Problem 1: What invention or innovation changed American life most profoundly in your estimation? Which was more important, innovation or immigration?
Problem 2: What role did the changing economy and infrastructure of the economy play in genuinely uniting the states? Is it possible that roads, railroads, canals, steamships, and the like did more to make a solid nation than the Declaration of Independence? What role did these plays in drawing immigration from Ireland and Germany?
Problem 3: How did the roles of men, women, and children--native and immigrant alike--change as America began to move from the farm to the town and the factory?