“America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains”

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper on the period from Reconstruction through widespread industrialization in the Western United States (approximate time period: 1865-1900.)

Your paper should cover the following:

• Identify at least (2) two major historical turning points in the period under discussion.

• Analyze the impact of the two (2) or more major historical turning points selected on America’s 1) current society, 2) economy, 3) politics, and 4) culture.

Student note: The requirements for the points listed above are separate from the rest of the assignment.

• Describe at least two (2) ways the Reconstruction period may have been different if President Lincoln had not been assassinated.

• Explain how industrialization and urbanization affected the life of the average working American during the period.

• Give at least two (2) examples of how the federal and/or state courts and legislatures handed down decisions or passed laws during the period that served to discriminate against non-white citizens and immigrants.

• Include at least two (2) references (sources) other than the textbook. At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Resources Center Web page. Generic encyclopedic Internet resources such as Wikipedia or Answers.com will not be considered acceptable.

The paper should follow guidelines for clear and effectively organized writing:

• The paper is well organized, and every explanation is both complete and easy to understand.

• Include an introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph for the paper.

• Main ideas should be addressed in body paragraphs with a topic sentence and supporting sentences.

• Adhere to standard rules of English grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

• The paper should be checked for spelling and grammatical errors.