The United States is currently in the midst of a new revolution. There are many interesting parallels between the revolution that took place in the late 19th century and the technological revolution that is currently taking place in the 21st century. For example, as big businesses transformed the lives for Americans in the early 1900s, technological innovations and big companies such as Amazon are transforming the lives of Americans today. Some are even calling the events of today the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” The First Industrial Revolution took place in the early to mid-1800s with the invention of steam engines and manufacturing; the Second Industrial Revolution took place around the turn of the 20th century with the increase in technologies like electricity and the telegraph; the Third Industrial Revolution describes the Digital Revolution and the development of computer technology at the end of the 20th century; the Fourth Industrial Revolution describes the spread of high-speed internet, data analytics, and things like AI and automation. The world’s richest man (or possibly the second-richest behind Elon Musk) in 2021, Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon has a net worth of $177 billion. John D. Rockefeller, who founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870, is still considered the richest American ever to live, who, with an adjusted income to today’s money, was worth around $285 billion.

For this discussion, you will use your knowledge of the past to help you critically analyze the present and the future.

Step 1: For this discussion, first watch the following videos about the technology giant Amazon. as you watch, think about the pros and cons of Amazon’s massive growth.

Step 2: Respond to one of the following questions inside the discussion board.

What parallels do you see between the Second Industrial Revolution of the past and the Fourth Industrial Revolution occurring right now?

OR

People always say history repeats itself. Based on what you saw with the Amazon videos, and what you have experienced in your life, discuss if you feel Amazon has been a net positive in the lives of Americans.

Step 3: Once you have formulated and posted your discussion post, you should read through your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two posts with an observation of their opinions/ideas, and a suggestion for evidence from the text that might support their learning.

Discussion Grading Rubric