Part 1: Frederick Engels outlines the fundamental principles of communism. From this, what do we learn about the social effects/consequences of the Industrial Revolution? According to Engels, who were the capitalists/bourgeoisie and the proletariat? And what did he think the abolition of private property would accomplish?

Also, what does the story of Harriet Robinson's life as a mill worker in Lowell tell us about the social impact of the Industrial Revolution on New England? How did industrialization change the lives of the young women who worked in Lowell's textile mills?

Part 2:

J.A. Hobson presents a scathing criticism of British foreign policy in his "Imperialism, A Study." In the assigned chapter, he argues that certain economic interests and industries in Britain were the main driving forces behind the aggressive British foreign policy of the late 1800s. What economic sectors and industries does Hobson mention? Which sectors and industries profited from Britain's foreign wars? Why would the British public support wars that, according to Hobson, were big and unnecessary mistakes?

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hobson's work was an incredibly thorough and influential examination of European imperialism. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism has tarnished his legacy. In the assigned reading, when he makes reference to the interests and influence of a "single and peculiar race," he is writing about Europeans of Jewish descent, reflective of European economic anti-Semitism. I feel that parts of his critique and analysis of imperialism are convincing, but it's also impossible to ignore and dismiss the dangerous stereotypes present in his work. Please be aware that although he offers a thorough and nuanced evaluation of British foreign policy in some parts of his work, other parts of the reading reflect the ugly influence of European anti-Semitism.