History final

History 104

Essay Final

Instructions:

Answer two out of the following five questions. Each answer should be 4 – 6 pages long and

should include no fewer than fifteen direct references to the textbook, lectures, or other class

materials.1 Each of these references should be cited using a footnote and most of the different

references should be different.2 Each answer should be a flowing essay with a clear introduction,

thesis, logical progression of evidence, and conclusion. Use few if any direct quotes and instead

put the material in your own words.3 The resulting documents should be uploaded to Canvas by

11:59 PM on December 2nd.

Questions:

1) Some people say that colonial and early US history are fundamentally histories off

oppression. Others say that they are histories of liberation. Still others might say that they

are both or neither. What do you say? Why?

2) The limitations placed upon women throughout colonial and early US history varied

significantly across time and place. Identify and explain these changes and differences.

What do these changes and differences suggest about the nature of gender and society?

3) Has the United States always been an empire? If not, did it become an empire at some

point prior to the Civil War? If it is not an empire, why is it not an empire? How does

your answer to this question change your understanding of US history?

4) How did the ‘peculiar institution’ place the North and the South on different social,

economic, cultural, and political paths?

5) The political, cultural, religious, and economic history of the United States through the

Civil War was largely the result of the evolution of the market place. Do you agree? Do

you disagree? Why?

Evaluation:

Each question will be evaluated in four dimensions: clarity of argument, clarity of evidence,

clarity of writing, and comprehensiveness of response.

1 Do not use external sources without prior approval. 2 For these citations simply writing the “Author’s Name, Page Number” (i.e Foner, 476) will suffice. For online

videos provide the link. For lectures / in-class discussions please write, “Lecture, Date.” If you need help making the

footnotes watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HSxVBtRuY0 . Do not use parenthetical, in-text citations

or fail to make at least 15 references. Also make sure you use 15 different citations, not the same citation repeated

multiple times. 3 Quotes should not exceed a sentence. Most references should be paraphrased. However ensure that you do not

accidentally simply copy the text. Instead use the text as evidence for your own words. Also, avoid paragraphs

longer than 6 sentences.