DBQ: The Industrial Revolution
Historical Background: The Industrial Revolution began in England in the mid
1700's and reached the United States by the end of the century. During this
time, new technologies changed both the economic and cultural foundation of
America. In Part A, read the documents provided and answer the questions that
follow each one. In Part B, use your analysis of the documents to answer the
following question:
How did the Industrial Revolution impact the United States and the lives of
U.S. citizens?
PART A
Document 1
The following is an excerpt from William Cooper's testimony before the Sadler
Committee in 1832. The committee, led by Michael Sadler, investigated working
conditions in factories and mills.
Sadler: What is your age?
Cooper: I am eight and twenty.
Sadler: When did you first begin to work in the mills?
Cooper: When I was ten years of age.
Sadler: What were your usual hours of working?
Cooper: We began at five in the morning and stopped at nine in the night.
Sadler: What time did you have for meals?
Cooper: We had just one period of 40 minutes in the 16 hours. That was at noon.
Sadler: What means were taken to keep you awake and attentive?
Cooper: At times we were frequently strapped (whipped).
Sadler: When your hours were so long, did you have time to attend school?
Cooper: We had no time to go to school.
Sadler: Can you read and write?
Cooper: I can read, but I cannot write.
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Describe work conditions in the factory based on the testimony. _____________
________________________________________________________________
How did the Industrial Revolution affect children working in the mills? _________
________________________________________________________________
Document 2
The following is an excerpt from the testimony of textile worker Joseph
Hebergam to the Sadler Committee.
Sadler: What is the nature of your illness?
Hebergam: I have damaged lungs. My leg muscles do not function properly and will not
support the weight of my bones.
Sadler: A doctor has told you that you will die within the year, is that correct?
Hebergam: I have been so told.
Sadler: Did he tell you the cause of your illness?
Hebergam: He told me that it was caused by dust in the factories and from overwork and
insufficient diet.
Sadler: To what was your brother's death attributed?
Hebergam: He was cut by a machine and died of infection.
How did factory conditions impact the health of some workers? _____________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Document 3
The following are testimonials from employees at the Wilson Mill in Bedford,
Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Bentley:
“I worked from five in the morning till nine at night. I lived two miles from the mill. We
had no clock. If I had been too late at the mill I would have been quartered. I mean
that if I had been a quarter of an hour too late a half an hour would have been taken
off. I only got a penny an hour and they would have taken a halfpenny.”
Frank Forrest
“In reality there were no regular hours, masters and managers did with us as they
liked. The clocks in the factories were often put forward in the morning and back at
night. Though this was known amongst the hands we were afraid to speak and a
workman then was afraid to carry a watch.”
How were workers treated? Provide Examples.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Why didn't factory workers complain about the way in which they were treated?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Document 4
What does the photo show and what conclusions can you draw?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Document 5
This illustration by an unknown artist depicts a factory town in New England in
the late 1840's.
What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on the environment? Why can
you draw these conclusion? _______________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Document 6
Are there advantages from the Industrial Revolution? What are they?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Document 7
How has the revolution helped towns such as Hyde? _____________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
PART B
Use the information from the documents, your answers to the questions in Part
A, and any previous knowledge of the topic, to write a well-organized answer to
the question below. The paper should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced,
using Times New Roman 12-point font. The paper should include a well-written
thesis, introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Question: How did the Industrial Revolution impact the United States and
lives of U.S. citizens?
DBQ ESSAY RUBRIC GRADE SHEET
Student Name ____________________________
Superior Essay 27-30
____ Superior thesis
____ Excellent use of documents (at least two
more than half)
____ Excellent use of outside information
____ Excellent analysis of key issues
____ Excellent use of concrete facts
____ Extremely well-organized essay
____ Addresses all areas of the prompt
____ Extremely well-written essay
____ No errors in MLA/Grammar/Conventions
Adequate Essay 21-23
____ Clear thesis – needs general analysis
____ Adequate use of documents
____ Fairly well-organized essay
____ Addresses all areas of the prompt but
essay may lack balance.
____ Includes some outside information (but
clearly needs more)
____ Needs more analysis of key issues
____ Contains some evidence; more needed
____ May contain some historical errors
____ Contains facts irrelevant to the time period
____ Several Errors in MLA/Grammar (> 5)
Poor Essay 0-17
____ No documents used
____ No thesis
____ Facts not specific, accurate & relevant.
____ Poor or no analysis of key issues
____ Grammar/Conventions effect the Essay
Strong Essay 24-26
____ Strong thesis (contains general analysis)
____ Good use of documents (at least 1 more
than half)
____ Good use of outside info. (needs more)
____ Good analysis of key issues (needs more)
____ Well-organized essay
____ Addresses all areas of the prompt; may
lack some balance between major areas
____ Well-written essay
____ Few minor errors in MLA/Grammar/Convent
(1-4)
Below Average Essay 18-20
____ Undeveloped thesis (simple thesis)
____ Thesis does not fully address question
____ Poor use of documents
____ Documents control the essay
____ Weak organization
____ Lacks outside information
____ Essay does not address one or more aspects
of the question: __________________
____ Lacks analysis of key issues
____ Lacks evidence to support main ideas.
____ Contains major historical errors
____ Much irrelevant information to time period
____ Major errors in grammar (>10)
“0” Essay: Did not do the question