Five historians present different assessments of the age of rapid industrialization from the 1870s to the early
1900s. Was it a period of exploitation and extravagant wealth, or was it an era of rising prosperity and
American
business innovation?
Read the five articles listed. DISCUSS THE ARTICLES IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: (1) “Was There Ever
Such a
Business?” by John S. Gordon; (2) “Robber Barons and Rebels” by Howard Zinn;(3) “Gifts of the “Robber
Barons” by
James Neuchterlein; (4) “The Robber Barons” by Matthew Josephson; and (5) “The Coming of the Modern
Industrial
Corporation” by Alfred Chandler, Jr. Summarize the main points in each article. Which articles present a
positive view of
the economic trends of the Gilded Age? Which authors portray the period in a negative light? Evaluate how
well the
authors state their arguments and how effectively they support their views with solid evidence. How do the
articles differ in
their viewpoints? In your conclusion, determine which point of view is most persuasive based on the evidence
and facts.
Was the period an era of greed or progress?
INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ………………
THE TASK: Write a formal college essay focusing on one of the five topics available to students (the list of
topics
appears later in these instructions). The essay must summarize and evaluate a series of articles written by
historians
concerning the topic you have chosen. The student’s task is to explain the conflicting points of view presented
by several