American History Homework Seven Answers - Student Nine

StevenM

1. Characteristic of the Gilded Age was free trade. There was minimum government involvement in businesses. This seems like a good thing but it lead to a lot of corruption in the upper class. The country enjoyed prosperity, but also endured the heel of the fat, rich, mean, old man who has become a recurring villain for Disney movies.

Toward the end of the 1880's, these "robber barons" were the arbiters of oppression. Hardship came from the greedy people at the golden top of the ladder.

Good analysis.

2. Indirectly, the homeschooling of Thomas Edison created great wealth for himself and his country. He never gave up, he worked endlessly on all his projects. The thing about homeschooling is, you either make it big or you blow it all. It all depends on personal discipline and diligence. If you don't have that, you'll fail because you're alone and there's not a lot of push or encouragement from peers. Thomas Edison, however, was diligent in the extreme, so the sky was the limit; the discipline he learned from being his own student he used for the rest of his life.

Excellent, though I'm not sure chance plays as big a role as you suggest.

3. Americans were definitely more independent, more headstrong during the years of Expansion. They were able to take care of themselves. After the United States stopped growing (geographically), it led the government to change social and economic policies. Perhaps the generation born in the 1890's was not as tough or confident their parents.

The views of the men of the frontier were

Great up to the punch line! Let me know when you finish the rest of this.

4.

5.

6.

7.

H3. Debate: Are Unions a Good Thing?