Historical Context

After the Civil War, the United States became a much more industrialized society. Between 1865 and 1920, industrialization improved American life in many ways. However, industrialization also created problems for American society.

Task

Using information from the documents and your knowledge of United States history, write an essay in which you:

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization to American society between 1865 and 1920. In your essay, include a discussion of how industrialization affected different groups in American society.

Guidelines

Be sure to:

• Address all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least four documents
• Incorporate information from the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporate relevant outside information throughout the essay
• Richly support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details
• Write a well-developed essay that consistently demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization
• Introduce the theme by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context and conclude the essay with a summation of the theme

Specific Rubric

5

• Thoroughly discusses the following three tasks for the same time period 1865–1920
  1. At least two advantages of industrialization (see above chart)
  2. At least two disadvantages of industrialization (see above chart)
  3. How two or more specific groups were affected by industrialization (see above chart)

Examples of How Groups Were Affected

1. Working people/labor
   • Low pay, unsafe working conditions
   • Need for labor unions to protect them
   • Need for laws prohibiting unsafe work conditions
2. Child labor
   • Lack of education
   • Mistreatment
   • Unsafe working conditions

Note: The discussion of how industrialization affected different groups in American society can extend beyond the time period 1865–1920 as long as the examples used have their origins within this time period.

• Discussion includes accurate interpretation of at least four of the documents (see above chart)
• Incorporates information from the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates relevant outside information

Possible Examples

1. • Names of specific labor unions, such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
   • Names of relevant Supreme Court cases such as Northern Securities Co. v. U.S. and Lochner v. NY
   • Effects of new machinery/technology
   • Building skyscrapers, bridges, battleships
   • Names of types of specific trusts and monopolies such as J. D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust and/or horizontal and vertical combinations

• Richly supports the theme with the use of many relevant facts, specific examples, and details
• Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization.
• The plan of organization will generally take one of two approaches:
  1. The student will discuss advantages, then disadvantages, of industrialization and then the impact upon two groups, or
  2. The student will discuss advantages and disadvantages of industrialization upon one group and then discuss advantages and disadvantages of industrialization upon a second group.
• Introduces the theme by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context and concludes with a summation of the theme.

4

• Discusses all three tasks, although the discussion of one task may be less complete than the discussion for the other two tasks
• Discussion includes accurate information from at least four documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates relevant outside information
• Uses relevant facts, specific examples and details, but discussion may be more descriptive than analytical
• Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
• Introduces the theme by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the Task or Historical Context and concludes with a summation of the theme

3

• Addresses most aspects of the Task or addresses all aspects of the Task in a limited way. May discuss only two of the tasks; i.e., advantages of industrialization, disadvantages of industrialization, or how specific groups were affected by industrialization
• Uses or refers to some of the documents in the body of the essay
• Incorporates little or no relevant outside information
• Includes some facts, examples, and details, but discussion is more descriptive than analytical
• Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization. Essay may not distinguish between advantages and disadvantages of industrialization or specific groups
• Introduces the theme by repeating the Task or Historical Context and concludes by simply repeating the theme

2

• Attempts to address some aspects of the Task such as only discussing disadvantages of industrialization
• Makes limited use of the documents—discussion may only restate contents of documents
• Presents no relevant outside information
• Includes few facts, examples and details; discussion may contain some inaccuracies
• Is a poorly organized essay, lacking focus; could contain digression or extraneous information
• Fails to introduce or summarize the theme

1

• Shows limited understanding of the Task with vague, unclear references to the documents
• Presents no relevant outside information
• Includes little or no accurate or relevant facts, details, or examples
• Attempts to complete the Task, but demonstrates a major weakness in organization
• Fails to introduce or summarize the theme

0

• Fails to address the Task, is illegible, or is a blank paper