DelveDigger Blog

Suppose you are an American citizen at the turn of the century, fresh off the Spanish-American war. Support your stance by arguing about the advantages/disadvantages of acquiring new lands. Keep in mind America’s future as a world power and the consequences of land acquisition. Support your opinion with specific examples we learned about in class.

1. If you lived in America at the turn of the century, would you have been an imperialist or  anti-imperialist?

2. Is America still an imperialist power? Consider the United States’ role in the world today (economically, socially, politically, militarily, etc.) and the Confessions of an Economic Hitman .

In one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history, the underdog U.S. hockey team, made up of college players, defeats the four-time defending gold-medal winning Soviet team at the XIII Olympic Winter Games.

1. How was the Cold War fought?

2. What importance do you think sports had in the Cold War?

3. How does the story of Miracle serve as a metaphor to the Cold War?

CHAPTER 2

1. Based on events in Chapter 2, what kind of person does Jurgis seem to be?

2. Why did Jurgis’s and Ona’s family decide to go to America?

3. How do they first encounter dishonesty?

4. What difficult experiences did they have in Lithuania, and how did they expect them to improve in America? What are

their expectations for their new life in America?

5. List all the adjectives on page 29 that describe the Chicago they saw. How is the quote “the color of things became dingier” symbolic of their experience thus far?

6. Describe the neighborhoods of Packingtown.

7. Describe the significance of the words “blood red” and “fire” in the final description of Chapter 2.

CHOOSE ONE of the questions above to answer.

What is Jurgis’s impression of the meat packing industry?
What is yours? (Details and quotes)

Decadence

Will America Meet the same fate as the Roman Empire?

*If you think the American empire will fall, support your stance by citing three reasons Rome fell that America also possesses.

*If you think American empire will not fall, cite three reasons Rome fell that America does not possess.

*You should also acknowledge and refute one reason the opposing side might argue.

Dropping the Atomic Bomb: Was it the Right Decision?
More than half a century later people still continue to debate what some historians have called the most important event of the 20th century: President Truman’s order to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.

a) Did this decision shorten the war and save lives on both sides, or was it prompted by Truman’s political agenda and a needless act of aggression on citizens?
b) Armed with all of the knowledge that Truman and his advisers had, how would you have ended the war in the Pacific?

Prentend you are living in Medieval Times. Write a letter to someone living in Modern Times. Your letter must inlcude 3 things you learned in class. Be specific and explain each event/idea/thing in detail. Your writing shcould be first person, as if you experienced the events first hand.

1. Who do you blame for President McKinley’s assassination, the capitalist and their greedy ways, or the labor movement and their radical beliefs? Explain

2. The recent shooting in Arizona has been blamed on Republicans, Democrats, and gun control laws. Who do you put the blame on and how can we prevent tragedies such as these from happening?

Answer 2 out of the 5 questions below.

1. Did industry change America for better or for worse? (use 3 reasons to support your stance and acknowledge at least one reason to support the other stance)

2. Do you side with the workers or do you support the owners? Explain

3. Would you have joined a union? why or why not?

4. Do the benefits of industry outweigh the costs?

5. Why did so many immigrants flock to America? What were the positive and negative ways they impacted America?

Answer both questions 1 & 2 using your book chpt. 7, google searches, and our worksheets from class.

1. Would you have been an imperialist or  anti-imperialist?

Suppose you are an American citizen at the turn of the century, fresh off the Spanish-American war. Support your stance by arguing about the advantages/disadvantages of acquiring new lands. Keep in mind America’s future as a world power and the consequences of land acquisition.

2. Is America still an imperialist power?

Think of the United States role in the world today. In what ways (economically, socially, politically, militarily, etc.) America is or is not an imperial power.