American History

Question 1.

How did the Louisiana Purchase represent continuity and change?  For whom were the continuities/changes progress, and for whom were they decline?

Question 2.

In the Jacksonian Era we see the rise of the middle class. What is the historical significance of that emergent middle class?  How does the emergent middle class of this unit compare with the middle class of today?

Question 3.

Many believe that Eli Whitney's cotton gin can be blamed for the extension of slavery in America. In this case, how did the growth of technology have an effect on American culture, and do you see the same thing happening in today's society?  How does empathy and moral judgment figure into considerations of Eli Whitney's achievement?

Question 4

The conflicts and exploration of the early 19th century helped shape the philosophies and morale of the nation. Explain how events like the War of 1812 and exploration towards the West by the United States may have impacted the sense of what it was to be "American" during this period. Your response must be at least 200 words in length.

Question 5

Imagine yourself in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1840 where either you or a close family member works as a factory girl in the textile mill. Discuss what you (or your close family member) experience and see. Consider how technology has made the town distinct and if women affiliated with the mill were treated better or worse in society than their peers elsewhere. Your response must be at least 200 words in length