TimeLine:
Primary Sources:
Summary: These drawings depict the crowded cities of New York during that time period. They had expanded the city buildings upwards and packed in buildings close together to fit in as many people as they could. New immigrants coming in for hopes of achieving the "American dream" needed the housing in the city to be close to factories jobs they found instead of their dreams.
Significance: These images are significant because they give light to several of the problems that occurred. The close quarters shown in the drawings can help explain why there was rapidly elevating crime rates in the cities. With people in such close contact with each other, their nationalities, religious beliefs and radical political thinkings contributed to a raise in conflicts caused because the difference in ideals. Furthermore, it shows that there was an exponentially increasing population because they needed the extra housing. Student: Megan J. Summary: This article is about the horrors of the meat factories. The author talks about how he sees the spoiled meat and how the owner talks about his meats, in a blindingly positive light, from a previous article. Essentially, the author is comparing what he sees with what the owner has claimed.
Significance: This is significant because it showed the consumers that the owner compulsively lied about the true form of their meat and that they were eating rotten, old, and diseased infested meat that was previously claimed perfectly safe. This caused the start of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act for the consumer protection that Theodore Roosevelt promised in his square deal. Student: Priscilla L. |
Summary: This illustrates the views and strategies that Booker T. Washington had toward the fair treatment of African Americans. He gives them knowledge to fight for the disfranchisement of the Negro, the legal creation of a distant status of civil inferiority for the Negro, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institutions for the higher training of the Negro. Instead he asks them to give up fighting for political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of Negro youth in return for the other things. His main goal although he worsended the conditions of the African American population in the process was to make men equal no matter the difference.
Significance: The significance of this is to show that when Booker T. Washington became apart of the movement toward equality he geared the African American population toward recieving aid in a more present area meaning in an area that was being established for everyone regarding rights. He did this so that they would not constantly be playing catch up with the new laws/ rules that were being made. Student: Rilley R. Summary: This cartoon shows that the gorilla (representing trusts) is holding on to Lady Liberty and being shot by the arrow of democracy. He holds onto a tablet that reads "Republicanism" showing the different parts of the trust busting actions in the Progressive Era.
Significance: First of all, this political cartoon was included in The Verdict which was published weekly and must have been popular since it had the revenue to be printed and distributed so frequently. The cartoon itself represents the attempts made by democracy to release liberty from the clutches of the corrupt trusts who try to override the liberty that everyone (including the middle and working class) deserves in order to gain money and influence for themselves. The gorilla is a good symbol because he has brute strength and can be very destructive. He is holding a tablet that says republicanism is included to show that their beliefs are set in stone and they are heavy and influential even in the grasp of these trusts. Student: Melissa H. |