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The Great 19th Century

19th Century American General Resources - 19th Century American Industrialization/The Gilded Age - 19th Century American Immigrants - America's Victorian Age  

The Civil War

American Civil War General resources

American Civil War Lesson Plans

America In the Gilded Age __ "What is the chief end of man?—to get rich. In what way?—dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must." Mark Twain (1871) - With that as an introduction, this essay covers the reasons behind the rise and fall of the 19th century labor movement. - From David Mont - http://members.aol.com/profdavidmont/gilded.htm

America in the Gilded Age __ Wealth and poverty were the hallmarks of the time. "During the "Gilded Age," every man was a potential Andrew Carnegie, and Americans who achieved wealth celebrated it as never before. In New York, the opera, the theatre, and lavish parties consumed the ruling class' leisure hours. Sherry's Restaurant hosted formal horseback dinners for the New York Riding Club. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish once threw a dinner party to honor her dog who arrived sporting a $15,000 diamond collar." Meanwhile you can learn how the 'other half' lived during this time. - illustrated - From PBS - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/gildedage.html  

The American Experience | Andrew Carnegie __ You will find a timeline of his life and influence on the American industrial revolution. - From PBS - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/timeline/timeline2.html  

Automobile Manufacturer Henry Ford Was Born __ "Born on July 30, 1863, on his family's farm in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford enjoyed tinkering with machines from the time he was a young boy. His work on the farm and a job in a Detroit machine shop allowed him many opportunities to tinker and experiment. By 1896, Ford had constructed his first horseless carriage, but he wanted to do even more." Learn how his life impacted the Industrial Revolution in America and the world. - illustrated - From Library of Congress - http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/civil/jb_civil_ford_1.html 

Cyrus Hall McCormick and the Mechanical Reaper __ You will find a brief overview of Cyrus McCormick and his invention. - From invent.org - http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/1_1_6_detail.asp?vInventorID=101

From Frontier to Factory Timeline __ A timeline beginning in 1845 and leading into the early 20th century outlines the major developments of the Industrial Age in the US. - From pinzler.com - http://pinzler.com/ushistory/timeline7.html  

George Pullman __ Pullman may have had genius but no personality to brag about. "Pullman was so hated by his employees that when he died in 1897, his heirs feared that the body would be stolen and held for ransom. The coffin was covered in tar paper and asphalt, and enclosed in the center of a room-sized block of concrete, reinforced with railroad ties. Ambrose Bierce said "It is clear the family in their bereavement was making sure the sonofabitch wasn't going to get up and come back." - illustrated - From graveyards.com - http://www.graveyards.com/graceland/pullman.html 

 
The Gilded Age and the Politics of Corruption __ Some questions to keep in mind: "How did the federal government transform the American economy during the Gilded Age? - - Why was corruption so rampant in American politics during this period? Was it worse than today? If so, why? - - Was there really any difference between the Republican and Democratic parties at this time? If so, what?" You may be able to find some answers here. - From University of Wisconsin - http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture04.html 

The Gilded Age WebQuest: Documenting Industrialization in America __ You will find information about many aspects of society making up the American Gilded Age. - From oswego.org - http://oswego.org/staff/tcaswell/wq/gildedage/student.htm

The Grange: A Historical Summary __ Learn how the Grange became the "union" of the farmers. they needed an organization which would do for them what the unions were doing for industrial workers. - From grange.org - http://www.grange.org/history.htm  

HarpWeek: Explore History __ Harpers Weekly was 19th century America's leading illustrated newspaper. Here you will find electronic access from 1857 - 1912, which are years almost bracketing the Gilded and Industrial Ages. - illustrated - From harpweek.com - http://harpweek.com/Default.asp 

The Homestead Act - You will find the complete text - From University of Virginia - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/CONTEXTS/Statutes/homest.html

The Incorporation of America __ After the Civil War, Americans saw changes in almost every aspect of their day-to-lives. In his book, Alan Tractenberg covers a variety of topics. Learn about baseball, advertising, the lives of housewives, socialism, Jewish immigration, department stores, catalogues and more. - illustrated - From University of Virginia - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/INCORP/cover.html 

The Labor Movement in the Public Eye __ "American public opinion during the late 1800s was marked by mistrust and uncertainty. It appeared to the American people that the labor unions were fighting for better working conditions one minute, and the next it appeared that they were leading a revolution against business and government. The Government took an anti-labor stance in response to the public outcry against labor-based extremism and violence." Read the full story - From ilwu19.com - http://www.ilwu19.com/edu/public.htm 

Lowell National Historical Park __ "America's self-image is founded in part on the nation's rapid rise to industrial preeminence by World War I. While there is no single birthplace of industry, Lowell's planned textile mill city, in scale, technological innovation, and development of an urban working class, marked the beginning of the industrial transformation of America." A look at this Industrial Age park and the history behind it. - illustrated - From National Park Service - http://www.nps.gov/lowe/loweweb/Lowell%20History/prologue.htm
 
Recruitment of Lowell Mill Workers, 1840s __ A brief look at recruitment practice at the Lowell mill. "We were not aware, until within a few days, of the modus operandi of the factory powers in this village of forcing poor girls from their quiet homes to become their tools and, like the Southern slaves, to give up their life and liberty to the heartless tyrants and taskmasters." - From University at Albany - http://www.albany.edu/faculty/gz580/His316/RecruitLowell.html 

The Rise of the Standard Oil Company __ "The chief refining competitor of Oil Creek in 1872 was Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1869 that city had done annually more refining than any other place in the country." Learn how this 19th century industrial enterprise grew to dominate a field. - From history.rochester.edu - http://www.history.rochester.edu/fuels/tarbell/upto52.htm  

Samuel F. B. Morse Papers at the Library of Congress __ "The online presentation of The Samuel F. B. Morse Papers at the Library of Congress comprises about 6,500 items, or approximately 50,000 images, that document Morse's invention of the electromagnetic telegraph, his participation in the development of telegraph systems in the United States and abroad, his career as a painter, his family life, his travels, and his interest in early photography, religion, and the nativist movement." - From Library of Congress - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sfbmhtml/sfbmhome.html  

The Two Countries That Invented The Industrial Revolution __ Learn how America and England made differing contributions to the Industrial Revolution. "Why do the British and American approaches to machinery differ? A short history of machine tools explains why. No two countries were more responsible for the Industrial Revolution than America and England. In England, during the 18th and 19th centuries there was no shortage of skilled labor. Rather than replacing English workers, their machines made work more precise. Meanwhile, in sparsely populated America, the needs of a new nation required rapid and simple means of production. Machines augmented the scant work force. In England, machines served to make talented artisans better. In America, machines served to make entrepreneurs more productive." - From darex.com - http://www.darex.com/indurevo.htm 

"Uniting Mugwumps and the Masses: Puck's Role in Gilded Age Politics," by Dan Backer __ A site covering several aspects of life and ethics in the Gilded Age in text and graphic formats. - illustrated - From University of Virginia - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/PUCK/home.html  
 

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