Teacher's Notes

Theme:
Because of unlimited opportunities in the United States, great fortunes have been accumulated.

Sub-theme:
Before the Civil War, John Jacob Astor became the wealthiest man in North America.

Concepts:

• monopoly
• real estate
• land value
• mortgages
• robber barons
• lords of creation

Performance objectives -- this lesson focuses on developing skills at:

• Analyzing a newspaper editorial
• Researching biographical data
• Evaluating different criteria for measuring success
• Judging business magazines

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