This week long summer institute for 5th grade and high school teachers will concentrate on understanding the development of industrial America and its effect on society, with a particular emphasis on East Tennessee.

We will start by examining important broad based changes occurring in the United States at this time, such as the urbanization, immigration, industrialization, and the emergence of capitalism. We will use a variety of primary sources and material culture to discuss and understand how these changes affected society and individuals throughout the United States. To see the many different sides of industrialization and the era’s other developments we will visit the Biltmore Estate and a coal mine.

Throughout the week we will also explore the United States’ acquisition of territory during this time period, particularly focusing on the ideological justifications for expansion, the resistance of native peoples, and what this meant for the different societies.