For Teachers - Ivoryton's Industrial History

Ivoryton’s Industrial History
Article: Tickling the Ivories in Ivoryton, HRJ Vol. 6, No. 4, Fall 2008
Written by: Christopher Pagliuco, pagliucos@comcast.net

Description: The lesson Ivoryton’s Industrial History encourages students to evaluate Ivoryton’s factory life from multiple perspectives. After reading the article and analyzing it through the use of a Venn Diagram, students will complete one of four possible projects including making a union poster, writing a screenplay, writing a speech or devising a company strategy to discourage union membership.

Content Standard 1: Historical Thinking
Students will develop historical thinking skills, including chronological thinking and recognizing change over time; contextualizing, comprehending and analyzing historical literature; researching historical sources; understanding the concept of historical causation; understanding competing narratives and interpretation; and constructing narratives and interpretation.

Content Standard 3: Historical Themes
Students will apply their understanding of historical periods, issues and trends to examine such historical themes as ideals, beliefs and institutions; conflict and conflict resolution; human movement and interaction; and science and technology in order to understand how the world came to be the way it is.

Content Standard 4: Applying History
Students will recognize the continuing importance of historical thinking and historical knowledge in their own lives and in the world in which they live.

Content Standard 14: Economic Systems
Students will demonstrate that various economic systems coexist, and that economic decisions are made by individuals and/or governments, influenced by markets, cultural traditions, individuals and governments in the allocation of goods and services.

Manufacturing grew rapidly in the early 1800’s as factories were constructed to take advantage of the waterpower provided by Connecticut’s many fast-flowing rivers and streams. Though some businesses were located in existing communities—such as the mills that grew up along Hartford’s Hog (Park) River, many new towns were created at this time. In order to attract and maintain a workforce, many factory owners provided all their workers’ needs: housing, churches, schools, libraries, and company stores where workers could find everything they needed for their families. While some factory owners were truly concerned with their employees’ welfare, others tried to restrict their freedom and control their lives. Hours were long, work was hard, and often every member of the family, including young children, was employed.

Source: Connecticut History Online

Draw a union poster using icons evocative of life in Ivoryton and class conflict. On the back of the poster document at least 5 symbols and the message you were conveying on the front.

Be prepared to post and lead a discussion of the symbolism and images of your poster.
You are Samuel Merritt Comstock. It is 1898 and you are at a company picnic with your employees celebrating the factory’s anniversary. But with rumors of strike organizers lurking around town tensions are high. You decide to use this opportunity to give a speech addressing your workers. Explain to your workers all you try to do for them and their families and how that will be endangered with unionization. This should be a real tear-jerker and should reference information from the left side of the Venn diagram.

Be prepared to read your speech in class.
Write a dialogue/screenplay between a union organizer and worker. Be sure to communicate the covert and risky nature of such conversations as well as the conflicting sympathies of the participants. Be sure to reference information from the Venn diagram to help persuade the worker.

Be prepared to act out the dialogue in class.
As vice president of Comstock, Cheney and Co. you have been assigned the unsavory job of preventing the unionization of employees. Drawing upon details of life in Ivoryton you are to draw up a strategy using every factory resource to discourage, coerce, even intimidate workers from joining a union. Gear your presentation as if you are reporting to Comstock himself. Use poster board or Power point. Be sure to reference the leverage you have to control the employees from the Venn diagram.
Be prepared to present your strategy and tactics to the class (who will stand in as Comstock) and answer questions.

It is best to try to keep the students focused on the manager/worker conflict when implementing this lesson. The article covers a lot of history and some of it is not applicable to this lesson. Students are likely to get confused.

This lesson could best be utilized in the industrialization or progressive unit. There are strong connections to Marx’s Communist Manifesto and Social Darwinism. After completing this lesson it would be logical to transition the class to Imperialism. The role that ivory and how it was procured played in the manufacturing of pianos may provide a convenient talking point. Since the article covers a variety of subjects, it would be worthwhile to go back to the article to refer to other topics.

Engines of Enterprise An Economic History of New England, Peter Temin, 2000.
This is an ideal source for a broad history of the New England economy from 1770 to 2000. The reading is suitable for any high school aged student or above
The Third Wave, Alvin Toffler, 1980.
In this bold book, Alvin Toffler addresses how economies impact society. Of particular value is the chapter, “Breaking the Code” that discusses how we have applied production strategies to other, less applicable, aspects of our lives, such as schools.
American Welfare Capitalism, Eighteen Hundred and Eighty Through Nineteen Hundred and Forty, Stuart D. Brandes, 1976.
Stuart Brandes provides a very readable and concise investigation of welfare capitalism practices in the United States. Much of this directly relates to Ivoryton History.
The Roots of American Industrialization (Creating the North American Landscape),               David R. Meyer, 2003.
Meyer’s book discusses the different aspects of the origins of American industrialization. This is particularly relevant to Connecticut’s industrial history, which includes Ivoryton.
The Piano: A History , Cyril Ehrlich 1990.
This is a broad history of nearly every aspect of the piano. This source is valuable for its explanation of the role the piano played in Victorian Society.