WEGAI - Westward Expansion, the Gilded Age and Industrialization Module Overview

Westward Expansion, the Gilded Age, and Industrialization

Introduction

The Gilded Age was a period of expansion and progress. During and after Reconstruction, Americans continued to expand westward. This expansion created conflicts with the American Indians. By 1890 the railroads had expanded after the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion in 1869 and the American Indian nations had been defeated and thus ended the frontier era of United States history.

This was only the beginning of many new economic and social developments that ushered in a whole new way of life after the Civil War and Reconstruction. The Industrial Revolution moved full speed ahead as mass production and mechanization became commonplace.

Unfortunately, the Gilded Age also saw an expansion in the uneven distribution of wealth and political corruption and power. A small group of Americans controlled much of the nation’s wealth and most factory workers toiled long hours for low pay in conditions that were often dangerous and usually miserable.

In the political realm, it was an era marked by corruption and scandals in federal, state, and local governments. On the surface it looked like a "golden age;” but as with every era, there were both positive and negative characteristics.

Photograph of The Breakers Gateway

 

 

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

  • Westward Expansion, the Gilded Age, and Industrialization Key Concepts
  • The Closing of the West
  • Immigration
  • Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall
  • Politics and Review

 

Essential Questions

  • How did the rise of "big business" fundamentally change the U.S. socially, politically, and economically?
  • In what ways did the settlement of the West bring the Era of the Frontier to an end?
  • What were the major social and political forces during the late 19th century?

 

Textbook Readings

 Read the chapter in your textbook that relates to this module. Your instructor will provide you with a specific reading schedule.

 

Key Terms

Download and look over your key terms for this module. Links to an external site. Then review them with the activity below.

 

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BREAKERS GATE PHOTOGRAPH BY WALLY GOBETZ VIA FLICKR, CC-BY-NC-ND