Frozen In Time: Our History in 3D
THE AGE OF INDUSTRY

PROGRAMME LENGTH

1 hour

SCREENING DETAILS

Monday 10 October at 9.30am EDT/ NZ

This program focuses on the development of industry in the USA during the 19th and early 20th century, from the Civil War to World War 1. It describes and discusses the resources both material and human that made the rapid realisation of USA industrial potential possible.

While there is one element of the ‘script’ that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and the commercial drive of some of the pioneers of USA private enterprise this is balanced by another that critiques the ethics and practices demonstrated in the careers of luminaries such as Edison, Ford, Rockefeller and Carnegie.

This program will raise issues and provide substantial areas for students to engage in discussion of contestability and perspectives as they study the USA in the 19th and 20th centuries. It could prepare students for a later discussion of USA “exceptionalism”.

Dr Denis Mootz

NBB: PREVIEWING ESSENTIAL:

Discussion of drugs and drug taking.

Mildly offensive images.

DATA CAPTURE.

Stop the video programs at the end of each section.

Allow students to share and discuss answers to the questions below.

Introduction.
Note the terms in which “change” is described.
Note the terms used to account for this “change”.
Note the terms used to describe the result of this “change”.
Part 1.
What began the transformation of the USA after the Civil War? Result? Implications?
What eventually links people “the world over”?
Note the role of “visionaries”.
Who is the first “visionary” cited?
What motivated these “visionaries”? Result?
When did USA industrial output exceed Britain and other European countries?
What impact did this transformation have the USA?
Note the rate of growth of USA industrial output between 1860 -1900. Result?
What results of this do we take for granted? Implications?
Note the reference to the role of women.
Why did products and Presidents now move “more freely”? Result?
Note details of President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1903 western tour. Implications?
Note the discussion of what made the industrial expansion possible. Implications?
Note the elements that contributed to the growth of Chicago. Implications?
What set America “apart” from the rest of the world? Result?
What elements “fuelled” America’s growth and industrial growth?
Note the level of USA’s industrial output by the “turn of the century”.
What was the impact of industrialisation in America?
Note the term “gilded age”. Implications?
Note the “story” of Coca Cola.
Why was it popular? Implications?
Note the description of the level of medical knowledge. Implications?
Why was “addiction” to opiates an increasing problem? Implications? Result?
What “dark side” of prosperity soon becomes apparent? Implications? Result?
Part 2.
Why were jobs “plentiful” in this period? Result?
What “fuel” spurred this growth? Result?
What characteristics of Americans are cited as responsible for this growth? Implications?
Why did Americans believe that they were “exceptional”? Implications?
Note the discussion of the iron and steel industry.
Note the contribution of Andrew Carnegie to the steel industry. Result? Implications?
Note the career of John D. Rockefeller. Result? Implications?
How did Rockefeller gain control of the USA oil industry? Result?
How was the shipping industry revolutionised? Result? Implications?
Note the contribution of Edison to the “illumination” of the world. Result? Implications?
What made rural electrification possible? Result?
Note the work of Alexander Graham Bell. Result?
Note the description of the creation of a vast Middle Class in America. Result?
Note the discussion of “ruthless and terrible” business practices. Implications? Result?
Note the “struggle” between Edison and Nikola Tesla.
Part 3.
Note the discussion of Edison’s work as an inventor. Result? Implications?
Note the various areas in which Edison produced “inventions”.
Note the discussion of his business “tactics”. Result? Implications?
Note the work of Louis Le Prince. Result? Implications?
Note the work of Nikola Tesla. Result?
Note the description of “direct” and “alternating” electric current. Implications?
Note details of the “War of Currents”. Result?
How did Edison demonstrate the dangers of alternating current? Result?
What impact did electrification have on USA industry?
Where did the fresh crop of factory workers come from?
Note details of Ellis Island.
Why did Europeans leave for a new life in America?
Note the description of attitudes to “new comers”. Result? Implications?
Note the contribution of these immigrants to USA industry. Implications?
How well paid were the factory workers?
Why were some immigrants not well received? Result? Implications?
What “enticed” various immigrants to come to USA?
What did USA have to offer? Result?
What were the dual roles of Ellis Island? Result? Implications?
How was Ellis Island “industrialised”? Result?
Note conditions in the New York slums. Result?
Part 4.
Why was the Panama Canal a “grand prize”? Result? Implications?
Note the description of Theodore Roosevelt as an American “Imperialist”. Implications?
When did work on the canal begin?
What problems were encountered?
Note the suggestion that this project illustrates the sacrifices that industrial “feats” required.
What does the canal demonstrate? Implications? Result?
Note the cost of the canal.
Note the impact of the canal on USA trade.
Note the role of “vaporising” water to this development. Implications?
Note the events of 1903 at Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina. Result?
What did the Wright brothers contribute to the science of controlled flight? Result?
How did mass production change society?
Note the discussion of the impact of “profound change”.
Note the comparison between other centuries and the beginning of the 20th. Implications?
Note Henry Ford’s contribution to the production of the motorcar. Result?
Note the contribution of the assembly line to mass production. Result? Implications?
What helped create the “middle class”? Result?
Note the final comment about working class aspirations? Implications?

EXTENSIONS.

Useful, interesting, challenging, materials can be found at the websites below.

These sites are not recommended as definitive sources.

They need to be read critically and evaluated before being used for note making.

The evidence collected here should supplement and complement the notes made during the video program. Both should be used in the notemaking exercise that follows.

USA industry:







Railways:




Theodore Roosevelt:




Andrew Carnegie:



John D. Rockefeller:




Henry Ford:




Thomas Edison:





Immigration:



Panama Canal:

Women:


NOTEMAKING.

This is the collation stage of the activity.

Encourage students to compose the suggested summaries and to organise the field of information and begin to explore its context.

This activity could be done in teams, groups, or by individuals, or as a class with teacher direction.

  1. Draw up a timeline / chronological chart of the events described and discussed in this program.
  1. Note details of the stages in the rapid industrialisation of the USA.
  1. Note details of the resources available for industrialisation in the USA.
  1. Note details of the careers of USA’s magnates Carnegie, Rockefeller, Edison, and Ford.
  1. Note details of the philanthropic and other “work” of these wealthy men.
  1. Note details of the role of immigration in the industrialisation of the USA.
  1. Note details of the role of women in the industrialisation of the USA.
  1. Note details of the “imperialism” of the USA.
  1. Note details of the government assistance to industry in the USA.
  1. Note details of the impact of industrialisation on the population of cities in the USA.

ISSUES & INQUIRY.

Address and discuss the key issues and questions that have been raised by the video at this stage.

Some are suggested below. Students will probably raise others.

1. How did the government of the USA encourage and support its rapid industrialisation?
2. How did other Americans treat immigrants to the USA cities?

PROBLEMS of EVIDENCE.

It is necessary always to address questions of reliability and validity of the perspectives, evidence and sources presented in the documentary and other sources. These need to be considered, tested and researched. Some are suggested below. Students will probably raise others.

1. What contradictions exist between the business practices and the philanthropic work of the
industrial magnates of USA industry?
2. How did workers benefit from the industrialisation of USA economy?

REPORTING.

Use the key issues and inquiry questions as topics for debate, essay writing, reports, historical recount and explanation.

Be imaginative. A report, or debate notes, could be a digital “essay” of slides and text…or any other IT application available.

  1. Write a REPORT on railway development in USA.
  1. Prepare notes (both sides) for a DEBATE of the proposition that
Rapid industrialisation brought more problems than benefits for ordinary citizens of USA.
  1. How did the industrialisation of the USA economy translate in its relations with other countries?