help themselves. They established services to solve economic problems – a nursery and employment help – as well cultural enrichment – lectures and social clubs. How did Hull House establish a model for reform that was used all across the country? How were these women reacting to the traditional roles that others may have expected of them?
- #81 A project on Elvis should do more than just list his popular songs. Examine the larger significance of “The King” in history. Consider looking at his music as a revolutionary combination of styles. Consider examining how Elvis and other musicians at the time revolutionized youth culture. How did the reactions of teenagers differ from parents in response to his music?