U.S. HISTORY TO 1865 - exam two essay questions

On the exam you will be given one of the following questions. Your response should draw upon the lectures, films, and readings from this course where appropriate. Your response should include the argument of your essay clearly presented in a thesis statement in your introductory paragraph. You may want to plan out your essay before you begin writing. Five minutes spent outlining your answer will ultimately improve the quality of your answer. Similarly, a few minutes spent reviewing your essay will also give you a chance to improve it.

1. In the thirteen years between the end of the Seven Years’ War and the Declaration of Independence some American colonists developed a political and economic argument in favor of independence from Great Britain. Why do you think it the colonial leaders waited so long to declare independence? For full credit on the exam, be sure to describe in detail the arguments made both for and against independence from Great Britain.

2. In 1776, the American colonists declared independence from Great Britain and the powerful central government of the empire. Do you believe that America’s political leaders stayed true to the political goals they set out during the Revolution or whether they turned away from them during the four decades after the Declaration of Independence (from 1776 to 1816)? For full credit on the exam, be sure to discuss the Articles of Confederation; the Constitution; and the political parties formed in this era. {Note that this question isn’t about independence. What we mean by political goals here is what type of relationship did they want between the people and the government.}