Labor, Inequality, and the Industrial Revolution

This course covers the years 1848-1929 in the United States and Europe. Topics include the publication of The Communist Manifesto, the European Revolutions of 1848, labor activism in the United States, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the Russian Revolution, World War I, child labor, women’s suffrage, the Roaring Twenties, the 1929 Stock Market Crash, and the Great Depression.

The general theme of this period will be the global transformations brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Industrialization brought new opportunities for workers, but also new forms of exploitation. We will study the many ways people fought back against oppressive systems — sometimes successfully; sometimes not — and think critically about the nature of work and equality as ever-evolving concepts.

Note: This class only briefly touches on slavery and the U.S. Civil War, which are taught in much more depth in The Transatlantic Slave Trade. The two time periods have some overlap and students are encouraged to take both classes together. This class also pairs well with Immigration in America. It serves as a prerequisite for The Holocaust and Human Behavior and for Colonialism and Independence in Africa and Asia.

Prerequisite: Manifest Destiny, or an American history class covering the colonial period through the Mexican-American War

Instructor: Laura Fokkena

DETAILS:

Suggested age range: 13+

Outside work:  2-3 hours of reading/video per week

When & where: Fridays on Zoom from 12:30-1:30 Eastern Time, Sept. 8 - Dec. 1, 2023. No class Nov. 24.

Fee: $200 ungraded/$250 graded; this includes a non-refundable registration fee of $10. Students should also purchase or borrow their own copies of Kids on Strike! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. We offer discounts for groups, siblings, and students who enroll in multiple classes. (Discount information.) Payment plans available. Fees waived for families with financial need.  (Waivers and payment plan information.) Questions about how classes work? Read our course FAQ.

Photo credit: Laura Fokkena