Seattle Raises Its Sights Table Topics

Table Topic questions are meant to stimulate family and classroom discussion.
Use the questions below after reading,"Seattle Raises Its Sights."

Seattle's economy developed rapidly between 1897 and 1904. The city grew from a boomtown 'mining the miners' on their way to the Klondike, to a market town, then to an intersection for processing the raw materials of woods, mines and fields, and finally into a thriving manufacturing center.

Seattle's emergence from boomtown to major city often meant growing pains. What disadvantages and advantages of growth have you seen in your time here?
Think about the impact of industrial change on urban growth, then and now. As the economy changed, people were forced to adjust to ever new ways of making a living‹which also forced them to change their skills. How do these stresses relate or differ from those of present day workers adjusting to the electronic age, a world economy and corporate downsizing?
The Centennial Page photos tell us a lot about historical issues of economy, energy and environment. The photo here shows loggers about to harvest lumber from a gigantic tree. In another, Newcastle miners prepare to descend deep into the mines to dig coal. Think about the importance of these raw materials to everyday lives, and how our use of these resources may have changed.
In 1900, The Seattle Times led a community fundraising campaign to help the Moran Shipyards win the NEBRASKA contract. How have times changed in regard to such newspaper tactics?
Many people grew prosperous during this industrial period, but did it take money to make money in Seattle? Consider the part race, ethnicity and gender played in obtaining a share of the region's wealth. Do you see any Asian-American, native American or African-American miners, merchants or workmen in the photos or ads? Do you think it was important for a European immigrant to speak English in the shipyards? Did women have opportunities to succeed in the workplace?
Construction was booming in 1902, with fancy mansions emerging on First Hill and Queen Anne Hills, and modest family homes in West Seattle, Ballard and Georgetown 'suburbs.' What changes have you seen in these neighborhoods or your own?