Research the life of a worker in a large industry in the 1860s, such as a steel mill worker, textile mill worker, or railroad builder. Write a diary of a week in the worker's life, describing your work, daily routine, and problems you face.

Davis believed that religion was the answer to some of our social problems. Do you agree or disagree? Why? How do you think social problems, such as poverty, drugs, and widespread unemployment, should be dealt with?

In Margret Howth, Davis mentions that many of the workers in the mill were immigrants or African Americans. Did you have ancestors who were in the United States in the 1860s? If so, do you know what types of work they did? Write about their lives; if you don't know the facts of their lives, write about what you would have done...