+
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Music for the Nation: Music Published, America, 1870 1885

For Students 9th - 10th
A wonderful collection of sheet music from the Library of Congress. Search this site to find the primary source documents of music published in America from 1870 through 1885. The site is separated into many different topics with an...
+
Article
Other

Marshall Taylor: Newspaper Articles

For Students 9th - 10th
Watching bicycle racing indoors was a popular pasttime during the Gilded Age. Marshall Taylor, an African American, was one of the premier racers not only in the United States, but in the world. Read newspaper articles about his career.
+
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

National First Ladies' Library: Literature of the Gilded Age

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use this lesson plan to familiarize young scholars with the authors associated with the time period of the Gilded Age.
+
Primary
Other

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Downtown: Nickelodeon

For Students 9th - 10th
Along with a black and white picture of a nickelodeon, find a great description of the first one, located in Pittsburgh, and a history of the motion picture. From an article published in 1919.
+
Website
Ibis Communications

Eye Witness to History: The Gibson Girl

For Students 9th - 10th
The Gibson Girl, an illustration done by Charles Gibson, became a fashion icon in the early 1900s. See some of Gibsons drawings and learn more about this social model for women in the early 20th century.
+
Handout
Other

Unstrung History of American Guitar: The Guitar and the Birth of American Music

For Students 9th - 10th
The guitar in America began as an instrument used in popular music in the city and then branched out to minstrel shows, ragtime, and even jazz. Read about the history of this ubiquitous instrument and how it took on its American character.
+
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Gilded Age (1878 1889)

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
After a brief description of the economy in the Gilded Age, find links to stories about many cultural events of the age. Read about Jim Thorpe, the Johnstown flood, and the first Coca-Cola, among other stories.
+
Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Reading 2: The Glen Echo Amusement Park

For Students 9th - 10th
A history of Glen Echo Amusement Park in particular and trolley parks in general. Includes comprehension questions.
+
Activity
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Invention of the Week: Alexander J. Cartwright

For Students 3rd - 8th
Read about the man who invented the modern-day sport of baseball, Alexander Joy Cartwright. This article talks about the history and development of the sport and gives example the rules in other "versions" of baseball.
+
Handout
Musicals 101

Cyber Encyclopedia of Musicals: The First Musical Comedies

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about Ned Harrigan and Tony Hart, a British musical duo, who brought musical comedies to the New York state.
+
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Artistic and Literary Trends

For Students 5th - 8th
The arts blossomed in the Gilded Age, aided by the wealth of the business tycoons. Read about the artists who flourished at the time, along with the realism in literature that ranged from poetry to novels.
+
Article
Other

Sfsu: Origins of Mass Entertainment in the Gilded Age

For Students 9th - 10th
An introduction from the San Francisco State University of the various forms of mass entertainment that emerged during the Gilded Age. Follow the hyperlinks for in-depth discussion of the aspects of culture during this period in American...
+
Activity
Arlington Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery Website: Abner Doubleday

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the privately owned site, The Arlington National Cemetery Website, contains factual information on Abner Doubleday, Major General, U.S. Army. Although he has a fascinating history, his claim to fame of inventing baseball...
+
Activity
Other

Mr. Baseball: Alexander Cartwright Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site from Mr. Baseball has information about the man who created the modern rules of baseball, Alexander Joy Cartwright.