APUSH UNIT 6 / IMMIGRANT LETTER / AMERICA 1865-1898 / MR. LIPMAN
The end of the Civil War brought about an industrial explosion which in turn led to a modern America. The impact would transform our society from an agricultural base to an industrial base whose population was increasingly located in cities. For this assignment you are to imagine that you first immigrated to New York City in 1870 and are now writing a letter to family members back home whom you have not seen for 25 years. The family members that you are writing to have not been out of their small European village, which lacks indoor plumbing and electricity, since you immigrated. They seldom receive a newspaper and still have yet to ride on a train.
Your assignment is to write a creative 1000 to 1200 word letter in which you describe the following 5 factors that you believe have transformed American Society since the end of the Civil War.
1. Technological Advances
2. Policies and laws adopted by the Federal Government
3. New financial and organizational structures (i.e. trusts and corporations)
4. New Immigrants
5. Corruption in business and politics
The purpose of this letter is for you to show your knowledge of the changes that have occurred in America as they relate to the 5 topics set forth above. Luckily for you our textbooks sit on the night table by your bed and you refuse to go to sleep before reading them each night. You also read significant outside material you are able to obtain from the internet. While I am sure that you will be able to express your knowledge of American history quite well, I also want you to be creative in your letter and how you address the family members that you are writing to. Putting in additional, non-historical value, information would be one way of showing your creativity. Extra credit will be generously awarded to those letters which make Mr. Lipman laugh while he reads them, since, as we all know, Mr. Lipman has no life outside of grading these assignments.
This assignment will count as a summative grade and is due on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018 on turnitin.com. If you copy and paste information you will receive a zero grade. I want your original thoughts and ideas to be expressed, not someone else's.