Meyer
ATUS
Gilded Age-Progressive Era Response
Due: Monday March 7th
Using the information from the presentations, your readings and class discussions please respond to the
following questions:
Your response should be approximately 5 pages in total (1.5 spaced font).
1. Defend or deny the following statement. “The Gilded Age was an era of pure laissez-faire
capitalism.” (Note: Laissez-faire ideology: opposed government interference in the economy (ie –
maximum freedom, limited government intervention))
2. Which groups most ardently challenged the concept of a laissez-faire government and to what
extent were their visions/challenges successful? (Do not repeat the same analysis from the first
question)
3. How progressive was the progressive era? (Also consult Part I: Responding to the Challenges of
the Progressive Era the book Who Were the Progressives? Edited by Glenda Gilmore, 2002) on
googlebooks pgs 3- 20 )
4. Compare and Contrast how Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson sought to redefine
the role of government and how this was evident in their approach to progressive reform.
Each response should have a Bolded thesis statement but can otherwise be formatted however you
like.
Schedule Post February Vacation:
SEE CALENDAR ON NEXT PAGE
Wednesday March 2nd: Discussion on 4 reflection questions above. (Read Part I: Responding to the
Challenges of the Progressive Era the book Who Were the Progressives? Edited by Glenda Gilmore,
2002) on googlebooks pgs 3-20. and note the following:
a. Page 8 – 9: note the core values of progressives as they attempted to reform the cities & deal
with immigrants
b. Page 9-10: How did the goals of labor unions vary (note which were the most progressive)
c. Page 11: What is the meaning of the statement “Progressives turned to reform rather than
radicalism?”
d. Page 12, 13, 14: How did the progressive reconceptualize or fail to reconceptualize gender?
e. Page 13: explain the meaning of the statement “Progressives began to envision things differently”
f. Page 14 -18: How did progressives redefine democracy and the role of government
g. Page 18-19 : How did the revisionist historians and the “neo-progressive” historians challenge
traditional historical scholarship on the progressive era?
Due Thursday March 3rd: Discussion on Spanish American War & American Imperialism. Read Howard
Zinn’s chapter “The Empire & The People” in A People’s History of the United States and bring book to
class for discussion.
MARCH - ATUS
M
28
Topic: Theodore
Roosevelt
Reading in gilded
age & progressive
era project packet
on TR & Wilson
due
T
1
W
2
Topic: Class on
Woodrow Wilson
Topic: Discussion
on Gilded Age &
Progressive Era
(no readings due)
TH
3
Topic: Imperialism
during the
Progressive Era
Readings on
Progressive Era
from googlebooks
due
(see assignment on
previous page
above the
calendar)
Read Howard
Zinn’s chapter
“The Empire & The
People” in A
People’s History
of the United
States and bring
book to class for
discussion.
F
4
Topic: Imperialism
in Progressive Era
7
8
9
10
11
Topic: Imperialism
in the Progressive
Era
Topic: Road to
WWI
Topic: Democracy
in wartime?
Topic: Democracy
in wartime?
Gilded Age &
Progressive Era
Response due
Reading and
answers to
questions about
World War I due
(no reading due)
(no reading due)
Topic: Wilson’s
Foreign Policy
Vision – success
or failure?
14
15
16
17
18
Topic: Wilson’s
Foreign Policy
Vision – success
or failure?
In class essay on
US Foreign
Policy (1890s1920)
Topic: 1920s
Topic: 1920s
Topic: 1920s
Reading on 1920s
Due
(no reading due)
(no reading due)
21
22
23
24
25
Topic: 1920s
Topic: The Crash
Topic: Great
Depression
3rd Quarter
Exam
Reconstruction 
Stock Market
Crash
(no reading due)
(no reading due)
Causes of Great
Depression
Reading due
(no reading due)