The Progressive Era: A Preventable Tragedy

The first years of the 20th century, before we entered World War One, are known as the "Progressive Era". Essentially, as the country modernized there were several movements to improve, or progress, our society. Naturally, everyone had their own ideas about what should be changed, how it should be changed and who was responsible for the change. Those debates continue today.

A sad legacy of this era is the preventable tragedy at the Triangle Shirt Factory in 1911. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll leave it at that for now.

For this week's blog, spend some time exploring this website. Once you have a good feel for this story, respond to these questions:

1) How could this tragedy have been prevented? (50 words)
2) Why does this story fit into the "Progressive Era"? (50 words)
3) In your opinion, is the government or citizens responsible for making changes in society? (100 words)

Teddy Roosevelt: The Most Interesting Man in the World

Probably the most incredible person to ever live in America is Teddy Roosevelt. The more you learn about his life and exploits, the more he seems like a superhero. He is placed securely in my list of "Top 5 Favorite Americans".

For this week's blog, I am going to list different aspects of Teddy's life. Choose ONE of them to research and write a 200 word blog response about what you learned. I think you'll find, no matter which topic you choose, he is the most interesting man in the world.

Topic Choices:
-Life as a child
-His time at Harvard as a student
-Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War
-Teddy Roosevelt & College Football
-His land conservation efforts (National Parks System)
-Panama Canal
-Shot and still gave a speech during the 1912 Election
-Trip on unchartered waters in the Amazon Rain Forest

Presidential Assassination: McKinley Killed in 1901

To begin our second quarter in the blog-o-sphere, you are going to examine America's third presidential assassination: William McKinley.

He was Republican who became president in 1896 and was re-elected in 1900. McKinley had successfully led America through the Spanish-American War (it took less than a year to win) and was traveling to Buffalo, New York for the Pan-American Exposition.

That's all the scene-setting I'll do. Watch this video and read this primary source to get a better handle on the events surrounding this murder.

For the comment section...

1) Write 100 words telling the story of what happened to McKinley once he arrived in Buffalo.

2) Write 100 words considering the following...
Should this "Gilded Age" era be remembered most for its successes (industrialization, urbanization, civil service reform etc.) or for its failures (corruption in politics, Native American conflicts, all the negative aspects of the immigration boom, Jim Crow era etc.)?