FOR TOP-PERFORMER ONLY

1:You have been asked to sign the Declaration of Independence. Examine the document in detail, and then explain your decision to sign or not sign as if you were a colonial of that era. What are the main arguments in the document in favor of independence? What areas of the Declaration were influenced by Thomas Paine’s Common Sense? (500-1000 WORDS)

2:What was the War of 1812 about? What did the United States achieve, if anything, as a result of this conflict? What was the impact of the war on American politics at the time? Did the war have a lasting impact on American society? Why, or why not? (500-1000 WORDS)