Posted: August 31st, 2022

Part I
Scopes Monkey Trial
The Scopes Trial involved the State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. The trial occurred in early 1900 involving a controversy of whether evolution should be taught in public schools. The important part of the trial was not the verdict but the public awareness about theology and modern science in state-funded schools. The trial was important since it sparked a discussion on what should be taught in schools. The discussions led to a court ruling on the separation of church and state. However, multiple theories on the origin of human beings are now allowed to be taught in schools.

Freedmen’s Bureau
Freedmen’s Bureau was established to help former black slaves and poor whites after the civil war. The purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to provide food, medical care, housing, legal assistance and education. One of the major roles was to settle the slaves in the abandoned or confiscated pieces of land during the civil war. The bureau did not fully accomplish its programs due to a shortage of funds and personnel. Freedmen’s bureau was also important since it helps reunite disintegrated families due to massive slave sales. The programs were important since they were meant to serve millions of ex-slaves who were transitioning from slavery to freedom.

John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was an American business mogul who was considered one of the wealthiest people of all time. The business person was born in the early 1800s and died in the early 1900s. Despite his success in the oil business, John D. Rockefeller focused his attention on charity work. He was inspired by Andrew Carnegie to donate to noble causes. The businessman donated billions of dollars to support education, scientific research and religious activities.

Part II
Describe two specific ways in which Reconstruction was a success and two specific ways that Reconstruction was a failure.
Reconstruction was a success since it restored America as a unified nation. It prevented the disintegration of the states after they pledged their loyalty. Secondly, reconstruction was a success since it granted African-Americans full civil rights. Conversely, reconstruction was a failure since it was imposed on the Southern States thus triggering racial attitudes. The Southern States later rolled back the gains made by the African-American community. The period also failed to fully integrate the freed slaves back into society. Additionally, politicians failed to keep their promises leading to dissatisfaction among the freed slaves.

Explain who the “robber barons” were and how they got their money. Describe two things that they did during the Gilded Age that was good for America and two things that they did that were bad for America.
Robber barons describe American businessmen who used unethical means to amass wealth. Many of the robber barons made their wealth at the expense of their factory workers. They also engaged in unethical insider trading although it was at the time not outlawed. They also made great wealth by establishing monopolies and unethical competition practices. They were good for America since they caused massive social and economic changes. They also prompted the need for workers’ unions to fight for the grievances of employees. The robber barons were bad for America since they triggered social and economic changes that caused regular riots and strikes. They were also bad since they unethically eliminated competing companies out of the market.

Explain four ways that the popularization of the automobile changed America and/or American culture
Automobiles changed American culture by providing women and young people freedom and independence. For instance, young people could travel to far cities to study or take evening classes and still get home safely. They also allowed Americans to live far away from their workplace and still make it on time. It made life more mobile and thus causing a spread out of suburbs. They also made leisure travel more common among the American people. People could travel easily to parks and other great sceneries during weekends and holidays.
Part III
Question 5 – Great Depression
The Great Depression occurred after a dramatic crash of the stock market leading to a sale of millions of shares by panicking investors. The panicking investors had lost confidence in the economy. The Great Depression was so bad since a third of the banks vanished causing monetary contraction. The depression lasted for a long time due to the severe banking crisis and the inability of the Federal Reserve to provide back the money supply. Industries also started laying off workers due to the declined consumption of their manufactured goods. The Great Depression affected investors in the banking sector and employees who were laid off. People survived the depression by paying for cash without buying anything on credit, eating home-grown foods, bartering and preserving food. For instance, clothes were mended to avoid buying new ones. Hoover was critical in reviving the economy through the provision of loans for individuals and corporations such as banks and railroads. Additionally. FDR brought financial reforms and provided relief to help end the depression. The lasting effects of the depression included sharply reducing the expenditure and taxes.

Question 7 – Important people, events and inventions between 1865 and 1940
During this period, the civil war came to an end after the surrender of the Confederate States. The end of the civil war marked the beginning of the reconstruction of America. The end of civil war and reconstruction are important to Americans since they helped end slavery and provide civil rights to African-Americans. Until today, African-Americans can enjoy equal rights as Americans.
The period was also full of inventions including a ballpoint pen, dishwasher, and a thermostat. The discoveries were essential in changing the culture and lifestyle of Americans. The tools are critical to the lifestyle of people such as ballpoint pens used in schools.
In the early, 1900s a Spanish flu struck the world including America. The flu claimed the lives of millions of people. The flu provided critical lessons to the healthcare sector about pandemic and disaster preparedness and management.

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