United States History Final ExamStandard 11.1 Discuss the significant events in the founding of the nation and its attempts to realize the philosophy of government described in the Declaration of Independence.

The founders of the United States borrowed heavily fromEuropean Enlightenment ideas. Their belief that they had inalienablerights clearly led to the American Revolution when they were treatedas second-class citizens by Great Britain. The swaying of the heartsand minds of the colonists was the first step in founding the nation.Worsening relations with Great Britain and written works such asPaine’s

Common Sense

convinced the majority of the colonists. Thewriting and adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 wasanother significant step forward. The Declaration has four mainsections consisting of philosophical idealism, a list of complaints aboutKing George III, a justification for rebellion, and the concluding actionstatements. The first section is the most important when analyzingtheir reasoning. The Continental Congress and the majority of thecolonists believed they were entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They essentially believed that government should work forthe people, and that tyrannical governments were automaticallyentitled to be destroyed. This enlightened thinking was a cleardeparture from centuries of the acceptance of despotism in most of theworld. These logical and liberating ideas helped create a sense of unityand helped the colonists win the war against Great Britain. Thisphilosophy was also present in the early Constitution and the Bill of

Rights, which both showed unprecedented amounts of foresight whileremaining moderate enough to gain two-thirds ratification. Thisratification was the last major hurdle as the essentially sovereignAmerican states had to accept federalism. The Constitution neverexplicitly defined federalism, but rather assumed powers for thefederal government. The eventual acceptance of federalism by thestates finalized the realization of the government described in theDeclaration of Independence. Wars later in history redefined the UnitedStates, but its governmental philosophy has remained the same.

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11.2 What was the relationship among the rise of industrialization, large-scale rural-to-urban migration, andmassive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe?

United States industrialization first trickled in from Europe andthen expanded rapidly in the mid-1800s. This led to a large-scaleinternal migration from rural to urban areas, as people could not find jobs elsewhere. Most workers worked an average of 11 to 12 hours aday by 1865 and gave up most of their wages to live right next to thefactory. Rural areas were sometimes stunning to year-long factoryworkers, such as Jurgis in

The Jungle

, yet few could find any workoutside of industrialized cities. Industrialization and the expandingglobal economy also forced European immigrants to find work in theUnited States. Over thirty million immigrants arrived between 1815and 1914 and secured jobs in factories or other industrial businesses.

This type of large-scale internal and external migration wasunprecedented for the United States. To counter the worseningconditions, activists in the Progressive era increased industrial safety,lowered working hours, and curbed the amount of underhanded dealsby corrupt politicians.

Standard 11.3 How was the American economy and thechanging social and political conditions in the U.S. transformedin response to the Industrial Revolution?

The booming American industry rapidly expanded the economyand permanently altered social and political conditions. The factorywork helped the economy through dehumanizing methods. A system of piecework and the interchangeability of workers guaranteed thateveryone was just a cog in the machine. These social conditionseventually led to the Progressive era, repairing the damage caused byrapid industrialization. Some politicians that adhered to Progressiveprinciples included Theodore Roosevelt, Robert LaFollette, William Jennings Bryan, and Woodrow Wilson. Journalists known as muckrakerswho investigated corruptions and scandals during this era. TheIndustrial Revolution also partly determined the outcome of theAmerican Civil War. The North had industrialized far more than theSouth and secured a victory in four years. In short, industrializationhelped to assert federal power and eliminate slavery. The majornegative impacts of the Industrial Revolution were slowly replaced bymore Progressive ideals while simultaneously ensuring more social justice and liberty.