Primary Source Response

This week you learned about the incredible industrial, urban, and financial development of the United States during the final thirty years of the nineteenth century (i.e., the Gilded Age). Much of that development was concentrated in the northern and eastern sections of the country, and the tremendous level of development seemed to promise both domestic citizens and foreign immigrants that the United States of America was indeed the land of opportunity where anyone could achieve the American dream.

Unfortunately, the reality for many in the United States during this time was quite the opposite. Three primary sources (George Engel.pdf, The Life of Street Rats.pdf, and How the Other Half Lives.pdf) reveal the struggles that certain groups experienced during the final thirty years of the nineteenth century: foreign immigrants to the United States, the working class, and working-class children.

In this assignment, please respond to the bolded questions below by 6:00 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Click the “Submit Assignment” button above to type in your response.

• Regarding the primary source George Engel.pdf, who was George Engel and what hardships did he experience in the United States?
• Regarding the primary source The Life of Street Rats.pdf, who were the “street rats,” and what hardships did they experience in the United States?
• Regarding the primary source How the Other Half Lives.pdf, briefly describe how and where the other half lived in the United States.