Blog #162 – Final Exam – Shark Tank
So I have read about the Shark Tank simulation for years on Facebook APUSH teacher pages, but wasn’t sure I could pull it off until I found a format that worked for our classes. I was debating doing other simulations that I have done in the past, but I was concerned about pacing or covering enough material before the final. Once I figured out we had a couple of flexible days, we did it, and I don’t regret it. It was a lot of fun, and I think I can make some tweaks and make it even better for the next time I use it in the future. That’s where I need your help. (See final question).
What we see in the antebellum time period (1800-1860) was an amazing amount of groundbreaking inventions that we are still seeing the ramifications of in our modern day (though some are still used today like the railroads, textile mills, typewriters, etc., they no longer dominate today like they did the 19th and early 20th centuries). But a few of them had incredibly transformative effects on America and the world.
Yet, the Shark Tank simulation reinforced two ideas in my mind about the importance of capital to help new inventions get off the ground, as well as the great need for workers to help make those inventions become more popular and reach a broad audience. And there still seems to be a constant battle capital and labor as seen in many of the labor conflicts we have seen in the past two years or so. For instance, back when the auto companies were facing bankruptcy in 2009, their workers took huge hits to their salary and benefits in order to keep the companies afloat, but since then, the companies have recovered and the workers want to share in their companies’ earnings. And with the strikes, the companies could do little.
Questions to consider:
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
400 words total for all three answers. Due Wednesday night, Nov. 22, by midnight.
I think rail roads had the greatest impact on America in the long run because it helped move people and things from one place to another very quickly in comparison to a horse or on foot. Also, we still use trains to this day so that just shows how significant they still are to our economy. At first they were expensive to make but after they were finished you could make major profits off the train. Also, trains were better than canals and boats because you either needed to make a huge river or canal for a boat to get through into land, while a train can just go through the whole country on rails which were quicker to make and assemble. Overall, the train is the best invention that had the greatest impact on America and on the future of America. There is always constant tenison between capital and labor because if you are using a ton of labor to assemble something, you have to know you will be making enough profit from that thing to pay your workers and to profit. If you can’t make the money back from the labor that you used, you will be very much in debt depending on the money put into the project and how many people were hired as laborers. My role in the shark tank presentations was an inventor. One thing I really liked about this simulation was the fun in the project and how we got to pretend to pitch a sale to investors. It was also very engaging to learn about because we needed to know a lot of details about our invention so we could explain it to the sharks better. It also made it easier to stick in your brain because you were only researching one thing in depth and then wrote quick notes on the most important things of the other inventions. One thing that could be improved about this simulation would be the questions the investors can ask. This could be improved because some questions you either have to be an expert to know exactly what the answer would be or you just couldn’t find an answer for that question. To fix this you could probably put links to websites we can use to research our invention and a list of questions the sharks can ask so there is no confusing questions that are impossible to answer.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I believe that the cotton gin was unfortunately the most impactful, negatively, on American history when considering its long term effects. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin came onto the scene at a pivotal moment in American history when it seemed that the declining institution of slavery would soon fade if left alone, as the slow process and soil exhaustion was only leading to low profits and more trouble for planters. Additionally, the invention was patented just over a decade before the year the importation of slaves was set to be banned. However, with the groundbreaking technology that separated cotton fibers from the seeds with ease, efficiency of cotton picking increased by twelve times per worker. This lowered the cost of producing cotton dramatically, allowing planters to reap massive profits from growing the crop. In turn, they needed more workers to increase profitability, internally selling them within the country and even smuggling enslaved laborers from other countries at times, ignoring the ban. Due to the cotton gin’s influence, slavery was no longer a failing system on its way out, but was further cemented into the economy of the South.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
In a growing company, there is only so much money to go around. It is a difficult process to allocate funds to different parts of an expanding business, yet keep everything balanced at the same time. On one hand, money must be invested into materials, facilities, and developing technologies. On the other hand, workers must be paid for the crucial labor they provide to the company. The more a business grows, the more money needs to be poured into materials to allow for increasing sales and success. Money must also be reserved for the hiring of new employees to keep up with the demand. When a company is going through hard times, however, business leaders sometimes choose to put one aspect over the other, and the workers usually take the fall, leading to extremely justified anger. However, it may take a while to resolve the issue, whether from pure stubbornness of those in charge or steadily decreasing income during the standstill, making it even more difficult to recover as a company. Even after things return to normal, it is bound to happen again at some point, as there is only so much money to go around, and good financial decisions aren’t always made.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
My role for the Shark Tank simulation was an inventor, specifically Samuel Slater, the creator of the water-powered mill. I was absent on the day of presentations, but still found the simulation to be educational and enjoyable. Despite being sick on presentation day, I still got to participate in the normal planning and researching stages of the project in class. I found it a pretty interesting experience to get to go in depth on an invention that I wouldn’t have been much intrigued by otherwise. Learning about the water-powered mill’s impact and function was definitely engaging, but my favorite part was designing my slide, as I got to choose creative aesthetics to go with my invention. Rather than go up and present on the day, I instead filled out a sheet on the inventions I had missed out on. As a result, I wasn’t able to take part in the main aspect of the simulation, so I’m not sure what necessarily needs to be improved upon. The only thing I can think of is making the instructions more clear for absent people, as the number of inventions I was supposed to write about was kind of confusing because the sheet hadn’t been adapted to match the normal one. No one was really expected to be absent though, so it makes sense that aspect wasn’t as prioritized. All in all, although I couldn’t be present for a lot of the Shark Tank simulation, it was still very fun for me! I think this is a great and compelling way to learn about the importance of the inventions that shaped this period of American history.
#1. The cotton gin had the most profound effect on the U.S. Not only did it completely change the course of slavery, it also changed the culture and economy forever. The cotton gin revived slavery, which was dying around 1790, and caused it to explode in America as people saw the money to be had in cotton. With the revival of slavery came the revival of racism, or at least the strengthening of its foundation in America. All of the reasons white people used to justify slavery came back and stuck in their minds. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation, and slaves were free, they still weren’t treated as equal. If the cotton gin hadn’t come around, African Americans would’ve been emancipated earlier as the south used up all its soil. The effects of that racism is still being felt today with the BLM movement for example. It also changed the economy of the United States, meaning, the entirety of the economy became based around slavery and the production of cotton. Even in the north they were dependent on slavery and slavery was dependent on the cotton gin.
#2. There are many reasons for the tension between capital and labor. One of them is the need of capital to pay for supplies and labor, but then also needed to pay labor. One of the biggest tensions is the laborers wanting to be paid more because of increased living costs or bad working conditions, spawning unionization and bargaining with employers. Another tension is the need of human capital for skilled professions such as metal working. A worker may get fired for not having the necessary skills and therefore there’s always tension in those markets since few people can do those jobs well, but those jobs need to be done.
#3. I was an inventor and my invention, with Ari, was the steamboat. One thing I liked about the shark tank was the format. It was quick, little time was wasted, and we all got right to the point. I also was a fan of it because the time we got in class was about perfect and there wasn’t much Ari and I had to do at home. However, I think that the salesmen aspect needed to be more emphasized. The presenters, including Ari and I, definitely needed to actually sell the invention better. I also think there needs to be some question examples in the directions. For example, the sharks all asked money questions which most of us weren’t prepared for or able to answer. If there were some question examples we would have been better prepared to answer some of them.
1. The cotton gin had the greatest impact on America in the long term. As soon as it was invented it caused the cotton industry to explode with the faster process the cotton gin provided, and subsequently developed the textile industry and its factories, meaning the factory system was improved as well. The cotton gin was infamous because of its effect on slavery. Slavery soon before the invention, was a dying industry that seemed to be coming to a close or at least the north and abolitionists hoped it would die out. When the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney it flipped this notion and dramatically fueled the need for enslaved people with the increase in cotton production. Therefore increasing regional tensions, mostly between the north and the south, and it can be argued that the cotton gin was a cause for the civil war. War is extreme and leads to dramatic effects which is why the cotton gin was the most influential invention we discussed in class.
2. I think there is tension between capital and labor because of conflicting interests. With capital, gaining money seems to be the main priority and because of this it would make sense for companies to do whatever they can to further their business. This could be considered greed in some situations. And with this, labor workers tend to be used and exploited and this unfair treatment leads them to strike. Laborers see their work as important and see themselves as necessary to the company making it only fair for them to take part in the capital and profits, yet the companies want to keep this for themselves creating a tension between capital and labor.
3. I enjoyed the Shark Tank Simulation where I was an inventor because it was a fun activity that was different from what he had been doing in class prior, as we had not had projects or presentations. The Shark Tank presentations helped me learn more about each of the inventions as well as what the long term effects would be which is important to study in history. Something I think could be improved was specifying to either the presenters or sharks what questions were going to be asked. Specifically about money, my group didn’t research the costs a lot and many of the shark’s questions were specific about expense of resources and building of the invention which was hard to answer because of the time period and the fact that we were not experts.
For me, the most important invention out of all the ones we covered had to be the railroad. While the other inventions were also huge game-changers in their own ways, the railroad had the most impact out of all of them. For one, the railroad helped move not just people west, but goods and services which moved the economy forward at faster speeds than had ever been possible. New markets were opened, the east was now connected with the west and they could interchange manufactured goods for food to support a major city’s rising population. Railroads were directly responsible for creating our third most important city in Chicago which today creates over 509 billion dollars in revenue, 3.6% of the national GDP, 3.2% of jobs, and has a larger economy than Sweden according to Business Insider. Even in the Civil War, railroads were vital in the North’s success as they could quickly transport people and materials. The South did not have as many railroad systems so they were much slower to every response. As for tensions between labor and capital, they both are consistently trying to outdo each other and get an edge over each other so the tensions will never go away. However, these two must come together if a successful enterprise is to emerge. Capital needs to be made by laborers and laborers need to get capital. The problem is that executives will always try to keep wages as low as possible in order to preserve capital but better laborers require more money to keep. In The Shark Tank, I was Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the mechanical reaper. What I like about this simulation is that I did a lot of in-depth research for fear that a shark would ask me a question I didn’t know the answer to so I learned about many new databases I can use in future presentations. I learned about Google patents and the government website that allows you to look at the exact patent for every single invention made in the US. However, what could be improved in the Shark Tank could be allowing us to do our own presentations rather than just one slide as it would be more realistic to an actual sales pitch. It would help us more to have to look up more information to put on more slides and everyone would be more prepared.
I would say railroads had the greatest impact on America in the long term. The reason why is because railroads revolutionized American transportation for the long term, have led to economic growth, and a much more efficient and rapid form of transportation compared to prior. I think the conflict between capital and labor is due to workers wanting things such as better pay, better working conditions, better benefits, etc. While at the same time, businesses who have the explicit goal of maximizing profits want to give workers as little as they can get away with. This has led to workers forming unions and doing collective action to try and raise their standards of living and pressure businesses to give more to workers. I was an investor, and a few things that I liked were learning about history in a more interactive way, learning about my character that I was playing as which was Isaac Singer, talking to the sharks and trying to earn their investment, and being able to see other peoples slides and characters plus the way the sharks interacted with them. For improvements, I would say be more specific in what questions you and the sharks will ask so the investors can come more prepared, try to improvise or help people who can not find specific things about their invention or person, such as how much an invention costed to produce, and just the overall specifics of an invention that may not be easily accessible. I also think debating with the sharks about how much equity and money they are willing to give. Still, I would understand if you do not want to include that because it takes too much time, but I still think it would be a fun addition that could make being both a shark and investor more fun. It could also lead to a more extensive debate about the value of an invention and why the sharks should give this much equity and money and then they can respond with a yes or a no, and then they can explain why they feel an investor is asking for too much or maybe they can specify why they feel a specific invention does not have enough value to invest in general. I still think this was an overall fun and interactive experience, but I still had critiques that I hope you will take into consideration.
Personally, I believe that interchangeable parts have had the largest both short and long-term effects on the country. Interchangeable parts made it so that one wouldn’t have to go to a blacksmith or repairman to fix a piece of equipment. The interchangeable parts helped America construct weapons and other machinery that was much easier to repair and build. They also helped boost the industrial economy of the nation greatly as parts were no longer manufactured custom by a blacksmith, they were mass-produced in a factory. If one thinks about it, if a car breaks one does not have to custom make a part from scratch, they can simply purchase a pre-made part, therefore its influence has lasted until today. On a side note, as somebody who enjoys tinkering with things, I am grateful for interchangeable parts. Having to design and fabricate parts is a difficult process and the parts that one can buy are much more precise and high quality than the ones that I can make on my own with a 3D printer. Going back on topic, the concept of interchangeable parts revolutionized the industry and fuelled the evolution to the assembly line because to manufacture items on an assembly line pre-made parts are assembled. This invention has truly withstood the tests of time as it is still used today and is therefore incredibly important and influential.
The tension between capital and labor happens because if one wants to make money on a large scale they will most definitely need employees. Changes in the economy come about sometimes for the worse causing the employer to have to make the decision (Like in Newsies) should raise the price to buy a good or service or pay the workers less. Also sometimes an invention like a robot arm in automobile manufacturing replaces workers, causing fear. However many times inventions create more jobs, whether in factories or by creating new problems.
I was a shark, I really liked the slide show-aided oral presentation because it was much more engaging than just reading about something. Additionally, I liked how they were pitching an idea instead of just talking about an invention, this also makes it more engaging because I was able to interact with the presentation. One thing that could be improved was the range of questions that are asked. I think that If there was an outline for the questions that we sharks were supposed to ask then we would be better able to ask the questions and the presenters would have a better idea of what to research.
I believe railroads had the biggest impact on America in the long term because they helped revolutionize travel. They helped speed up the process of moving people across the country and were able to connect cities without ports to trade goods and other things. Railroads have the largest long term impact on America because they are still in use today to transport humans, consumer goods and many other necessities. Trains were a better way of transportation and remain that way today, because railroads are able to be placed anywhere on land, meanwhile boats have to use the water that is left available to them.
The constant tension between capital and labor is that companies always want to make a profit by keeping a large workforce with preferably lower wages, so the profit made by the business outweighs the cost it takes to run the business. The people doing the labor will always hope for more money due to the profit the business is making, but the people in higher positions often deny them this because of the constant shift of labor force and capital.
My role in the Shark Tank project was to be an inventor. I like the simulation because it gave me more information and knowledge about the inventions during the Antebellum Period. The presenters gave us more information on both the short and long term effects of their inventions, in depth descriptions and in some cases simulations on how inventions worked, aswell as the purpose of why people needed these inventions and how it benefited them. This furthered my understanding of what we were learning in class and also made the unit more interesting as well as involved students more. In the future, I think some inventions like the Erie Canal should be removed from the list as possible topics, because it is difficult to sell something that’s not mass produced and doesn’t have a certain value. When I was trying to sell the Erie Canal it was difficult to differentiate from what the inventors had power over, compared to what the state and federal government had control over, aswell as the price for the Erie Canal being $7 mil, which means that sharks we’re not able to invest a solid amount of money. In the future, I think this assignment should be turned into more of a project so that the students can familiarize themselves with their inventions more prior and that the simulation can mimic the true Shark Tank more accurately.
1 – I believe that the factory system (and I guess, by extension, interchangeable parts made it possible) had the largest impact on America in the long term – in ways that we are still affected by today. The idea of mass production made it possible for business productivity to skyrocket, making it easier for business owners to turn a profit due to decreased production costs. The factory system paved the way for the industrial revolution, urbanization, and promoted economic growth. It also expanded innovation and made it so that new inventions could quickly become widespread. It is still the method by which many goods are produced today! While I think that railroads and cotton gins did have a major effect on the United States, I believe that those had more short term effects that the country eventually outgrew. The use of railroads and the cotton gin has decreased due to new technology, but the methods of the factory system are still used globally today throughout various sectors and industries.
2 – In order to accumulate capital, producers often have to make use of labor in order to make a profit. Advancements like the factory system and the industrial revolution prompted people to become factory owners/entrepreneurs (in the north, at least, less people were farmers). As more people began to become business owners, the demand for manufacturing labor began to grow significantly. Managers quickly realized that if they invested less into worker’s wages/conditions, they could turn a greater profit, which introduces the historical struggle between the working class and factory owners through the capitalist system. So workers created unions to protect themselves, fight for their rights, and have organized, collective bargaining power, which can be seen today.
3 – I was a shark, and I really liked the slideshows and their content. Learning about the mechanics behind each invention, the short/long term effects, and reasons why it would be profitable was really interesting and help me learn about these inventions in a fun and engaging way. Some things I thought could be improved is a metric by how I as a shark should evaluate the inventions. Some people chose to present theirs in a more informative way, while others were more salesperson like, and I wondered whether I should incorporate the biases of the person who I was representing (Stephen Girard) in my decisions. Additionally, I wasn’t sure whether I should evaluate each invention based on its potential benefits for society (eg economic growth, jobs), or based on its potential for profit (looking at demand, profits, – the more business-type things). I decided mine based on potential for profit because I figured that the sharks were in it for the money and not interested in societal benefits, but most groups presented their invention by talking about the larger implications.
I think among all of the inventions we saw during the Shark Tank presentations, the cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney had the greatest long term impact on the history of America. The cotton gin was an invention, first present in Britain and other European countries. The machine consisted in separating the part of cotton that is used from the useless part containing the seeds. This allowed people to produce cotton much faster, as it required much less time to complete this step of the process. Whitney’s intention for the machine was to limit the number of slave workers needed to operate the cotton industry. Instead, this was seen by southern planters as a way to earn even more money by buying even more slaves. From there, the South bought plenty more slaves and land and this massively boosted their economy. In the long term, this machine may have been the cause for a civil war between North and South and also caused multiple centuries of racism in American society. All of these new inventions that were all very ambitious and big projects required huge amounts of labor workers, most being immigrants from European countries, mainly Ireland and Germany. However, to be able to pay these workers, the inventors had to find money for their salaries. To finance this, they offered capital in return of an investment. This would get their invention started and let them start to make money. However, as some markets crashed and some industries failed, workers were still waiting for their salary but were not paid until much later once money started rolling in again. This also created riots and many strikes. In the Shark Tank simulation, I was an investor, partnered with Alex Chebl. One thing I really liked about this is that we had time in class to get it ready and that we were able to work in a group. One thing I think could be improved is the role the sharks had: they were asking questions, but most of the time being questions about prices we did not have answers for or could not find online. For this, I think it could be good to recommend certain types of questions for the sharks and for them to have their questions turned in before the presentations. Some of the questions we were asked made little sense and were not mentioned in the articles we searched, such as safety features, not always mentioned in inventions of that time.
1. In my opinion, I think the typewriter had the biggest long-term impact on the US. The typewriter can print news to spread around the world, it can share stories for people to read, and it can be used to send messages to other countries. The old way of writing with a quill was time-consuming and hard to get information out quick and easily, now the typewriter can produce papers a lot quicker. The first invention of the typewriter has been greatly improved. From a huge machine that was hard to move, to a lightweight, improved, and transformed device. Without the typewriter, you couldn’t send a text, or write an essay for school, and finally, if not for the typewriter, I wouldn’t be typing this right now.
2. The definition of capital is: wealth owned by a person or organization contributed for a particular purpose. This means how much money it takes for the company to be able to run its business. The definition of labor is hard or physical work. This means the act of working for a company to gain money. The major tension between the two is that the people in charge of companies always try to reduce their capital, to expand their profits, but this sometimes comes at the cost of reducing the workers’ pay. Companies are always looking for ways to gain the most profits and reduce the overall cost of running their business. Workers are trying to earn more money because they are the ones running the actual production of said product. This clash comes when workers try to expand their pay, or companies try to reduce their capital because both come at the cost of the other.
3. I was an inventor in the shark tank simulation, I was representing Eli Whitney and his interchangeable parts. I really liked making the slideshow and getting to have creative ability when making the slides to enlighten the sharks with the information. When creating my slides I got to be creative with the information and it was kinda fun to make up the sales and status of our invention. One thing I wish was different was getting the information. I couldn’t find a lot of information on interchangeable parts so I had to guess many things. I made up the cost because I searched high and low for anything about the cost and there was nothing. I wish there was a set of links or information that we had so we could have the correct information and didn’t have to make up things. All in all, I really had fun with the assignment, and for the first time doing it, I believe the simulation was a success.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think that the telegraph, which was invented by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1840, had the biggest long term impact. The telegraph made it possible for long distance communication and was the foundation for communication today. It allowed for global communication making it easier than ever before to communicate across the world with other countries. The telegraph also had major effects on the military. It enabled commanders to send messages and instructions to their crew from a distance. It would change the way that wars were fought. It also increased the spread of information, making it faster to gain information therefore spreading knowledge across the country. Newer technological forms of the telegraph are used on a daily basis by almost all humans in our society today.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I think that there is such a constant tension between capital and labor because in order to get capital you need labor. However, in this situation, the capital for a company is increasing, yet the laborers are not gaining any capital. The company is using the laborers in order to gain capital for their company and to become more efficient and successful. The laborers are working constantly for the company and yet not being paid at all. So the laborers are increasing the company’s capital but their own capital is not increasing. I think that this is important because it will eventually lead to people not wanting to do their jobs if they aren’t getting paid for the labor that they are doing.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
In the shark tank simulation, I was an inventor. My invention was the mechanical reaper. I really liked getting to learn about all of the inventions and seeing what they did and how people tried to pitch them. I thought that this was a good way to spread information about the different inventions and make it interactive so that it was easier to understand the materials. I liked that when our classmates were presenting, they would filter out the confusing information or sum it up to make it easily understandable and easy to follow. One thing that I think could have been improved is that it felt like most people were giving a presentation instead of making a pitch to sell their invention. I think that the simulation could have been made more like a pitch instead of like an informational slideshow. I think that a way we could do this would be to have more stats like how much it would cost to make it (even if it’s an estimate), and what predictions for the future would be. I also felt like it was hard to find most prices from back then. While we were researching we found nothing about what it would cost in order to make the machine. We looked on several websites and found nothing that seemed reliable. I think that we could improve this by making an estimate based on what it cost to sell it or by looking at approximately how much the materials used to make it cost.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I believe that the telegraph is probably the most important and most impactful invention that we covered in the Shark Tank experiment. Due to the fact that the telegraph was the beginning point of quickly transmitting messages to other cities, other states, other countries and continents and that that was the starting point of it all and that it was widely used in a considerably short time, compared to other inventions, shows how influential and important it was to the world.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
Due to the fact that there are constant changes in the economy and they shift due to the changes in needs for labor as well as the ability to change the price of your goods or the paygrade you give, there will always be a constant tension between capital and labor. The world constantly changing and either threatening the labor or the capital aspect of it will makes it impossible for there not to be tension.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
When it comes to the Shark Tank experiment that we held, I think that there were many pros and cons to the experiment. To begin with, I really enjoyed the more interactive side to the project. You had to go out on your own time and research one thing, rather than dedicating a class to researching all of them and not having a way to vividly remember what each invention was important. I thought that making students study one invention and then have them explain it to the class was very useful, and it made it much easier to recall what each invention was and why it was so influential. I do believe that there were things that could have been improved in this project. My main issue was most definitely the fact that a lot of people presented their inventions as informational speeches, rather than sales speeches. This may just be my personal opinion, but I found that the people that presented them as sales speeches were much more rememberable and more fascinating, due to the fact that they had to be planned strategically to cover all of the information while still ensuring that they were captivating the Sharks attention through the usage of intriguing claims, comparing and degrading other companies, and non-chalantly mentioning the perks of the invention. I found those types of speeches much easier to pay attention to and that they were much more enjoyable than ones that had slides covered in information and the people were reading off of.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
The invention that I think had the greatest impact on America in the long term was the cotton gin. Although the impact that the cotton gin had on America was extremely negative in multiple ways, it still had a very large impact on the country. Not only did the invention of the cotton gin greatly boost the economy of the country at the time, but it caused the textile industry, specifically the cotton industry, to skyrocket. It led to cotton becoming the largest export from the Americas between the years 1803 and 1937. That is 134 years where America was the lead supplier of cotton in the world. And that was started mainly by the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1794. But, on a much more negative note, the cotton gin caused the demand for slave labor to also skyrocket. Prior to its invention the topic and idea of slavery was slowly starting to become less prevalent in American society, but the invention of the cotton gin made demand for slave labor much more which overall had a huge impact on the progression of the history of our country.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I think that there is a large tension between the idea of capital and labor in business because of the fact that there is only so much money that can go around. If you have more demand for labor than you do money then that may result in either underpay for the workers, or workers would have to be let go which results in not as much work getting done. This is a constant cycle that is very very hard to balance which results in the idea of capital and labor being in a constant state of tension.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
In this simulation I was the inventor of the railroad, John Stevens. One thing that I enjoyed about the simulation was that I was able to get more insight and information regarding not only my invention through research, but also the inventions of others from their presentations. This also made learning about these inventions much more interesting and engaging than reading about them in a textbook. On the other hand, one thing that I think could be improved upon for next time regarding this simulation is the time limit. I think that if we were not only given more time to research our invention, but to present then it may have allowed for a little more detail and assertiveness in the answering of the questions. Also, it may allow for the sharks to talk among themselves about who wants to invest, much like in the real show. Finally, it would also allow for the sharks to ask more questions.
The invention or inventions we highlighted that I think we had the greatest impact on America long term is Cotton Gin invented by Eli Whitney and the Erie Canal created by DeWitt Clinton. The cotton gin had an impact on the slave industry with how much slavery skyrocketed when the cotton gin came into the cotton industry. As the demand for cotton went up, the demand for slaves in the fields and at the cotton gin to fill the demands of the people. The Erie Canal had a great impact on the transportation movement and moving westward. This made transporting goods like cotton and food from one area to the next fairly easier and faster then when there were only roads.
There are many reasons for constant tension between the capital and labor is the capital paying for supplies but also having to pay for labor. A big tension was that since living costs had been increased so then the laborers wanted to be paid more to pay their living expenses. Another big tension was the differences in priorities. The capital really just focused on gaining more money and expanding their empire westward and doesn’t want to py their laborers more. On the other hand, the laborers were just trying to get by in life and feed their families so their legacies would survive throughout the years.
My role in shark tank was an inventor. I was partnered with Myles Rontal and our invention was the Cotton Gin invented by Eli Whitney. One thing that I liked about the shark tank simulation was how little time we got to present because it helped us with time management and just put things on the slides that were the most important information and pitching it well to get an investment. I think something that could be better for the next time there’s a shark tank is the amount of time the sharks had to ask questions and make it longer. As well as spreading out the days so there is enough time for the sharks to actually bid on the inventions instead of having just one day to get everyone’s presentations done. One more thing that could be improved is the direction of if we are making a pitch or if we have to create a backstory for our invention and come up with a company and acting if we don’t know the outcomes of our inventions later.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why
I think the invention with the greatest impact on America today is the cotton gin. The cotton gin made growing cotton much more profitable than before. The cotton gin brought cotton back as a thriving crop for southern farmers. The gin helped the American economy when it was introduced. The cotton gin helped farmers make more money than other crops and produced a surplus of cotton. Most of the surplus was shipped out to Europe, but eventually, the cotton helped kickstart the industrial revolution in America. Without the cotton gin’s help to be able to produce more cotton, the industrial revolution would have had trouble starting. The cotton gin is part of the reason why America is as industrial as it is.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer
I think there is such a constant tension between capital and labor because everyone is always trying to get the best deal. The best deal is always the most money. Businesses want to make the best profit margins possible, and labor workers want to make the most money possible. The problem with this is, businesses get to decide how much they pay their workers, and each business can pay their workers differently. This creates competition between businesses because workers who want more money are going to work for the better paying business, but then the lower paying business won’t have any workers. This could result in the business with no workers having to raise their pay. When the company raises their pay, they will get more workers, but their profit margins will go down. This competitive cycle creates tension between businesses to be better than others. Ultimately some companies will have to shut down because of this situation.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both
In our shark tank simulation, I was an inventor presenting the steamboat. What I really liked about the project was that I got to work with someone I got to choose, and we were able to go in depth on something we didn’t know much about to start. It was fun to research about the steamboat and learn its impact on America. I also liked when everyone presented because I was able to learn more about everyone else’s invention without researching myself. What I didn’t like about the shark tank experiment was that the investment wasn’t on the spot like it is on the show. I would have liked immediate feedback from the sharks on whether they liked our invention or not. The competition between sharks to try to get a deal done would have also been fun to watch. I feel like with more time for questioning after each presentation this may have been possible. Overall, I thought the shark tank activity was a fun break from the normal class setting, and I would definitely recommend it for later this year or for next year’s students.
1. The invention that had the greatest impact on America in the long term within the Shark Tank simulation is the railroad as it facilitated the efficient movement of goods and people across vast distances, connecting previously isolated regions and fostering economic growth. This expansion of transportation infrastructure played a crucial role in the westward expansion, enabling settlers to reach and develop new territories. Moreover, the railroad spurred industrialization by providing a faster and more reliable means of transporting raw materials and finished products. This innovation became a lifeline, reshaping the landscape and socioeconomic dynamics of the nation, marking a profound and lasting contribution to American history. One cannot overlook the transformative power of the railroad as it laid the tracks for progress and connectivity.
2. The tension between capital and labor can be attributed to the conflict of interest between the owners of capital and the workers. As, the primary goal of capital is to maximize profits, while labor seeks fair compensation, where this difference in objectives often leads to clashes. The dynamic is further fueled by issues such as income inequality and the power dynamic between capital and labor also evolves over time, creating tensions for a perfect balance that ensures both sides are equitably represented and rewarded, where the conflict still lasts to today. Therefore it is key to address the root causes of the problems that cause such disparities so we do not fall into a hole of history again.
3. In the Shark Tank simulation I pitched the idea of the steamboat. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the opportunity to present the invention. The simulation allowed for a deeper understanding of the challenge and I could have done better if I had done more research into the technicality and financial aspects behind the invention. Researching these parts would have made my understanding better along with my presentation, potentially improving the chances of someone investing their 50,000 into my invention. I also loved the way the steamboat operated and how it brought upon a new innovative access to the economy through a foreign world that is accessible. This remarkable invention represented a paradigm shift in the way goods and people were moved across waterways. Unlike traditional methods relying on wind or muscle power, the steamboat harnessed the power of steam engines, offering a reliable and efficient means of transportation. This accessibility catalyzed social and cultural exchanges, fostering a sense of interconnectedness among communities.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think that the typewriter had the longest long term effects on America. It started off just printing on paper but then as time went on and more technology came to be I believe that it ultimately led to the modern day computer then to the modern day iPhone. The typewriter started as an invention that had all the keys for the letters and it would punch the ink straight onto the paper. The modern day computer now does a similar thing but on an electronic then you print it separately. I think that America and the world have expanded a lot since having these devices allows us to share information faster and learn new things much quicker.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
There is such a constant tension between capital and labor. This is because labor always thinks that capital always has all the money and power. They also think that Capital makes all the decisions and Labor does not like that.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
My role in the simulation was an Inventor for the Erie Canal. I really liked the simulation because it allowed us to move and work with people and ultimately it was really fun. One thing I really liked about the simulation was that it allowed me to do research then present to the class. I threw in some of my own jokes in there to make it funny and enjoyable and overall I personally had a fun time doing it. One thing that would be improved is what things we will exactly have to know. For example, I didn’t know how much money to ask for and where it would go because the Erie Canal was fully funded by the state of New York and with the sharks money I didn’t know what to say or do with it. I also just didn’t know little things here and there that I didn’t realize I should have known to tell the sharks.
I think that the Cotton Gin invention had the greatest impact on America long term. The increased efficiency of the cotton gin made cotton more profitable. The demand for cotton grew both domestically and internationally, driving the expansion of cotton plantations across the Southern United States. The cotton gin contributed to the economic prosperity of the Southern states, transforming them into the center of cotton production. Cotton became a leading cash crop, and the Southern economy became heavily dependent on the success of the cotton industry. The demand for cotton led to the establishment of cotton plantations in the South. To meet the labor demands of these plantations, there was a significant increase in the use of slave labor. The cotton gin, ironically, played a role in the expansion of slavery in the United States. The economic success of the cotton industry in the South contributed to regional economic disparities between the Northern and Southern states. The Southern economy became predominantly agrarian and dependent on cotton, while the Northern states developed a more diverse industrial economy. The economic and social differences between the agrarian South and the industrializing North were worsened by the institution of slavery. This played a role in the sectional tensions that eventually led to the American Civil War.
The tension between capital and labor is a complex aspect of our economic and social system. The way wealth is distributed between capital owners, such as business owners, investors, shareholders, and laborers, workers is a fundamental aspect of the tension. Disparities in income and wealth can lead to grievances among workers who feel that they are not adequately compensated for their contributions to the production process. There is often an inherent power imbalance between capital and labor. Employers typically have more control over decision-making processes, wages, and working conditions. This power dynamic can lead to conflicts when workers seek better working conditions, fair wages, or increased benefits. Capital is driven by the motive to maximize profits, which sometimes comes at the expense of labor. Cost-cutting measures, such as reducing wages or benefits, outsourcing jobs, or automating tasks, can generate higher profits for capital but may negatively impact workers. Advances in technology and automation can lead to job displacement and changes in the nature of work. Globalization has also increased competition in the labor market and allowed capital to seek lower-cost labor in different parts of the world. This can lead to job outsourcing and contribute to job insecurity and wage pressures in certain industries and regions. Though workers had little power, over time, they organized and advocated for their rights through labor movements and unions. The tension arises as these organized efforts push for better working conditions, fair wages, and improved benefits, often challenging the interests of capital. Economic downturns and periods of uncertainty can worsen tensions. In challenging economic times, employers may implement cost-cutting measures, leading to layoffs, wage freezes, or reduced benefits, which can heighten tensions between capital and labor.
I was an inventor. I really liked how we got to be independent in this project. I thought it was a great summation of the term and it was cool how we got to use our creativity to make cool slides about the invention we got. I really enjoyed how we got to present to sharks and I thought that it was a really smart idea since we got to practice more public speaking. One thing I would improve would be to make time for us inventors to go through the presentation with you so that we could be sure there were no errors in information or other general mistakes. I thought that would have been really helpful for me because I made a lot of little errors. Overall I thought it was a really unique idea that should be done again.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think that the typewriter had the longest long term effects on America. It started off just printing on paper but then as time went on and more technology came to be I believe that it ultimately led to the modern day computer then to the modern day iPhone. The typewriter started as an invention that had all the keys for the letters and it would punch the ink straight onto the paper. The modern day computer now does a similar thing but on an electronic then you print it separately. I think that America and the world have expanded a lot since having these devices allows us to share information faster and learn new things much quicker.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
There is such a constant tension between capital and labor. This is because labor always thinks that capital always has all the money and power. They also think that Capital makes all the decisions and Labor does not like that. An example of this would be like how any modern day company works. The owner or CEO is like the capitol. They tend to make the most money but they also work the hardest to keep the company afloat. The people that work for the company as staff or as you could say the laborers, tend to not make as much money as the higher up roles do. But, the laborers also only work their designated shift then go home and are done. The CEO or owner tends to stay after to make sure that their company is doing the best it can and ultimately has put in more work to grow and keep growing the company then the laborers who just work their shift.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
My role in the simulation was an Inventor for the Erie Canal. I really liked the simulation because it allowed us to move and work with people and ultimately it was really fun. One thing I really liked about the simulation was that it allowed me to do research then present to the class. I threw in some of my own jokes in there to make it funny and enjoyable and overall I personally had a fun time doing it. One thing that would be improved is what things we will exactly have to know. For example, I didn’t know how much money to ask for and where it would go because the Erie Canal was fully funded by the state of New York and with the sharks money I didn’t know what to say or do with it. I also just didn’t know little things here and there that I didn’t realize I should have known to tell the sharks.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
The cotton gin had the largest impact on America today. Prior to its invention, while slavery, and the crops produced with it, were the South’s largest export, they weren’t its lifeblood. After Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, everything changed, and cotton became the thing to define not just the South, but the North as well. Slavery was on a course to end peacefully in the early 1790s, before being resurged. Had the cotton gin never been invented, there is a high chance that the civil war would’ve never happened, saving 600,000 American lives, and not setting up America on a path to continue racial discrimination for the next 170 years and counting.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
In a capitalistic society, everyone has one common goal, make money. Unfortunately, there is almost never enough money to go around to all parties, creating massive wealth disparities, and leaving many destitute on the streets. In order to fund a business, unless one already has mass capital, they must get investors. Once a business is up and running, an entrepreneur must hire laborers to facilitate the establishment. In this arrangement, all three parties want as much money as possible. What usually happens, especially when times are tough, the businessperson gets the money, gives a large chunk to the investors, keeps a large part for themselves, and the workers are left with not enough. Because the laborers have no power in this dynamic it is easiest to deposit the burden of the business onto them, especially in the early 1800s before many labor laws were implemented. Unionizing is the only way to get any power, which is why it happens so often.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
In the tank, I was an inventor. My product was the steamboat, and in reference to questions comparing the steamboat to past iterations of the riverboat, it was very difficult to find data. This seemed to be a common problem among all inventors, especially with no restrictions on what the sharks could ask. Depending on the product, the quality of a presentation could depend less on how much research was done, and more on how well someone is able to play off not knowing the answer to a question. To be fair, sharks should communicate with inventors a few days before the presentation with a list of questions, giving inventors time to research and prepare, and find at least a partial answer to questions without data. To ensure that inventors still research everything, sharks could give 5-10 possible questions, and only ask 3-4. I believe that this would make the whole project much smoother without eliminating the research aspect, improving the experience in every way.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
The invention that had the biggest impact on America was the cotton gin. This invention started as a way to make work easier for enslaved people but instead caused a massive increase in cotton production, increasing the need for slave labor. It also increased textile manufacturing in the more northern parts of the country. The increasing demand for enslaved people increased tensions between abolitionists and plantation owners, eventually leading to the Civil War, one of the biggest events in American history. The end of the Civil War did not mean the end of slavery until the 13th Amendment was passed in late 1865. Today the US is built on a racist system that still impacts many people, showing the long-term impact of the cotton gin.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
In this period, there was a lot of tension between capital and labor because the idea of mass manufacturing and machines was relatively new. Most people were used to working for themselves (except for plantation owners) and not relying on anyone else (except for enslaved people) to sustain themselves. In factories, your well-being is determined by your boss which was unsettling for many. An example of capital vs. labor is seen with the invention of interchangeable parts. On one hand, this allowed faster and cheaper production of guns. These guns could be fixed easily because all you needed was a replacement of the piece that broke and anyone could put it together. On the other hand, anyone being able to build it took away the need for skilled workers. This and similar situations show the conflict that corporations have with being efficient in putting money into the company or taking the time to build skills and fairly compensating their employees.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both
During the simulation, I was the inventor of the typographer. I liked the simulation because it was really funny watching the presentations and pretending to not know the impact that something would have on us today. I also thought it was fun to present especially when I did know the answer to a question because I felt very prepared. One thing that could be improved on is giving the inventors more information about what they are going to be asked/what is expected of them. This could be solved by putting a list of what may be asked on the assignment when they first get it ex. Financial information, locations, proposal of cost to % equity and would help make everything run smoother.
In the short term it was definitely the cotton gin, but in the long term I would say the railroad. The railroad is still a reliable means of transportation today, both for cargo and for people. Trains were much faster than steamboats and other canal users at the time. The railroads in combination with other transportation inventions allowed what were previously small towns such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Chicago into massive commercial centers. Canal building in the 1820’s was soon replaced by the railroad industry. Cheap and quick transportation promoted agricultural states in the west. The railroad also gave the North militarial advantage in the Civil War. After the Civil War, the railroad promoted coal and steel industries and increased its mileage by five times in a 35 year period. The railroad also supported westward expansion, as the first transcontinental railroad tied California to the rest of the Union with the help of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad companies. The Union Pacific railroad has expanded and is still in use today. Many other transcontinental railroads were added by the 1900’s. Ultimately the railroads created one national market by linking the west to the east as well as assisted settlement on the Great Plains.
I believe that there is constant tension between capital and labor because when one is either too big or too small, the other is affected as well. It is probably difficult to know the perfect salary amount to give workers, but when companies do not give enough, they can go on strike and the company will be helpless. However, if companies pay workers too much money, then they won’t be making any profit.
In the Shark Tank activity, I played the role of entrepreneur and I greatly enjoyed it. Having a personal slide to customize brought out creativity and enjoyment. It wasn’t too much work because there’s only a few points you need to cover, and incorporating a finance/investment aspect is really quite fun. One thing that was difficult during the presentation was that not everybody could answer the same questions because of either a lack of information online or a somewhat unwarranted inquiry that you simply could not have prepared for. Unfortunately this defeats the purpose because the sharks typically ask the entrepreneurs the same questions but for some people the answers are not available. Overall I would recommend this to future classes but I definitely see some weak points to the project.
#1) Railroads had a lasting impact on America in the long term. Railroads played a crucial role in the economic expansion of the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They transported the raw materials, goods, and people over long distances at a much faster and more efficient rate than previous modes of transportation. The easy and rapid movement of goods helped industrialization by providing manufacturers with access to larger markets. This, in turn, stimulated economic growth, as industries could now reach consumers in distant regions that couldn’t be reached before. Railroads connected different regions of the country, contributing to the overall unity of the nation. Before the widespread use of railroads, transportation was often slow, expensive, and limited to natural waterways. The transcontinental railroad, completed in 1869, linked the East and West coasts of the United States. Railroads played a vital role in agriculture by providing farmers with a more efficient means of transporting their crops to markets. This accessibility to wider markets helped farmers expand their production and increase profits. The railroads also contributed to the settlement of the West by making it easier for people to move to and establish communities in previously remote areas. The growth of railroads contributed to the development of cities and urban centers. As transportation became more efficient, industries could concentrate in urban areas where raw materials, labor, and markets were more accessible. Cities along major rail lines experienced population growth, and new cities emerged as railroads expanded, contributing to the urbanization of America. In summary, the impact of railroads on America in the long term was economic development, national unity, agricultural transportation, urbanization, and technological innovation.
#2) Capital and labor have different economic interests. Capital owners want to maximize profits, which often means minimizing labor costs. On the other hand, workers aim to secure fair wages, job security, and improved working conditions. This difference can lead to conflicts over the distribution of wealth and resources. Capital owners typically hold greater economic and political power compared to individual workers. This power dynamic can result in unequal power during negotiations over wages, benefits, and working conditions. Societies with significant economic differences may experience more conflicts between the capitalist class and the working class, as each group fights. Policies related to minimum wage, workplace safety, and other labor protections can either help or worsen tensions. When facing economic hardships, workers may worry about losing their job and their wages being cut, while capital may prioritize cost-cutting measures. On the other hand when there is an economic upturn, workers may want a greater share of the profits. While both capital and labor are essential for a functioning economy, they have very different interests and power dynamics.
#3) I was an inventor. I did the water powered mill by Samuel Slater. One thing that I liked from this presentation was that it was a way more fun way to present information when you’re trying to convince someone of your product. I also think that it made us study our object more in detail as we knew sharks could ask questions and we wouldn’t know what they were until the day of the presentation. Something that was difficult to do with this project is the fact that finding how much the mill cost to build and how much the factories it power cost. I think that with some of the inventions it’s harder to find a reliable source of how much everything costs, therefore making it harder to answer the Shark’s question. I also think that it could’ve been clarified whether or not the inventor’s are supposed to ask for a set amount of money and make an offer.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think the inventions that had the greatest impact on America long term were the Cotton Gin and in return the Textile System. While it is disappointing to say, the cotton gin had a massive impact on America and its cotton supply that immensely benefited America’s southern cotton plantations and indirectly spread to the industry in the north. The cotton gin allowed cotton production to speed up rapidly. The machine picked out the seeds in cotton with ease, replacing the labor of multiple workers in a day’s span. But as cotton seeds were being picked faster, it led to the demand of harvesting to be in full effect. When the cotton gin invention was finally spread to plantations the uptick in demand and production also unfortunately led to the rise of slave sales. Southern plantations had to keep up with the demand for cotton to be sold and as the cotton gin free’d up time, the demand for harvesting the cotton exploded. The cotton gin not only sped up production but efficiently lowered the cost of producing cotton. So they needed more laborers to come and help harvest more. Long term this invention impacted America so hard that slavery had increased astronomically that it extended the time before slavery would be long gone from America it also then became notorious for its production world wide and especially nationwide. Which then leads me to the next invention that impacted America. The Textile System. This system in the north was greatly influenced by the industrial revolution in america. As America became more industrialized and independent for its own materials. The rise in industry became evident. As industry grew the Textile system was put in place to mass produce all sorts of goods to be exported and sold. One of these products, clothing. The materials? Sourced from the south. Cotton. So in a way the industry and cotton seemed to benefit one another. The South gets money from products that the north bought and the north can now make and sell things out of those products. Long term this industry sets up industrialisation throughout America as it progresses.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
The constant tension between capital and labor was definitely the problem with pay and wages. The Capital’s biggest priority and goal is to make money, so they do whatever it takes to make more money. So as to not upset their consumers and raise costs. They cut costs inside the production. Instead their workers are affected and exploited for their work. With lower pay and even lower standards for cleanliness inside factories, workers are frustrated and upset. When Capital doesn’t listen and/or doesn’t take them seriously, unions are formed and money is lost on either side. As each part is upset with one another because each side personally thinks that one is right, the tension is constant.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was a shark. I really enjoyed the interview part and I liked watching the collaboration between partners. It was engaging and vivid as the slideshows provided a physical example of what each group was talking about. It wasn’t bland and you could see the work that was put in. I also enjoyed the question part of the presentation to see how each group put up with the questions from every shark. Some things I think could be improved on was the money request. I think sharks should have had more time to discuss the money that was requested and even time to converse with each other to see if they wanted to partner up. I also think that the questions should be more limited and not completely broad because some groups struggled with answering questions that were either irrelevant or just too plain hard to answer if you didn’t have immense background knowledge.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think that the cotton gin had the greatest impact on America in the long term. The cotton gin made the process of separating the seed from fiber in cotton much more efficient causing field slave need to go down. Though this happened overall slavery grew in the South. The South flourished, they had textile mills popping up everywhere and were continually importing slaves. They were trading g with European countries and they became one of the most important and the biggest producers of cotton. This caused cotton to be the backbone of the U.S. economy in the 19th century. Also, the cotton gin caused the Southern states to become a mostly agrarian society while the North was more of an Industrial one.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I think that there is a constant tension between capital and labor for many reasons. Capital’s main goal is to maximize profits at all times, which is to make the most amount of money possible with the least amount spent. Labor’s goal is to earn money through hard work that benefits capital. The problem is that Labor is being paid for by the capital, in this dynamic one controls the other. In reality Capital cannot exist without labor, therefore both parties will try to benefit to the max, occasionally one might cross the line and benefit but the other doesn’t. Since they depend on each other, the boundaries that one crosses will inevitably affect the other. That’s why there is always tension between the two.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
My role in Shark Tank was as an inventor. I presented the Erie Canal. The whole project was fun, me and my partner enjoyed it. I like how we set up the classroom in a Shark Tank kind of way, with all the sharks sitting at the front of the room. I also loved the idea and thought it was quite funny when we used words from our time and got called out for it because we were supposed to be at the time of our inventions. One thing that could be improved though is the way we presented our slides. It was more of a research project when we presented because we were just giving information. I think that if we ever do it again in the future it should be more like how they do it in the actual show, where we pitch our product, and try persuading the sharks to invest.
I believe that–unfortunately–the cotton gin had the greatest impact on America. The cotton gin entered as a solution to the labor used to separate cotton from the seeds. This labor was done by enslaved people. Though it would seem that the cotton gin would cut labor down, it in fact did not. There was almost a 70% increase in enslaved labor in the south. This influx in labor had a major impact on America. It strengthened the racist views toward black people that white Americans already had. These views continue to affect this population till this day. Additionally, cotton became the biggest industry in the South–making millions a year–,significantly impacting the economy. Also, cotton fueled a rising industry in the North. As industrialization hit the northern economy, something was needed to fuel the textile factories. Cotton was imported in mass and used to create all forms of textiles. The vast use of cotton increased the demand, only furthering the production in the south.
The constant tension between capital and labor is caused by the greed for money. Those who are running capital are always attempting to gain more money, whether its from products, consumers, or workers. Capital and labor become a problem when capital are finding more ways to gain money. Laborers work long hours for minimal pay. When capital does this, they gain more labor for less money, therefore they increase their income. Laborers become upset at the fact that these multi-million dollar companies cannot pay their workers livable wages. Importantly, when these companies are gaining money, the wages are not adjusting. This problem lead to almost all strikes. From Newsies to SAG-AFTRA, pay is never enough. Laborers will always fight for their deserved pay.
During the Shark Tank simulation I was an inventor. I enjoyed the overall fact that this was a project. A project was a fun break from the usual slides and notes that our class normally experienced. Furthermore, I enjoyed being able to work with a partner. It was very helpful to have someone else complete the presentation with you. Also, presenting with a partner is always better than without. Though, I did not enjoy the questioning aspect of the presentation. Although Shark Tank is a fun idea, to answer most questions asked one would have to be an expert. Many questions felt condescending and were answered within the presentation. I think the fix to this problem is either having questions created by the sharks that the presenters are able to prepare answers for or making this more of a pitch, and less of a Shark Tank equivalent. With these changes, I believe that the inventors will feel more confident and will be able to answer questions easily.
The invention that I believe impacted us the most was Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. There were both negative and positive effects. One of main reasons this invention was so impactful was the unfortunate fact that it revived slavery in American culture. Around the 1790’s when the invention was created, slavery was dying in the US, despite the attempts of the south to keep it going. With the invention of the cotton gin, the need for cheap labor increased, therefore, returning the need for excessive slave labor. However, despite the cemented increase of slavery, it cannot be ignored how good for the economy the cotton gin was. The production of cotton and textiles had never been faster, and greatly helped the US economy, mainly in the south.
The constant tension between capital (the money used to run a business) and labor is the subject of money. In order to make money, companies need workers and laborers, however, with the increase in capitals, the company must pay their workers less. But, an increase in capital means that workers must work more hours. Therefore, companies have workers who are working non-stop all day to supply the company’s needs, and are barely getting paid. This is an extremely important subject, because this behavior from companies is what leads to employee strikes (like in Newsies).
I was an inventor during the Shark Tank simulation, specifically the inventor of the railroad with Hannah. One thing I liked about this project was that it was a short, efficient use of time. We were able to complete our presentation in two days. Another thing I always appreciate about projects like this is that I was able to choose my own partner, which always makes me more motivated to work on a project. One thing that I think could be improved (from an inventor’s point of view) was our preparation for the actual presentation to the sharks. Going into it, we had no idea what the sharks were going to ask us, and were kind of bombarded with questions we didn’t know the answer to. I would say that this was maybe due to us going first, however I noticed most of the other groups struggle with this too. Something that I think could be helpful to fix this is to provide a list of example questions that may be asked so we know what to research/prepare, also limit the amount of questions that the sharks are able to ask, because we aren’t the actual inventors or experts on the topic, and some of the questions asked were things that only professional historians would know.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I believe that Samuel Morse’s telegraph had the most long term impact on America. The technology used in the telegraph laid the foundation for many modern day communication systems like the telephone and the internet. The simple concept of transmitting information over long distances has evolved into a global network. The telegraph was the starting point, with subsequent inventions building off of it, making communication and access to information better and better. The telephone, radio, and television can all be traced back to the telegraph and its concept of fast transmission which has become an integral part of society today.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
Capital and labor are constantly entwined. One cannot exist without the other. Labor provides humans with wants and needs, goods and services. Capital is the money invested in labor and, subsequently, the profit made. Labor is necessary to build capital and capital is necessary to provide materials and organization for labor, which seems like a fair even system right? Wrong. The point of contention between labor and capital is based on two things; worker salaries and profit margin. Following the principles of maximum profit, entrepreneurs often pay the minimum wage possible for the labor being done, as to boost their capital. This is often not appreciated by workers, occasionally resulting in strikes and unions to create a temporary respite from their unfair treatment. It’s a vicious cycle. Things may change for a while but eventually the inevitable happens and workers are being abused once again for the benefit of someone else. Entrepreneurs struggle to find a balance between making the money they need for themselves and their businesses and paying their workers.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
In the Shark Tank simulation, my role was a shark. One thing I really liked about the activity was that the presentations were framed as a sales pitch. Some groups took that idea and ran with it, and they were quite fun to watch. One thing that I think could be improved was the timing and content of the question part. I didn’t feel like I could ask questions fast enough and get an in-depth answer in the time given, and some of the common questions we asked were often very hard for the presenters to answer. Specific things like the cost and time to make the inventions were not things that the ‘inventors’ were able to find. My idea to fix this problem is either restrict those specific questions from the Sharks unless the presenters cover it in their presentation, or, when assigning inventions, give them the production cost, time and market value of their good up front.
I believe that the cotton gin had the greatest impact on America, although it was a negative impact, because it increased the cotton production, which created more demand for cotton and therefore more enslaved labor. This contributed to the arguments about slavery between the north and the south and eventually led to the Civil War. Overall, the cotton gin affected the American economy and the use of enslaved labor. The Civil War changed the course of American history and had lasting impacts, and all of those impacts can at least partially be traced back to the cotton gin.
The tension between capital and labor is mainly caused by the fact that if companies pay their workers less, they are able to make more profit. However, when companies choose to put their profits over the wages of their workers, workers often go on strike, which is something that companies have to take into consideration before deciding to cut their worker’s pay, increase the length of work days, or implement any other practice that has negative consequences for workers. In general, the relationship between capital and labor is a give and take, and it is crucial that companies use their money in a way that allows them to make profits while still paying their workers a fair amount.
In the Shark Tank simulation, I was the inventor of interchangeable parts. I thought that overall, the Shark Tank experience was very fun and it helped me learn about the inventions of the 1800s in a more interesting way than just reading about it. I especially liked how each person was able to focus on a specific invention and then teach the class about it rather than everyone having to learn about all of the inventions on their own. It was also really nice to have a work day in class because I was able to see how my classmates were doing their presentations and we could discuss the best way to go about it. Finding sources was often difficult because although there were many websites with information out there, I found conflicting information on different websites that all looked credible. In the future, I think that it would be a good idea to have a list of sources that have completely correct information so that the inventors are able to have more confidence in what they are presenting. Additionally, these websites will help the sharks be able to ask better questions because they will have a very clear idea of what information the inventors will discuss when they present.
The invention that I think had the greatest impact was the cotton gin. It raised the value and production of cotton which then led to it being used frequently in textile mills. These mills made clothing for all types of people and allowed for more trade with us and Europe, allowing for a relationship to grow between the US and Europe. This also caused slavery to go up in numbers which some would argue was a factor in the start of the Civil War which completely changed our country. The demand for cotton transportation also forced the US in a sense to improve and start the Transportation Revolution.
Power imbalances are a factor that contributes to the tension between capital and labor. For example, owners of capital tend to have far more resources than laborers. This allows for financial leverage and the power to make all decisions if wanted. This creates a power imbalance that is unfair and not liked by the labor side. The tension can also be attributed to class struggle. The capital tends to be more financially stable while the workers and laborers struggle. This caused the workers to be resentful of the owners and their wealth and it created distrust. Cost-cutting measures could also create tension. Budget cuts that were made to maximize profits which weren’t necessarily needed impacted workers very negatively which created even more tension.
I was an inventor in the simulation. One thing I liked about this simulation was that we got to actually present our “invention” to the class and the “sharks”. I liked it because It changed the environment in the classroom to be more joyful. It was a fun activity because it actually felt like we were in the show and made learning more digestible and entertaining. I also enjoyed watching other people present. Some presentations were really well put together and funny. One thing I think could be improved on is the questions. I think it would be better if we had topics of questions we might be asked. For example “You’ll be asked questions about finances.”. That way we can better prepare for presenting. There were people (me included) who weren’t quite prepared for specific questions, especially regarding the financial ones. If we had been better prepared I think it would’ve made the experience better and more enjoyable for everyone, people would’ve been less nervous and felt better about the whole project and presentation.
Since rail roads made it possible to move people and goods more quickly than horses or on foot, I believe they had the biggest long-term impact on America. The fact that we still use trains today only serves to highlight how important they are to our economy. Although they were initially costly to produce, you could profit handsomely from the train once they were done. Additionally, trains were superior to boats and canals because a boat needed to be able to pass through a large river or a canal in order to enter land, whereas a train could simply travel the entire nation on rails, which were easier to build and assemble. All things considered, the train is the greatest invention that has had the biggest influence on America and its future. The relationship between capital and labor is always in tension because, in order to justify investing a great deal of labor in an assembly line project, you need to be certain that the project will generate enough revenue to cover both worker compensation and your own costs. Depending on the amount of money invested in the project and the number of workers hired, you will be deeply in debt if you are unable to recoup the cost of the labor you used. I played the inventor during the shark tank presentations. The fun element of the project and the opportunity to role-play making a sales pitch to investors were two aspects of this simulation that I truly enjoyed. The fact that we had to learn a great deal of information about our invention in order to better explain it to the sharks made it an extremely interesting topic to study. Because you were only researching one invention in-depth and then making brief notes on the key components of the other inventions, it also made it easier to remember. The questions that investors can ask in this simulation is one area that could use improvement. This could be made better because there are some questions for which you either need to be an expert to know the precise answer or you were unable to locate one. You could probably fix this by including links to websites where we can conduct research on our invention and a list of questions the sharks can ask to ensure there are no unclear or unanswerable questions. There were a lot of questions that confused me and my partner because they had nothing to do with our invention.
1. I believe that the invention of the railroad system had the greatest long term effect due to its longevity and long-lasting impact on westward expansion. Being the most practical land transportation method of the 19th century, the railroad created opportunities for goods to be transported to further reaches of the continent, influencing further western settlement. With easy access to cheap products, it became easier for Americans and immigrants to move further West where more land was available to them. This effect of the railroad prompted a change in America, with rapid Western development and the need for new inventions such as the textile mill, water-powered mill, and cotton gin, providing faster production of clothes and other products to a rapidly growing American population.
2. The relationship between capital and labor often results in those involved in the capital, or a company’s profits, leeching off the work of their laborers. When forcing longer hours or reducing their workers’ paychecks for the sake of a profit, a company may benefit while draining the motivation of their employees and create a general dislike towards their employers. This issue, which could be solved by returning working conditions to normal after increasing profits, is often left unresolved by the consequences of corporate greed. Companies would often rather risk strike than face losses and the possibility of further debt, leaving workers to demand for the money they deserve or look to alternate and more respectful employers.
3. As one of the five sharks, I really enjoyed learning more about inventions that I’d thought I knew all about and seeing the fun ways people showed off their presentations to get the most money. For me, seeing all the information put through a slideshow made it easier to take notes and more fun since we had to decide if it was worth putting money into. It was a lot more engaging than taking notes on a regular day since we had to think of questions for each invention and write down our reasons for each investment. Something that would be nice to change was the way that most of the inventions weren’t really presented how they would be on Shark Tank, where they’d ask for a certain amount of money for a percent of the company and then explain why we should take their offer. Additionally, I wish that we weren’t just investing separately and instead could fight over who would get each deal and pool our money together to beat other sharks’ offers. To make this better, I think that if we had a more specific rubric on how to present or only one person or team could win each investment it’d be more realistic and fun for the sharks and inventors.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
The cotton gin had the greatest impact on America long term. The cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney was invented when slavery was declining due to the crops grown by slaves ceasing to be profitable. The cotton gin solved this problem by allowing people to easily separate cotton strands from the cotton seeds, increasing efficiency ten-fold and allowing for more profits. As the South had increased profits, they needed more labor. This led to an increase in the number of slaves to fuel the labor needed for more cotton from 700,000 slaves in 1790(pre-cotton gin) to 2,000,000 slaves in 1830(post-cotton gin). The cotton reignited slavery, plunging it deeper into the South as an integral part of the South’s economy. This led to increased sectional tensions in the North and South, as slavery became a divisive topic between them, eventually appearing as one of the causes of the Civil War. The lasting impact of the revival of slavery led to the increase of racism as slave owners became defensive of slavery.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
There is a perpetual tension between capital and labor due to their inherently conflicting goals. Business owners prioritize minimizing labor costs by offering lower wages and enhancing efficiency to strengthen capital accumulation. In contrast, laborers aspire to secure higher wages, directly conflicting with the capital’s pursuit of a high return on investment. As a result, there is constant tension between capital and labor. There are many examples of this from workers being replaced by robots so labor costs are lower, to one of the main reasons for slavery.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was one of the inventors in the Shark Tank simulation, and with my partner Dylan we had the Telegraph by Samuel Morse. I enjoyed the simulation overall, but I really enjoyed the question part of the simulation where the sharks asked me and my partner questions about the inventions. It made it feel like I was on Shark Tank rather than just a slideshow and made it more engaging. One part of the simulation that could be improved would be the amount of time given to each inventor. Instead of rushing it over a day giving less time to ask questions and explain what you know about your invention, it should be spread over more days allowing the questions to come to a more natural end than to be cut off. In addition, it feels more like a presentation of information than a sales pitch due to the way the slideshow is presented in an informative manner. Finally, some of the information needed can be hard to find like the costs of producing it and profit margins for the inventions.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think the invention with the largest long term impact was the railroads. Railroads allowed for the transportation industry to expand exponentially. The steamboat also did this, but it was only possible on water. The railroads meant anyone could travel west for a cheap cost which helped the United States expand westward. Long-term, people still use the railroads today. Some of these other inventions are still around, but none as prominently as the railroads. There are still over 500 Class I and Class II railroads across the United States. The railroad industry also helped to boost other industries like the mining industry because of its use of raw materials such as steel and iron. The railroads didn’t only transport people, but goods too. This meant products could be traded in less time, making the factories faster by transporting raw materials to them and selling them at a quicker rate. Overall railroads boosted the economy and industrialization making them one of the most influential inventions of the 1800s.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
The reason that there is always tension between capital and labor is that you need labor to produce capital. The people who benefit the most from the capital are the people who are going to want the highest amount of labor possible in order to make the most money. However, the people who are not benefiting as much (usually the laborers) are going to argue against how much work they have to do. In my opinion, there won’t ever really be a stop to this tension because of conflict of interest.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was an inventor in the simulation. Something that I really liked about the Shark Tank simulation was the chance we had to work with a partner. I think it made the whole process a lot easier. We only had a week to research, make the script, and make the presentation, so having a partner to split the work with made it infinitely easier to get it all done. Something that I didn’t like was the sharks didn’t have any limits on the types of questions they could ask. Some of the questions that were being asked were either not necessary to ask because it wasn’t something that needed to be worried about, or they were such in-depth questions that we would’ve needed to be experts on the product/system for us to be able to answer them. And if you want to keep those in-depth questions, give more time for research and putting the slides and script together. To put these guidelines on the questions maybe give them example questions or prompts/sentence starters.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think the railroads had the greatest impact on old and modern America. In old America it helped revolutionize movement and the exportation and importation of goods. This not only made the armies of America stronger by allowing them to get to the desired area much faster than before but also helped the economy by making exports and imports much easier to transport without much risk. It also, being a part of the transportation revolution, allowed for the people of America to move and also migrate westward easier once the proper tracks were developed. I also believe it helped modern America because we are turning to a form of railroads to create eco friendly transportation throughout the country.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
Capital in a company is limited and if the business is growing you will need to pay your laborers a large amount of the capital you make. This makes capital and labor dependent on each other, thus creating a tension between either by putting pressure on either side to do good in order to benefit both.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was a shark, I really liked the way the sharks were able to ask questions and figure out more important questions about the product to make sure the presenter(s) are on their toes and to make sure they really know their product. I think one thing that would maybe improve the experience would be the time being expanded. Instead of trying to get it done in one day i think it would be better to spread it out over two days. That way presenters don’t feel rushed and the sharks can ask what they need to. Other than that I think the simulation is pretty good.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
If we were talking about inventions that had the biggest impact at the time, I would say something like the cotton gin. But I think the invention that had the biggest impact on America in the long term was railroads. All of early transportation (canals, steamboats, railroads) had a huge impact on America’s economy. These inventions allowed for goods to be transported across long areas quickly and for a cheaper price. Railroads specifically outlasted the construction of canals simply due to the fact they were relatively cheaper and easier to build. These new pathways allowed for all kinds of connection and allowed states to become less isolated. The importance of transportation and the ability to travel across the world is partly due to railroads paving the way for these advancements. Railroads are still in use today throughout the world.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
The constant tension could be a result of the ever changing conditions of the United States at the time. The nation and economy were undergoing massive changes in the early 1800s dealing with a growing population, new land, and frequent depressions. There were new inventions almost everywhere, slavery had become a pint of debate, there was an influx of Irish and German immigrants, and new states were being added to the nation. These all could have made it hard to find a balance between capital and labor in the U.S.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was an inventor and I chose the typographer/typewriter for my invention. I had a lot of fun with the simulation all in all. It didn’t take too much prep time and presenting the invention was fun. I also found that I remembered more about other people’s inventions when they were presented as a sales pitch. It could have been just the act of presenting the inventions was more engaging to me but either way I found myself understanding and remembering things from this chapter much better. There could have been much more guidance about the project beforehand. Some inventions were much easier to present than others and as many have said, sometimes certain information is just unavailable to us. I think the inventions should have been limited to product sort of inventions, such as the cotton gin, typewriter, sewing machine, etc. I think the idea of having a set list of resources to use while researching will be very helpful for the inventors. The sharks should definitely have a limit on the kind of questions they can ask because of the previously mentioned unavailable information. I think a reason why some inventors struggled was because they didn’t know what the presentation was supposed to look like. An example video/example presentation would be helpful along with the list of shark questions being available to the inventors.
1. I think the invention that had the greatest impact on America in the long term was the railroads. The railroads revolutionized transportation not just for people but also for goods. First of all, it reduced travel time. This greatly helped the connections between each state and region in the United States easily. Secondly, it increased westward expansion, connecting the east to the west. This helped start the more undeveloped west region with more industrialized and developed manufactured goods. Also, it improved the economy because it could help travel goods quickly and easily. The railroads were efficient in transporting goods between places, greatly improving the economy not just for the 19th century, but also many years later.
2. I think there is a constant tension between capital and labor because with almost any business back then, the more people working meant you made more money. I think a good example of this is with the cotton gin, where the invention could do the job of 5 people. Many plantation owners used this device, and they knew that they could make more money off of it if they had more people working in their fields. So even though the cotton gin took the work of 5 people, the plantation owners would buy more and more cotton gins, and get more and more workers to keep on increasing their capital.
3. My role in the simulation was as an entrepreneur/inventor. I really liked that it replicated the process of shark tank, I think it was a fun idea. I think if we had more time, then we should have done more stuff that the actual show had. The best thing this could have included was bargaining with the sharks. I think this would have been a very cool idea if we had done it, but I understand that we did not have time to be able to do it. One thing that could have been improved is the shark’s questions. I think that the questions the sharks ask should be modified. That could mean that they can only ask a certain amount of questions, the inventors know about the questions beforehand, or the questions get “toned down” a bit. For my class, I think that some of the questions that the sharks asked were not really fair to the inventors because there is only so much information you can get from the books and google. I think that the inventors could have gotten a guideline or specific sites that we could use that are familiar with the inventions that we were dealing with.
I would say that railroads have had the most impactful effect on America, long term. In the 1800’s, railroads allowed for western expansion and the transportation of goods. But more significantly, the vast network of railroads in the north was a major reason why they won the civil war because goods and troops were able to be transported very efficiently across the country. Without railroads, the south may have won which would have led to a much different America than the one we live in today. From a more long term point of view, railroads, or more advanced variations of them are still being used today such as the subway, which is a staple in most major U.S. cities. In addition, the use of railroads has grown outside the United States. The entire country of Europe is reliant on trains which are very similar to the trains in the 1800’s.
There is a lot of tension between capital and labor because in a business sense, they are opposites. A Company wants to make as much money as possible but they also have to hire employees who they have to pay. Because of this, companies are encouraged to pay workers as little as possible to keep as much money as possible for themselves. In antebellum America workers were not paid enough so they formed unions and went on strike. Instead of raising pay however, companies kept money and didnt raise wages by hiring immigrants who were willing to get paid less. This is the same for the 2009 car company problem mentioned in the directions. The company needs money so it takes it from the place where it’s spending the most, employee salaries. All in all, Companies will always want to have a higher revenue while employees will always want to be paid more. You can’t have both, one side is going to take the fall.
I was an inventor in Shark Tank. My product was the telegraph. The thing I really enjoyed was the questioning process. In a way, the sharks are trying to break the investors by asking questions they don’t know the answers to. But at the same time, the investors are trying to answer the questions very simply and efficiently to show they know what they’re talking about. It’s like a contest to see who can make the other side look stupid first. When I was answering questions, most of my time was eaten up by the sharks trying to figure out how you could get a cable across the water and not by actual questions about how the product works or how it makes money. I think we should be given more time to answer questions, maybe do presentations over two days but keep the time to present the same (3 minutes) so there is much more question time.
1, I think the telegraph, the textile factory system and cotton gin, made the greatest impact on America long term. The telegraph was the start before the iphone and paved the way for easy communication with one another who is far away. The technology we had back then for the telegraph has a very similar background on how it’s set up and works. The telegraph was used many times in the civil war as a way to quickly communicate with the person you want to talk to. This started the easy access way of getting information around rather than sending a letter or some other way of sending a message that might take months to receive. I think the technology was also advanced for its time as it let people communicate with each other. The telegraph showed how messages and information can be spread quickly just like today’s telephone. The textile factory system has a very large impact on America long term as well as around the world. There are many factories in America that sell clothing that look the exact same, replicas of the clothing made of cheap material and mass produced. The textile factory system used a lot more high quality materials back in the 1800s but now they use cheap materials that don’t last as long and are used for fast fashion. Nevertheless, America is still influenced by the textile factory system and still has very similar factories across America today. The cotton gin was a machine that separated the cotton from the seed. Before this machine, slaves had to do it by hand which took a long longer and was a very labor filled process. But the invention of the cotton gin allowed pure cotton easier to access and get your hands on. This also made shipping the cotton a lot easier since many other places needed cotton. Because cotton was being produced at such a large rate and it was easy to take the seeds out which meant more cotton faster, many more slaves had to be needed on plantations to up the amount of cotton that was grown. There was such a large demand for cotton everywhere that many places like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana were now filled with plantations that grew cotton and had big industries exporting cotton to different places. The cotton gin made a big impact on America long term because many of those southern states were built on the slaves who worked on the plantation, which was due to the demand for pure cotton after the cotton gin made it easier to access.
2. Capital is what owns the thing and controls the things(own it), labor is what works for the capital(providing services). Capital owns things and determines what is done and how it is done. Normally capital is wealthier and does not take labor needs into account. This causes labor to uprise, join unions, or be unfairly treated since they don’t have as much power as capital does.
3. I was an Inventor, I invented the steam boat with Maggie. One thing I liked about the simulation was learning about other inventors’ presentations and learning about my own. I like how in depth we go about these inventions on how they work and their impacts on society. It was a very interactive experience and was very engaging because my fellow classmates were presenting. I liked the research and the questions on the slides with the long term and short term effects. One thing I think could improve was the questions and what type of questions were answered. Many questions were good but there wasn’t enough preparation and warning for the people who were presenting to research about these topics. I think that there could be a few websites for the sharks to research their questions on, that way the presenters can look at the websites and have a general idea of what they might be asking. Many questions were not relevant like how certain projects would affect nature and to prevent that I think having a fixed amount of websites for the sharks to research would be a good way to improve that.
Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
Cotton Gin and Textile Factories (or the factory system in general) had for sure the most impact on America. Eli Whitney attempted to market the cotton gin as a means to combat slavery but actually ending up increasing slavery in the United States. His machine which made seeds easier to remove from picked cotton still relied heavily on someone to operate the machine, and because the time needed to prepare the cotton for shipping was significantly shortened, the cash crop had the opposite effect on slavery that its inventor intended.
Textile factories then received the crop, and with Lowell’s proficient memory of English mills, the first US-based textile mills were born. The textile mills brought about more change than just commerce, as they began to introduce the concept of women in the workforce. Disputes over treatment and conditions of these factories (getting only thirty minutes for a meal, working about 13 hours a day) also paved the way for unions, better (but not equal to men) pay, and company-paid places of housing (although then businesses were much more controlling, setting curfews and having a sort of house woman watch over all of the women staying there).
Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
Capital and labor will always be at odds because to have more of one, you need more of the other. In the 19th century, machines created from the Market Revolution still used labor to power them, so people were needed to produce an improved output. Simply put, the more people you had running machines, the more you would save in time which in turn would increase the yield of whatever product sold. Many saw how they could profit in this system, so workers were pushed to generate the maximum amount, leading to unethical methods to save money wherever possible. In factories, people began to acknowledge their mistreatment and formed unions which business owners directly protested against because fairer conditions also meant more money to keep plants up to regulation and fewer working hours (or in their eyes, less profit). So, really, the more labor you put into work, the more capital you’ll receive, but the more rights you give your workers, the less capital you’ll gain.
Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was an inventor: John Deere, the creator of the steel plow. I loved the formatting of the assignment, and it was a lot of fun figuring out how to present it (costumes, learning about the inventor, etc.). Some of the information that the sharks were asking was just impossible to find (such as how much it cost to make the product originally), so I think if the questions were formatted a little less like an actual Shark Tank episode and more like: What’s the need for this product? or How exactly does it work? it would let the inventors have more of a fair pitch. Overall though, it was a super enjoyable experience and a clever idea to help us as students remember inventors and inventions that changed life in the 1800s. It let students have a platform to become knowledgeable on a topic because they represented the inventor and an immersive way to learn.
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In the long term, the cotton jin had the greatest impact on America. Because of the key role it played in the production of cotton, and how it led to other businesses profiting from cotton. Because of the invention of the cotton jin, cotton production increased, meaning cotton plantation wonders could expand their fields, or move to bigger sets of land in search of fertile soil. Cotton farms expanded from two states to other states like Alabama Mississippi and Louisiana. The increase in cotton production also increased slavery, as more cotton was being produced, these plantation owners were in need of more slave labor. Because the slave trade was banned in 1808, many started nationally trading slaves either by forced marching by land or by the river to be transferred or sold to other plantations. Because of the cotton jin, slavery was further rooted in the Southern economy and also affected the North as a majority of their cotton was supplied by the South, making the cotton jin one of the most influential inventions in the long term.
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There is a tension between capital and labor because capital is necessary for getting new inventions out and into the market, yet laborers will sometimes pay the price when the capital faces problems. Capitalists are interested in raising profits and making the most out of sales. A laborer on the other hand is more interested in a safe work environment, and adequate and steady pay. Because of these differences, their way of solving economic problems differs. When facing a decline in sales, the capitalist may cut employees and or staff, as well as decrease pay for other workers. And when the capitalist are in a steady economic position, the workers will want to have a share in their profits. Because of these differences, there is a strong tension between capital and labor.
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I was an inventor in the simulation, specifically for textile manufacturing systems. One thing I liked about the simulation was that it was a fun project to work on, and as an inventor, you only had to fully research one invention and listen to others present there’s, instead of doing an individual assignment for all of the inventions. I was also able to be creative with my presentation, instead of having a layout given to us on exactly how and what to put down, we could choose what information we wanted to write down, and some people used special effects and different images or backgrounds. This may not be completely necessary but it’s more enjoyable to watch. One thing about the simulation that could be improved is the shark’s questions. As an inventor, I tried to answer every question on the packet and then some, but because I had no idea what the sharks would ask about, I couldn’t answer all their questions. In the future I think it would be helpful to have some prepared questions written down, even if they have extra ones they think of on the spot, at least we could have a general idea of what we need to research and prepare.
Out of the inventions we used in our Shark Tank simulation I believe that railroads had the greatest long term impact on our country. Railroads created quicker and more efficient transportation of both goods and people. Our country’s businesses could now transport their goods in a way much faster than had ever been possible before, and overall it greatly benefited our country’s economy. Also with so many new immigrants and Americans wanting to move westward the railroads allowed for fast moving and connection of cities and communities, and could be used in most conditions, in comparison to other ways of transportation that were considered fast at the time such as the Erie Canal, which due to weather couldn’t work during the cold winter months. To this day railroads are still used in many aspects of our country’s economy by transporting goods, and many citizens still use it as a way of transportation.
I think that the tension between capital and labor can be explained because the two are so interrelated. Laborers or the people that contribute to that side of a business rely on the capital of the business or company. If capital or income is low that can affect your business through how you handle paying wages to workers, or continuing to expand your business, or even finish creating it. Tension between the two is almost inevitable because a slight change in the conditions of one of the sides of a business can greatly affect the other.
In the shark tank simulation I was one of the inventors of the typewriter. One thing I enjoyed about the project was being able to split up the inventions so each inventor or group could learn about it more in depth and then everyone could hear from the class. I think splitting up overall helped everyone learn more about it than if we each would have done a small amount of research individually. I also think working with a partner was very helpful because we could split up the work since we had limited time to finish the project. One thing I would change about the simulation is giving the inventors more time to work and research, and possibly making sure that enough resources were available. I think a lot of groups struggled with researching information that would answer the sharks questions, and for my invention, it was hard to even find websites that had enough information, and many websites had differing answers to questions we were trying to find.
Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
In my opinion, the cotton gin had the greatest impact on America long-term. The cotton gin made it faster to separate the seeds from the fibers in cotton. It impacted America economically and politically in positive and negative ways. It increased productivity and efficiency in the cotton industry and made cotton the staple of the economy. As it was the staple of the economy, it needed to be as productive as possible, which meant there needed to be a significant amount of labor being done to keep the economy stable. This called for a mass increase in the number of slaves working to produce cotton in the South. The cotton produced in the south was sent to the north to produce cotton goods. Textile, shipping, and most northern industries relied on the south and slavery in the south to make their money. This meant that slavery was the key to America’s economic success, which sparked controversial political debates over slavery and even led to the Civil War. The civil war left an immense impact on America and still affects the way we live today. The cotton gin is part of the reason that racism is still a part of the world today. It is the reason that when we think about American history and the business aspect of it, we can’t forget that slavery was the basis of America’s success, which has a lot to do with the invention of the cotton gin.
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Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I think capital and labor are always clashing and in constant tension because of conflicting interests. On one hand, businesses want to make money, but on the other hand, laborers push for good pay and better working conditions. It’s hard to find the best of both worlds, but this tension usually ends up in a one-sided, beneficial type of relationship. It’s always going to be difficult to find a balance between the two sides.
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Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both
I was an inventor on the shark tank project, and one thing I really liked about the simulation was the learning aspect of it. I think that seeing the inventions one by one in their own presentations was nice, especially compared to just googling them for a couple minutes. I was able to learn information about the inventions that you would only know by doing a deep dive on the internet. One thing that could be improved would be making the simulation a little more engaging or hands-on. Compared to only taking notes, there could be some fun in the project. I also think that the presentations just felt like boring presentations rather than actually feeling like Shark Tank episodes. I don’t know how, but if there is a way to make it more interesting or more like a shark tank episode, I would definitely enjoy that a little better. Maybe the sharks could make offers on the spot and argue with the other sharks. Overall, I think the shark tank simulation is a good idea and should be done again with the right adjustments.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I think overall the railroads had the greatest impact on america. When they were first invented they really helped the country flourish and helped the economy a lot, getting places faster reduced the cost drastically making a lot of goods more affordable. Also considering we still consistently use railroads today just shows how important they are for transferring goods, back then and even now they were one of the fastest ways to transfer goods, they also created a lot of jobs, the employees might not have had the best hours but is was a wage that a was a good starting point for a lot of new immigrants and even people that have been living here. Also how they contribute to the economy as a whole. It also helped with the moving of people west, not just goods. The new jobs I referred to influence people to move or to settle west to get a job working on a railroad.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I think there is so much tension between capital and labor because of the fact that the economy is always changing and when its not doing so well the employers, or capital will have to raise the price of their good or service, decrease the wage of the employees, let go of people, or even all of the above, especially with the lack of unions that were established gave the employer even more power, knowing that the employees were close to powerless just like Newsies. I think that the laborer knows this and also knows they have the power to flip their lives upside down if they saw fit. Because of this I think there will always be a certain level of tension between capital and labor.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
During the simulation I was an inventor, one thing that I enjoyed was the variety of inventions that we were able to choose from, also that there could be more that one person or group per invention, this just makes it that even if someone gets the same invention you wanted you don’t necessarily need to go to your second option. One thing that could be improved is the amount of leeway that the Sharks had when it came to questioning. I think there should be some guidelines of what they shouldn’t ask, not what they should ask because I think that might be too restrictive and frankly repetitive. But I was asked some questions that my research did not exactly need to cover, so instead of standing there like a deer in headlight I had to come up with an answer on the spot, and I think this was also the case for some other groups. But overall this was a fun project and I do think you should continue it.
One of the inventions we highlighted I thought had the greatest impact on America in the long term was the cotton gin. The cotton gin is a machine that is used to separate cotton fibers from their seeds. This machine became popular because of how much faster the production of cotton was than the enslaved picking it by themselves. Although, you would think that with this machine slavery would decrease but the opposite came. It provoked slavery mostly in the South and became dependent on this cash crop which made the South more of an agricultural economy. The demand of the cotton gin increased but it significantly impacted America because slavery was an immense issue in the early 19th century, so I would say that the cotton gin had one the greatest impacts on America by boosting the economy but negatively affecting the process of eliminating slavery.
I think there is such constant tension between capital and labor because the capitol enforces rules on the workforce to work more and get paid less. This frustrates the laborers because they work hard but have a low salary to meet their needs. If they need more money, they need to work further but it won’t be worth it because of the time that they have and the sacrifices the workers make to work shifts. This impacts the capital financially because their wealth decreases if they have to pay more for the laborers. Also if the workers protest and go on strike, the capital won’t be able to control them and can lose their workers and as a result the workload will be incomplete. This idea correlates to the broadway musical Newsies. The capitol can not work without its laborers and it’s the same back but there is still tension.
I was the inventor of the sewing machine during Shark Tank. I thought that it was such a fun experience and put off the stress of the tests and finals that were coming up. It was a great way to work together to display something fun to present to the class. One thing that could be improved was how we presented our pieces. During Shark Tank, I noticed that most kids were mostly informing us instead of persuading the audience to buy the product. That was the only part that was confusing me but other than that, I thought it went really well.
1. Out of all the inventions we learned about in class, the cotton gin was the most impactful on America’s long-term (negative) effects. The cotton gin made it easier and quicker to remove seeds from cotton and from Eli Whitney’s goal, to also lower the need for enslaved labor. This is because the invention made it so one person could make fifty pounds of lint in one day, which before would have needed twelve people to achieve this just for one pound. Although, it did the exact opposite. It caused slavery to grow exponentially in America when it was just starting to lower in the early 1790s. This is because more enslaved people were forced to plant the seeds and more in the South’s agricultural economy. With all of these factors came the rise in cotton production. Even though this invention caused America’s economy to grow by being the leading producer of cotton from 1803-1937, it implemented more ideas of racism within America, which still affects the country today.
2. I think the tension between capital and labor is based on the unbalanced co-dependent relationship. With capital, its main focus is making profits and money but, for that to happen it needs workers. On the other hand, workers have jobs that cause them to work long hours for minimum wage. In most cases, this is only beneficial for companies since they don’t have to spend as much money paying for more workers. This inevitably causes large amounts of workers to be frustrated with this system and want fair wages from these companies that can obviously afford to pay more than what they are. This frustration turns into strikes to just receive the bare minimum, which is, liveable wages.
3. My role during Shark Take was being an inventor of railroads. This project overall, was really enjoyable because we got to learn about different inventions, students, who were inventors, got to present their inventions in a fun way which was engaging because the rest of the students who were sharks, got to learn more about the inventions by asking questions and decide whether to invest in it or not. Although, one thing that I would change about this project is the timing. Each student had, I think, about three minutes, to present and answer questions, which was a little bit stressful to achieve. Instead, maybe this project can be split into two days so everyone has enough time to present, without rushing, and this also gives the sharks a chance to ask any follow-up questions.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I believe the factory system had the greatest impact on America as it’s still visible today, and provided America with so many things. The system pushed the industrial revolution forward, allowed for mass production, gave jobs to immigrants, opened positions to women, etcetera. All of these changed the way America operated, and still influence people today. The system’s mass production not only allowed Americans to buy more U.S. products, but made said products more accessible to the general public. Then, due to all of the factories opening up, many jobs became available to the immigrants coming from Europe. Not to mention, single women were also starting to get involved in the factories Meaning the system played a part in the surge of feminist activity that came later on. Of course, things like the cotton gin and interchangeable parts still played a role. It’s hard to pick which had the greatest impact, as all of them had a strong impact.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I actually didn’t know what this meant at first, so I had to do some research on it. After that though, I’ve come to the understanding that the reason there’s constant tension between capital and labor is because no-one really knows how to balance it. Each interest directly opposes the other, and it comes down to greed V. survival. Capital is pretty much the amount of money the company is making, and labor is well labor. Capital is always trying to get more money for itself, screwing over the laborers (sorry for my language). Thus, workers are constantly trying to fight the capital, which is where unions come into play. Long working hours, dangerous working conditions, and low pay are three ways that laborers can be struggling. Though this is only my understanding of it, and there could be many more things at play that I’m just missing. There were a million different ideas surrounding capital v. labor, so I’m honestly not sure which debates surrounding it are correct.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was a Shark, and the number one thing I enjoyed was questioning everyone. It was so much fun to see just how much they dived into their role, and what they learned about their topic. Of course, not everyone was able to answer every question, but that’s to be expected. I loved seeing how everyone put together their projects, and how exactly they explained them.
Nothing really needed to be improved for the Sharks, but it seems that the Inventors had a really hard time. From all the complaints I heard, the one that was repeated the most was the fact that nobody knew what they were doing. The instructions needed to be more detailed, and nobody really knew what they needed to know about. I feel like that’s why a lot of questions went unanswered, and a lot of people were unprepared.
1. Which of the inventions we highlighted do you think had the greatest impact on America in the long term? Explain why.
I believe that one of the inventions with the greatest impact on the USA long term was the cotton gin, the cotton gin was a big impact to the United States because it brought economic wealth and it helped to the expansion of the south of the US because of how easy and fast the cotton gin made the production of cotton, which made the US the biggest producer of cotton in the world which brought a massive amount of money and made people that also wanted to make money fast and easy move to the south. The cotton gin also made slavery grow in the south because now people were making fast and easy money but also wanted it without having to pay anyone to pick the cotton, so people bought slaves which made the market for enslaved people rise and with the great amount of slaves being traded and bought it was one of the main reasons of the civil war. The Civil War is considered as the bloodiest war in American history which afterwards led to the emancipation proclamation, but racism continued between black people and white people for a long time.
2. Why do you think there is such constant tension between capital and labor? (This will be a theme we will explore for the rest of the year). Explain your answer.
I believe that one of the main reasons for the constant tension of capital and labor is because of the way capital wants to maximize the profit from whatever they might be selling by maybe lowering the wages of the company’s workers or firing workers so they can make a larger profit, while labor are basically the workers that are looking for better working conditions and salaries and a better job stability, and since these two capital and labor are almost like polar opposites since one wants to lower the wages and another one wants to higher them they could never have an agreement with each other.
3. Tell me your role in the simulation – Shark or Inventor – and give me one thing you really liked about the simulation and one thing that could be improved. Explain your answers for both.
I was a shark, I really enjoyed the way of how we were learning all about the inventions while having fun and it also helped how we got to ask questions about the invention to the inventor who already knew a lot about its invention, something that could be improved is maybe the sharks putting their questions on a google doc a night before we have to do the shark tank simulation so the inventor can be ready and can know what to say when asked a question because there were some inventors that could not really answer any questions the sharks asked them.
All of the inventions presented in the shark tank project had long-lasting effects. Some are still in use today, and others would spark ideas for a multitude of things in the future. I think the most impactful invention in American history was the cotton gin. The cotton gin was not only incredibly popular for its usefulness in farming but it also significantly increased the use of slavery and the debate over it. Though slavery was still very popular in America, its expansion was stifled by various restrictions on it. The Northwest Ordinance made it so slavery was unable to expand west (Until the Mousourri compromise), and the international slave trade was outlawed around the time of the invention. Without the cotton gin, slavery was becoming expensive and unviable. The lack of slaves made them incredibly expensive. Slavery was likely to die out eventually and it could be banned completely with limited backlash once that happened. But the cotton gin stopped that from happening completely. It once again made slavery extremely profitable and not only a viable option for agriculture, but the best option.
2. Tension is inevitable between investors and laborers because the laborers believe that they should get all the benefits because they run the company/business, but the investors think they should get all the benefits because they gave the money for that business to exist. When a laborer in a factory sees the majority of the profits go to a rich businessman who doesn’t do anything, they get mad. Laborers think that without them, the investor wouldn’t be making any money, so he shouldn’t be paid more than the laborers. But if the investor sees the laborers getting a lot of money while he doesn’t, he feels like the company wouldn’t exist without him and they should be happy that he gave them a job. Both arguments are viable and it is simply a matter of opinion which one is more important so there will always be tension between the two groups.
3. I was an inventor in the simulation. One thing I think could be improved is you need to instate a time of the invention. For example, say the telegraph as of 1840 or 1850. Depending on the date, the invention would be more fine-tuned or have more existing infrastructure. This isn’t a bad thing, but the people in our hour doing the Erie Canal seemed to be switching between a time period where the Erie Canal was already built and the time before it was built. It would clear up a lot of confusion to give a definitive year or date in which to pretend to be presenting. One thing I liked was how open the presentation was. There were a few requirements but generally, we could have what we wanted. This allowed for a lot of creative freedom and different ideas on display.