Unit Two “Gilded Age 1865-1898”

1. Unit Two “Gilded Age 1865-1898” Content Specificity Students will know… traditional points of reference in the U.S. the political, economic, and social changes in the U.S. from 1877 to 1898. the impact of geographic factors on major events. the causes and effects of migration and immigration on American society. the relationship between population growth and modernization on the physical environment. domestic and foreign issues related to U.S. economic growth from the 1870s to 1920. the impact of science, technology, and the free enterprise system on the economic development of the United States.

2. Students will be able to… • identify major eras in U.S. history from 1877 to the present and describe their characteristics. • analyze political issues such as Indian policies, political machines, civil service reform, and Populism. • analyze economic issues such as industrialization, railroads, labor unions, farm issues, cattle boom, entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and big business. • analyze social issues affecting women, minorities, children, and immigrants, such as urbanization, the Social Gospel movement, and philanthropy. • analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from immigration & migration within the U.S. such as urban growth, western expansion, and urban to rural migration • identify the effects of population growth and settlement patterns on the environment, including the Great Plains (Transcontinental Railroad & the Homestead Act) and the Klondike Gold Rush. • analyze the changing relationship between the federal government and private business, including the costs and benefits of laissez-faire, anti-trust acts, and the Interstate Commerce Act. • explain how foreign policies affected economic and social issues (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882) • analyze the impact of technological and management innovations on new industries, including agriculture