American History Homework Seven Answers - Student Thirteen

RachelN

1\. What was the "Gilded Age"?

The Gilded Age (1865-1901) refers to the time of prosperity and wealth that America enjoyed after the Civil War. It is named the “Gilded Age” as opposed to the “Golden Age” in reference to the fact that while it was apparently “golden” (prosperous), there was much corruption and greed beneath that wealth.

Correct, the time period is a bit too long. It's OK as an approximation.

2\. What do you like about Thomas Edison, and do you think homeschooling him created enormous wealth?

Thomas Edison never gave up, even when there was no end in sight. I find this very inspiring.

Homeschooling probably gave Thomas Edison his rigorous work ethic, as the free exploration in learning that homeschooling involves teaches the student to learn and discover on his own. This in turn generally develops a hard working student. Without a strong work ethic, Edison would have never succeeded in inventing the light bulb. It took him 2,000 tries to find a filament that worked for the light bulb; he would have never gotten to his 2,000th attempt without a strong work ethic. The invention of the light bulb, like most inventions, created wealth. Thus from the reasoning above, homeschooling Edison essentially created wealth.

Excellent.

3\. How do you think the frontier might have affected the views of Americans?

The frontier gave Americans a false sense of security in their resources. Many Americans were under the impression that the supply of land, animals and resources on the frontier were endless. This sentiment often resulted in wastefulness on the part of the Americans. For instance, the bison that once covered the plains of the Midwest were almost entirely killed off. As men rode the cross country train, they would shoot at the bison for the mere sport of it. This not only nearly destroyed these animals, but worse than that it also destroyed many Indians’ sources of food and clothing.

Superb, and terrific insight about the bison.

4\. What do you think is special about the United States that has made it the world leader in inventions?

The people who first immigrated to America were not average. They were the ones that did not “fit in” with the old world (Europe). They were extremely creative and thoughtful; they were idealists; they were not afraid of hard work. Children often inherit many of their parents’ character traits. This work ethic and creativity were surely passed down from generation to generation, and essentially became a part of the culture. A hardworking and creative culture is the perfect base for inventiveness. On top of this base, the American government itself has encouraged inventiveness by providing the patent system to ensure that inventors receive the money that they deserve for their efforts.

Terrific insight about the patent system, which I will use as a model answer!

5\. How influential do you think political cartoons really are? Give an example or two.

The influence of political cartoons can be best understood by remembering the idiom “a picture is worth a thousand words”. A cartoon portrays the same idea or position that an article would yet it can be understood after one careful glance, while an article must be read before it can have any influence. A picture is also more stimulating than an article, and thus leaves a more lasting impression. An example of the huge influence of political cartoonists is found in the story of Thomas Nash. Nash was an artist who exposed the corruption of the New York City government through a series of cartoons. His cartoons, like any good cartoons, could be quickly understood and left a strong impression. Thus they were more successful with exposing the corruption than any written articles were.

Excellent again, with a good example.

6\. Other than Thomas Edison, who do you think was the most influential person between 1877 and 1896?

John D. Rockefeller controlled the oil industry during this time, and thus had a huge influence on the economy. As a side note, he always gave ten percent of his income to the church, but as his wealth increased, so did his giving. Rockefeller also gave massive amounts to universities, and thus had influence there too.

Good.

7\. Please interpret the above cartoon, with special emphasis on explaining the images used and including a description of the point of view of the cartoonist.

This cartoon was a result of the debate between the supporters of a money system based solely on gold and the supporters of a money system based on silver as well. Westerners supported a system that included silver because there was silver to be mined in the West so that would benefit them financially. The cartoonist was probably a Westerner since in this cartoon Uncle Sam (America) is depicted on horse back, riding towards the mountains (like a Westerner), and, moreover, because the cartoon is blatantly in favor of silver as a money source (silver is shown as being in the same direction as prosperity and gold is displayed as quick sand).

Terrific, but explain the metaphor of "sinking" into the gold. (Minus 1).

Excellent work again! Very well done. Score: 69/70.--Aschlafly 18:22, 1 November 2008 (EDT)