Contemporary Connections (10/20)

Read the Introduction to Vol. 2 (1-29) about the years 1865-1914. What contemporary connection do you see between today and the years 1865-1914? Is it in politics, entertainment, sports, or education? Explain the contemporary example and its connection to an issue or idea in the assigned reading. *If you are responding to a classmate, don't just agree with them -- engage in a dialogue. Raise a question or disagree. Take a risk! Write 300-400 words.


As I was reading this section I was trying to make connections between then and now, I suddenly realized that there are so many things that can be connected.  The time period from 1865-1914 was almost like the beginning of the modern society, so many things were being invented which we still continue to use, we have just improved the technology of these things over the years.  "The industrialization that led to the country's emergence as a world power was accelerated by developments in technology that also transformed virtually every aspect of life in the United States," that quote really hit home to me because it is nothing more than the truth!  One of the connections that I made between the reading and today's modern connection was between the invention of the lightbulb, the telephone, the typewriter, the radio, the motion picture, the automobile, and the airplane.  All of these things that were invented between this time period are still being used today just at a much different level then they were in this time period, now a days these things are being used for the entertainment of the American people. All these things were just beginning to make their debut into the every day lives of American people and now I know people cannot go a day without using almost all the things on this list.  With each of these products you see a transformation from the simple stage to the now technologically advanced contemporary stage. The lightbulb went from being a small light just lighting up a little area to know being able to be "green" and not using as many watts.  A telephone went from being hung on the wall and only calling people close to you, to being party lines, and then being able to call long distance, then calling across the world, and to the modern day cell phone were we are only a touch of a button away from talking to anyone we would like at any place in the world.  A typewriter became a tiny laptop you can use any where you prefer.  The radio went from being the place citizens used to get information about news and sports and entertainment to being a television that we spend countless hours in front of watching reality television and living vicariously through other people.  Motion pictures transformed into silent films into films like Harry Potter which include magic, flying, and the more phenomenal visual effects keeping us entertained for hours.  The automobile went from only going about 20 miles an hours to being able to drive at 250+ (around a racetrack of course).  The airplane is now being used to fly any where in the world and for commercial use to allow people to explore any place they can imagine. These are just a few examples of how these new technologies created in this time period have transformed our contemporary society into what we know today.