Industrialization and Ideologies 1: The Way to Wealth

Introducing the Age of Progress: The Way to Wealth

The nineteenth century witnessed a burst of technological, economic, and political progress like none other in history. However, the improvement of the material conditions of existence for Europeans was uneven. The working poor often experienced the same difficult day-to-day struggle for existence that they always had. In the cities, increasing congestion made life even more difficult. In contrast, a new class of entrepreneurs and financiers became extraordinarily wealthy. In today’s reading, you’ll learn about “the Way to Wealth”.

Questions for Reader Pages 157-166

Essential Questions for this day:

• 1. How did Industrialization create “winners” and “losers” in the 19th century?

  2. How did Europeans benefit from the expansion of capital and capital investment in the 19th century? What might be some detriments?

  3. Free trade also produced advantages and disadvantages. Why would a 19th century capitalist support free trade? Why would a worker oppose it? What would a middle-class European think?

YOUR TASKS: ANNOTATE AND WRITE

TASK 1: For THIS part, you don’t have to answer the questions, only ANNOTATE

Questions to consider as you read (you DO have to mark them in the text as you go—you DON’T have to write out answers to the following questions):

1. Three “zones” of industrialization? What roles did they play in the global economy? (158-159)

2. Burchell illustrates his arguments with portraits of individual men. What did each contribute? (or) Why was each significant?

a. Thomas Brassey

b. Gustave Eiffel

c. Ferdinand de Lesseps

3. Why were “partnerships” important? Why were they necessary? What was a “limited-liability company”? (161-162)

4. Significance of the Rothschilds? (162-163)

5. Who were the BOURGEOISIE? The PROLETARIAT? (164 1^st column)

6. What did European states begin to do by the 1870s? White Man’s Burden? la mission civilisatrice? Kultur? Manifest Destiny?

7. Policies that underlay economic expansion during the 19^th century? What became of those policies?

8. What “new phenomenon” did the 19^th century experience? (166)

9. What factors were most important in contributing to the rise of European commercial supremacy?

TASK 2: WRITE

As you read, you MUST do the following:

o WRITE OUT 1 ESSENTIAL PASSAGE (INCLUDE PAGE NUMBER)

o What surprised me?

o What does the author seem to think I already know? (provide 2-3 items)

o What changed, challenged, or confirmed what I already know?

The Way to Wealth

Why is the title of this chapter appropriate? If you were going to give it a different title, what would it be? Why?