Explain how these two readings work together to help provide a picture of how Americans responded to the dramatic changes that were taking place during the first half of the nineteenth century.

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

You did not include the readings. Without them, we do not know what your references are. However, doing some research we can comment on the following general terms.

If your readings refer to the book "Walden" and the "Lowell Mill Girls," then our comment would be the following.

Henry David Thoreau was the author of "Walden." It shows how Americans lived in the country and their customs, highlighting the importance of living in solitude with mother nature.

The "Lowell Mill Girls" tells the story of the young women that had to work in the industries of Lowell, Massachusetts. Historians consider that approximately 8,000 women had to work in textile factories.

Both books refer to a part in United States history when Americans had to respond to the dramatic changes that were taking place during the first half of the nineteenth century, where industries hired people offering low paid jobs and workers labored under unhealthy conditions for long hours.