APUSH Midterm Essays

Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900). INTRO

• Contextualization

  • After the Civil War, rapid industrialization transformed the U.S. economy.

  • Expansion of railroads, mechanization, and big business increased productivity but caused economic inequality.

  • Farmers and industrial workers faced falling prices, low wages, and exploitative practices.

• Thesis Statement

  • In response to industrialization during the Gilded Age, farmers organized politically to challenge corporate and financial power, while industrial workers formed labor unions and used strikes to demand better wages and working conditions, showing both groups actively resisted the negative effects of industrial capitalism.

Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900). BODY 1

Farmers’ Responses to IndustrializationA. Economic Challenges

• Falling crop prices due to overproduction

• High railroad shipping rates

• Dependence on the crop lien system and debt

• Deflation caused by the gold standard

B. Organization and Collective Action

• Formation of The Grange to promote cooperation and regulate railroad rates

• Creation of Farmers’ Alliances to educate farmers and push for reform

• Use of cooperatives to lower costs

C. Political Action: Populism

• Formation of the Populist (People’s) Party

• Key demands:

  • Free silver to inflate currency

  • Government regulation or ownership of railroads

  • Direct election of senators

• William Jennings Bryan and the Cross of Gold speech (1896)

• Shows farmers turned to political reform rather than violence

Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900). BODY 2

Industrial Workers’ Responses to IndustrializationA. Working Conditions and Grievances

• Low wages, long hours, unsafe factories

• Job insecurity due to mechanization

• Use of strikebreakers and company towns

B. Labor Unions

• Knights of Labor – inclusive union advocating broad reforms

• American Federation of Labor (AFL) – focused on skilled workers and practical goals

• Union goals: higher wages, shorter hours, better conditions

C. Strikes and Confrontations

• Great Railroad Strike of 1877

• Haymarket Affair (1886) – weakened labor movement

• Homestead Strike (1892) and Pullman Strike (1894)

• Government often sided with business, limiting success

Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900). COMPARISON

• Similarities

  • Both groups organized collectively to resist corporate power

  • Both sought government intervention to correct economic inequality

• Differences

  • Farmers emphasized political solutions (third parties, elections)

  • Workers relied more on unions and strikes

  • Farmers had more success influencing long-term reforms (e.g., Populist ideas later adopted)

Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900). OUTRO

• Restate thesis in new words

• Farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization through organization and protest, but faced strong opposition from corporations and the government.

• Although largely unsuccessful in the Gilded Age, their efforts laid the groundwork for Progressive Era reforms in the early 20th century.

Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves (Resolutions) 1798-1799, and the Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833. INTRO

• Contextualization

  • In the early republic, the federal government expanded its authority through policies such as Hamilton’s financial plan, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and protective tariffs.

  • These expansions sparked resistance from states and regions concerned about states’ rights and constitutional limits.

• Thesis Statement

  • Although both the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions and the Nullification Crisis opposed the growth of national power on constitutional grounds, the earlier resistance was largely symbolic and ineffective, while the later crisis posed a more serious and direct challenge to federal authority but ultimately failed due to federal enforcement.

Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves (Resolutions) 1798-1799, and the Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833. BODY 1

A. Motives

• Reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which restricted free speech and targeted Democratic-Republicans.

• Belief that the acts violated the First Amendment and exceeded federal authority.

• Desire to defend states’ rights and limit central government power.

B. Methods

• Written by James Madison (Virginia) and Thomas Jefferson (Kentucky).

• Introduced the idea of nullification, arguing states could judge constitutionality of federal laws.

• Passed as resolutions by state legislatures.

C. Effectiveness

• No other states joined the effort.

• Alien and Sedition Acts expired, but not due to nullification.

• Set an intellectual precedent for later states’ rights arguments.

• Largely symbolic in the short term.

Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves (Resolutions) 1798-1799, and the Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833. BODY 2

A. Motives

• Southern opposition to the Tariff of Abominations (1828) and Tariff of 1832.

• South Carolina claimed tariffs unfairly benefited Northern industry at Southern expense.

• Fear that strong federal power threatened slavery and Southern autonomy.

B. Methods

• South Carolina passed an Ordinance of Nullification, declaring tariffs void.

• Threatened secession if the federal government enforced tariffs.

• Led by John C. Calhoun.

C. Effectiveness

• President Andrew Jackson responded with the Force Bill, asserting federal authority.

• Compromise Tariff of 1833 reduced tariffs gradually.

• South Carolina repealed nullification but symbolically nullified the Force Bill.

  • Demonstrated that nullification could not override federal law, but did force compromise.

Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves (Resolutions) 1798-1799, and the Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833. COMPARISON

Similarities

• Both argued the federal government exceeded constitutional limits.

• Both relied on states’ rights ideology.

• Both influenced future sectional conflict.

Differences

• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were peaceful and theoretical.

• Nullification Crisis involved threats of force and secession.

• Federal government largely ignored earlier resistance but confronted South Carolina directly.

Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolves (Resolutions) 1798-1799, and the Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833. OUTRO

• Restate thesis

• While opposition to federal power was a recurring theme in the early republic, only when resistance became confrontational—as in the Nullification Crisis—did it provoke a direct federal response.

• These conflicts foreshadowed the sectional tensions that would culminate in the Civil War.

To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800’? Respond with reference to judiciary and policy. INTRO

In the 1790s, the United States was governed by the Federalist Party, which favored a strong national government, close ties with Britain, and elite leadership. Political conflict intensified under President John Adams, especially after the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts. The election of 1800, in which Thomas Jefferson defeated Adams, marked a significant shift in power during the early republic.

ThesisThe election of 1800 was aptly called a “Revolution” to a large extent because it resulted in a peaceful transfer of power between rival political parties and reshaped the judiciary, though it did not overturn all Federalist economic or constitutional principles.

To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800’? Respond with reference to judiciary and policy. BODY 1

One major reason the election of 1800 was revolutionary was its impact on politics. For the first time in U.S. history, power transferred peacefully from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans, demonstrating the durability of the Constitution. Jefferson’s victory represented a rejection of elitist Federalist leadership in favor of broader political participation and limited government. The election also revealed the growing importance of political parties, despite the founders’ earlier fears of factionalism. Jefferson’s emphasis on republican simplicity and states’ rights marked a clear ideological shift in governance, making the election politically transformative.

To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800’? Respond with reference to judiciary and policy. BODY 2

The election also produced significant changes in the judiciary, though these changes limited the revolutionary nature of the event. Before leaving office, Federalists passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 and appointed “midnight judges” to preserve their influence. Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans repealed the act, but the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall asserted the power of judicial review in Marbury v. Madison (1803). While this decision strengthened the judiciary rather than Jeffersonian ideals, it clarified constitutional authority and ensured stability rather than radical change, showing that the “revolution” was moderate and institutional rather than violent.

To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800’? Respond with reference to judiciary and policy. OUTRO

Overall, the election of 1800 deserves the title “Revolution” to a significant extent because it established a precedent for peaceful political change and altered the direction of national leadership. However, the continued strength of the judiciary and many Federalist principles demonstrates that the revolution was one of ideas and leadership, not a complete restructuring of American government.

In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence Abolitionism and Temperance? INTRO

During the early 19th century, the Second Great Awakening spread through the North, emphasizing emotional revivalism, individual salvation, and the belief that people could improve both themselves and society. This religious movement encouraged reformers to confront social sins and work toward moral perfection.

Thesis

The Second Great Awakening strongly influenced abolitionism and temperance by framing social problems as moral evils, inspiring reformers to seek the immediate eradication of sin through organized movements and mass persuasion.

In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence Abolitionism and Temperance? BODY 1

The Second Great Awakening influenced abolitionism by promoting the belief that slavery was a moral sin that could not be justified. Revivalist preachers such as Charles Grandison Finney taught that individuals were responsible for combating injustice, leading many Northerners to view slavery as incompatible with Christian values. Abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison adopted the language of moral urgency, calling for immediate emancipation rather than gradual reform. Religious arguments also helped mobilize churches and reform societies, making abolitionism a mass movement rather than a fringe cause.

In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence Abolitionism and Temperance? BODY 2

The temperance movement was also shaped by the Second Great Awakening’s emphasis on self-control and moral discipline. Reformers believed alcohol led to sin, poverty, and family breakdown, undermining the moral order necessary for a godly society. Religious leaders and organizations such as the American Temperance Society urged individuals to abstain from alcohol as a sign of moral commitment. The movement reflected revivalist ideas that personal behavior could improve society and that moral reform was essential for achieving national salvation.

In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence Abolitionism and Temperance? OUTRO

In conclusion, the Second Great Awakening influenced Northern reform movements by transforming religious enthusiasm into organized efforts for social change. Through abolitionism and temperance, revivalist ideals promoted the belief that both individuals and society could be perfected, leaving a lasting impact on American reform culture.

Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. INTRO

Between 1845 and 1861, rapid territorial expansion following Manifest Destiny intensified national debates over slavery. Each new territory raised the question of whether slavery would expand westward, threatening the political balance between free and slave states and deepening sectional tensions between North and South.

Thesis

Controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed significantly to the coming of the Civil War by undermining compromise, radicalizing sectional politics, and weakening national political institutions, ultimately making armed conflict unavoidable.

Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. BODY 1

The issue of slavery in western territories repeatedly challenged earlier compromises that had preserved sectional balance. The Mexican Cession reignited the debate with the Wilmot Proviso (1846), which sought to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, alarming Southern leaders who feared exclusion from western lands. Although the proviso failed, it exposed the deep sectional divide in Congress. Later, the Compromise of 1850 temporarily settled disputes by admitting California as a free state and enacting a stronger Fugitive Slave Act, but enforcement of the law angered Northerners and increased resistance to slavery, demonstrating that compromise no longer reduced tensions.

Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. BODY 2

Efforts to resolve slavery expansion through popular sovereignty only intensified conflict. The Kansas–Nebraska Act (1854) repealed the Missouri Compromise line, allowing settlers to vote on slavery. This led to Bleeding Kansas, where pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces used violence to influence elections. The breakdown of order in Kansas convinced many Americans that democratic solutions could not resolve the slavery issue, while events like John Brown’s actions further radicalized both sides.

Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. BODY 3

Disputes over slavery’s expansion reshaped national politics. The collapse of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the spread of slavery, turned elections into sectional contests. The Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (1857) intensified outrage by ruling that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories, undermining popular sovereignty and convincing Northerners that slave power dominated the federal government. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, without Southern electoral support, persuaded many Southern states that their interests could no longer be protected within the Union, prompting secession.

Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. OUTRO

From 1845 to 1861, controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories steadily eroded the possibility of compromise. Failed legislative solutions, violent conflict in the territories, and the collapse of national political parties transformed sectional disagreement into open hostility, making the Civil War increasingly inevitable.