Industrialism

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1823cotton.html

What point is the author of this text attempting to make through the inclusion of the story of Reverend Cartwright's invention of the loom? Do you believe Cartwright's process of invention was as simple as he claimed? If not, why would he make such a claim?
What is the author's perspective on the steam loom? Why does he like or dislike it? Compare this author's bias to that of the workers in the Leeds Woolen Worker's Petition (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1786machines.html). What is the goal of these workers? What arguments do they make to support their petition? What is the basic conflict that arose between workers and bosses as a result of industrialism?
Compare the text describing Women Miners in the English Coalpits (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1842womenminers.html) with the one describing the mill girls in Lowell, Massachusetts (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/robinson-lowell.html). How did the gender of these workers affect their experiences? What kinds of work did each of these groups of women do? How can you account for the distinctions between the two groups?
Why does the author of The Philosophy of Manufactures (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1835ure.html) admire the British manufacturing industry so much? What benefits does he claim industry offers British society? What, if anything, about this man's arguments is new to industrial society?

The Case for Birth Control

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_sanger_1924.htm
Several of Margaret Sanger's arguments in favor of birth control would be very controversial today. Please list three of Sanger's arguments that are objectionable today. Why do they remain so controversial?

http://www.dur.ac.uk/a.k.harrington/emancipn.html

According to this text, why did Alexander II free the serfs in 1861? How did the tsar provide for these newly freed subjects? What did the proclamation indicate this emancipation would do for Russian society?
Now read these pieces of reform legislation from 1905-1906:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/a.k.harrington/octmanif.html,http://www.dur.ac.uk/a.k.harrington/fundlaws.html,http://www.dur.ac.uk/a.k.harrington/stolypin.html. What did these laws attempt to change about Russian society? What changes do you see in the issues between 1863 and 1905? Do you notice any difference in the language of these later documents? If so, what is that difference? What can this contrast tell us about the problems of the Russian Empire during these years?

Japan

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1908okuma.html

What do these excerpts from a Japanese author in 1908 tell us about the changes in Japan over the course of the previous fifty years? What is his attitude about these changes?
Now read this excerpt from a Japanese officer's description of the nation's attack on Port Arthur in 1905 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1905portarthur.html. How does he feel about this attack? What do these documents tell us about the Japanese perception of themselves in the early 20th century?