Play Your Hand in the
United Stakes Playing Card Project

American history is a game of cards dealt by an invisible hand, its deck shuffled by four seasons and fourth turnings alike. To sit at the table is confront the idea of a common heritage — and a democratic destiny — that trumps time itself.

Our republic rose from a gamble, not a bluff, and we united our stakes after the Civil War. Two hundred and fifty years after the Declaration, chance and fate still govern the draw. Each new generation is asked to match the wager and up the American ante.

Each card in the 52-card deck we will build will represent a moment, leader, a movement, an idea, etc. ~1877-2024.
Your work will invite future students to analyze and engage with the American story in new ways, just as we approach the American semiquincentennial.
The United Stakes project reflects the enduring truth that our history is made—and remade—not by those who study it , but by those who keep it alive.

FACES AND NUMBERS

The Ace is the anchor of the suit, epitomizing both the dueling forces and the dynamism at play within the suit’s themes.

The numbered pip cards (2-10) will represent history’s progression, each one capturing a key moment, development, or event in chronological order (~1877-2024) within the themes of the suit. They should reflect decisions, innovations, and turning points that shaped America over time.

The Jack represents the disruptors—young people, innovators, or movements that break away from tradition. The card symbolizes ambition, change, and the energy to challenge the status quo.

The Queen highlights the contributions of women, both seen and unseen, that have shaped the nation. She (or they) represent strength, resilience, and the transformative power of femininity on the American experience.

The King embodies the central figure or group that best represents the theme of the suit. It’s a card of leadership and influence, capturing the individuals that personify the themes of the suit and the era.

SUITS

Adnue coeptis: The clubs represent industry and innovation. They tell the story of America’s factories, its inventors, and the workers who powered its rise. This suit focuses on the tools, machines, technologies, and ideas that transformed the nation into an industrial powerhouse across the 20th and into the age of AI.

Novus ordo seclorum: The spades symbolize governance and diplomacy. They represent the leaders, decisions, and conflicts that shaped the nation’s customs, laws, and order. This suit explores how America was built through negotiation and leadership, during times of war and peace, across the globe and in our streets.

E pluribus unum: The hearts capture the social and moral struggles of the nation. They focus on the movements, art, and voices that challenged America to live up to its ideals. From the Jim Crow era to civil rights marches, this suit explores the beating heart at the center of the nation’s evolving identity.

Annuit cœptis: The diamonds reflect wealth, ambition, and the core values of the nation. They tell the story of America’s highs and lows—of booming industry, economic inequality, and those qualities that define the American experiment. This suit highlights the challenges and rewards of chasing the American dream.

Example Cards

King of Diamonds:
Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth

Theme: Wealth, Capitalism, and Opportunity

Era: The Gilded Age

Time Period: Late 19th century (1870–1900)

Topic: Industrial Wealth and Philanthropy

Content Overview:

The King of Diamonds centers on Andrew Carnegie, an industrial magnate whose essay “The Gospel of Wealth” (1889) articulated a vision of philanthropy rooted in the belief that the wealthy had a moral obligation to use their fortunes to improve society. Carnegie’s investments in libraries, schools, and cultural institutions embodied this philosophy, transforming public access to education and the arts. However, his legacy is contested due to the harsh labor conditions in his steel mills, epitomized by the Homestead Strike of 1892.

Key Chapter Terms:

• Gilded Age: A period of rapid industrialization and wealth disparity in America.

• Philanthropy: Carnegie’s approach to wealth redistribution through public institutions.

• Monopoly/Robber Barons: Criticism of industrialists like Carnegie and Rockefeller for amassing immense power and wealth.

• Homestead Strike (1892): A pivotal labor conflict at Carnegie Steel, highlighting tensions between capital and labor.

Primary Sources:

1. Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” (1889): Foundational text on the moral obligations of the wealthy. Available via Project Gutenberg and via abridged summary through the American Yawp.

2. Homestead Strike Testimonies (1892): Worker accounts of the strike’s events and consequences. Accessible through historical labor archives.

3. Blueprints of Carnegie Libraries: Architectural plans illustrating Carnegie’s philanthropic impact. Found in the Carnegie Library Archives.

4. “The Triumph of America” (1885): A celebration of American and industrial ideals courtesy of the American Yawp Primary Source Reader.

Secondary Source:

1. The American Yawp: Chapter 18: Contextualizes wealth inequality and labor struggles of the era.

Key Debates:

• How does Carnegie’s philanthropy contrast with his incorporation of harsh industrial labor practices?

• How does Andrew Carnegie’s legacy reconcile his immense wealth with his commitment to public good?

• What philanthropic philosophies motivated figures like Carnegie and Rockefeller, and how did their efforts shape our modern public institutions?

• How does The Gospel of Wealth inform contemporary debates about the distribution of America’s incredible wealth?

• How can voluntary philanthropic efforts address systemic inequalities at their root?

Short-Form Video Script:

Andrew Carnegie: A Gilded Age Giant

Andrew Carnegie was a defining figure of the Gilded Age, embodying both the promise and pitfalls of industrial capitalism. Born in 1835 to a poor Scottish family, he immigrated to the United States and rose from a factory worker to one of the wealthiest men in the world. Carnegie built his fortune in steel, revolutionizing production with innovations like the Bessemer process and vertical integration. By the 1890s, Carnegie Steel was producing more steel than all of Great Britain, fueling the growth of railroads, bridges, and skyscrapers that shaped modern America (American Yawp, Chapter 18).

Carnegie’s business success came at a cost. His reliance on low wages and long hours for his workforce set the stage for the 1892 Homestead Strike. Workers at his Pennsylvania steel mill protested wage cuts, leading to a violent confrontation with Pinkerton agents and the Pennsylvania state militia. Testimonies from the strike, such as those in The Homestead Strike Testimonies (1892), reveal the human cost of Carnegie’s industrial empire and the broader labor struggles of the era (American Yawp Primary Reader, Chapter 18).

Despite these controversies, Carnegie believed in the moral obligation of the wealthy to give back to society. In his 1889 essay, “The Gospel of Wealth,” he argued that the rich should redistribute their fortunes to improve public life. Carnegie acted on these beliefs, funding over 2,500 libraries, cultural institutions, and universities. His philanthropy empowered communities, providing access to education and knowledge and exemplifying his vision of fostering self-improvement through public resources.

Carnegie’s dual legacy raises questions central to the study of the Gilded Age: How should wealth be acquired and used? What responsibilities do industrialists have toward their workers and society?

Timeless Question

What obligations do the wealthy have to balance their pursuit of personal success with their responsibility to uplift society and improve the lives of others?

Essential Question

How did Andrew Carnegie’s steel empire and philanthropic efforts, such as the establishment of libraries and cultural institutions, shape both the industrial landscape and public life during the Gilded Age?

7 of Clubs:
Henry Ford and the Assembly Line

Theme: Innovation, Labor, and Technology

Era: The Progressive Era

Time Period: Early 20th century (1908–1927)

Topic: Industrialization and Mass Production

Content Overview:

The 7 of Clubs focuses on the transformative impact of Henry Ford’s assembly line, a technological innovation that revolutionized production and consumer culture in the U.S. during the Progressive Era. Ford’s introduction of the Model T (1908) and the assembly line system (1913) not only made automobiles affordable but also symbolized American ingenuity and industrial might. The assembly line reduced production time for a Model T from 12 hours to just 93 minutes, enabling mass production and democratizing access to automobiles. However, it also raised questions about labor conditions, worker autonomy, and the repetitive monotony of industrial work.

Key Chapter Terms:

• Progressive Era: A period marked by efforts to address social and industrial issues through reform and innovation.

• Taylorism/Scientific Management: A method of labor efficiency pioneered by Frederick W. Taylor, influencing Ford’s system.

• Fordism: A term describing the economic system of mass production coupled with higher wages, typified by Ford’s $5 workday policy.

• Consumer Culture: The rise of mass-produced goods and advertising, shaping modern consumer behavior.

Primary Sources:

1. Henry Ford’s My Life and Work (1922): A firsthand account of Ford’s philosophy on production and efficiency. Accessible via Project Gutenberg.

2. Model T Advertisements (1910s): Period advertisements emphasizing affordability and accessibility. Available through the Library of Congress.

3. Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936): A satirical film critiquing industrial labor’s dehumanizing effects. Accessible via public domain repositories.

Secondary Source:

1. The American Yawp: Chapter 22: Provides context on industrialization and societal changes.

Key Debates:

• How did Ford’s innovations shape labor and society?

• How did Henry Ford’s assembly line redefine labor, consumer culture, and societal expectations during the Progressive Era?.

• Did the assembly line’s efficiency justify its impact on workers’ autonomy?

• Was Ford’s $5 workday a genuine effort to uplift workers or a pragmatic move to ensure industrial stability?

• What unintended social consequences arose from the spread of automobiles?

Short-Form Video Script:

Henry Ford and the Assembly Line

By the early 20th century, Henry Ford reshaped American industry and society with a single goal: to make cars affordable for the average person. The introduction of the Model T in 1908 was revolutionary, but Ford’s greatest innovation came in 1913 with the assembly line. By standardizing production, he cut manufacturing time for a car from 12 hours to just 93 minutes, slashing costs and democratizing access to automobiles. This was not just an industrial achievement; it symbolized the broader Progressive Era push for efficiency in American life.

Ford’s $5 workday, introduced in 1914, doubled typical factory wages and drew national attention. Critics viewed it as an act of benevolent paternalism, while Ford defended it as a practical solution: better-paid workers could afford his cars, creating a self-sustaining consumer economy. This model boosted the middle class and marked a cultural shift, positioning cars not as luxury items but as necessities for modern life. Ford’s advertisements, preserved in the Library of Congress, celebrated the Model T as “everyman’s car,” solidifying the automobile’s place in American culture.

However, Ford’s innovations came with costs. Charlie Chaplin’s satirical film Modern Times (1936) critiqued the dehumanizing monotony of assembly-line work, showing the psychological toll of repetitive tasks. Frederick Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management (1911), which Ford embraced, emphasized efficiency but treated workers as mechanical parts of a larger machine. These sources highlight the dual nature of Ford’s impact: increased productivity and accessibility at the expense of worker autonomy.

Ford’s legacy also extended to his isolationist politics and controversial views. During the interwar years, he advocated for American neutrality and espoused views that some viewed as antisemitic, which complicate his reputation today. His autobiography, My Life and Work (1922), reflects his vision for progress, but also reveals a narrow worldview.

Ford’s assembly line revolutionized labor and consumer culture but raised enduring questions about the balance between innovation and humanity. His story challenges us to reflect on the costs of industrial progress and the responsibilities of those who shape it.

Timeless Question

What responsibilities do innovators and industrial leaders have to balance the demands of efficiency and profitability with the well-being and autonomy of their workers?