The following standards have been taken from the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McRel) standards.

Students will understand:

• Changes in American life in the late 19th century (e.g., how regional artists and writers portrayed American life, attitudes, and values; reasons for the appeal of new sports, entertainment, and recreational activities; changes in lifestyles).
  
  
• The economic and social problems facing the South and their impact on different groups of people at the close of the Civil War.