Category: American history

Since its publication by the New York Times Magazine, “The 1619
Project has been the topic of intense controversy. Its supporters claim it provides an important viewpoint through which to understand American history, but it has also received tremendous backlash. That backlash has been led by prominent Republican politicians who reject the claims made by “The 1619 Project” and the narrative of American history that it
presents.
Your assignment is to write a 2-3 page response that discusses the following:
1. What is the central argument that “The 1619 Project” makes about the role of slavery in the founding and development of the United States of America?
2. Provide two specific examples, provided by “The 1619 Project,” on how slavery has affected the continued development of the United States
3. What criticisms have Republican politicians made of The 1619
Project”? Highlight the criticisms made by at least two prominent political figures:
You may access “The 1619 Project” in three different ways. The first is by reading it as it appeared in the New York Times Magazine
(1619 Project pdf). You may also listen to the 5-part podcast available for free on Spotify and other platforms, or watch the 5-part miniseries that is available through subscription on Hulu.
All three present similar
information in different formats, so it is a matter of preference. Some light research may be necessary to answer the third question (no citations necessary)
Your response will be graded on how well you addressed the above three questions, and the quality and clarity of your writing. Proper formatting and grammar do matter!

The assignment is create 2 no more no less pages no paragraphs using mla format to create this asignment. Follow the instructions don’t add anything follow the instructions through. Use the documents that are stated to use use anymore if it helps the answer. The two eras I chose are the reconstruction era and the civil rights movement. EXplain how historical memory and how certain groups choose to remember the past reflected their thinking at the time. Lastly, explain why you think many of these  monuments are so contested.

In an essay of 650-1000 words, 2-3 pages, double-spaced, 11-12point Times New Romanor similar font and one inch margins, answer one of the following questions using only the
readings, lecture notes, and documentaries assigned to you to this point of the quarter.
American Yawp can inform your historization, like your class notes, but not constitute one of the
readings. You must use at least 3 of the readings and include references to two of the
documentaries.
1. The Other. From the time of the arrival of the Europeans to the North American continent
through the beginning of the 18th century colonization brought together people of
disparate backgrounds. The day to say of life in the colonies was marked by race, class,
and gender. Using only the readings assigned in this class describe the experience of
these “others” in the early colonial period.
How did non-elite actors fare in the evolution of the British and/or French colonies from
the 1530s through 1700?
2. Geopolitics. For the course of the semester, we have noted how geopolitics have
informed the colonial process. England, France, and Spain were engaged in a rivalry for
dominance on the European continent that extended into the Americas. Specifically, for
us, these events greatly informed the formation of the 13 British colonies in North
America and influenced their development to 1700.
How did geopolitics come to inform the colonial project from the period of exploration
through 1700?

Imagine you are designing a “Museum of California History.” Identify four things you would include in your museum, making sure to explain, thoughtfully, why you are including each of them—how they connect to the theme, but also what unique element each of them brings in terms of understanding the theme.
Comments: The first thing you have to keep in mind is that museums, especially historical museums, ALWAYS have a lesson they are trying to communicate, because they want you to take something meaningful from the experience. The message of The Museum of Tolerance, for example, is that anyone is capable of bigotry, and we must always be vigilant. The message of the Autry Museum of Western heritage is that the West was a diverse and fascinating place, and very different from what you’ve seen in the movies. So, the first thing you’ve got to do is decide what the lesson of your museum is. That is to say, you have to decide on the most important thing that you think people should know about California, its history, its culture, etc. You should spend your first paragraph introducing that lesson, and explaining why you chose it.
Then you need to pick the four things that you will use help you to express that theme. And what you really want is four things that are complementary, but aren’t TOO similar. In other words, you want them all to connect to the theme, but you also want each to add a distinct dimension to the theme. For example, you could pick things that represent four different time periods, or four different cultures, or four different regions, or four different… well, there are lots of possibilities. Note that you may be very liberal in your choice of things to include; there are plenty of museums that show movies on TV screens, and that build big galleries to hold huge objects like airplanes, and that have recordings and headphones that visitors can listen to. And notice that I use the phrase “things” rather than “objects” because some of the things you might incorporate into a museum are not really objects.

This assignment will require you
to navigate various websites for your federal elected/appointed
officials and answer questions about available information. This
assignment aims to give you foundational background information about
your communities and the elected officials representing them and guide
your research into how federal institutions impact your chosen research
topic.
Assignment Instructions
The focus should be on YOUR CHOSEN TOPIC. (Topic: Police Reform and Community Relations)
Section 1 of this assignment is about the function and leaders of
state government in general and serves as a foundation of information
about what this level of government is capable of.
Section 2 of this assignment is specific to your chosen topic and
should be completed thoroughly and connected back to your main policy
area chosen during your topic selection assignment.
Consider the structure and responsibility of each institution/agency
and its ability to address your chosen policy topic. Consider the
history of action taken by the legislative and executive branches at the
federal level, community awareness and impact, and non-governmental
stakeholders interested in your chosen issue. Be mindful of the
following:
Make sure you are utilizing credible sources for information!
Sources include government websites, periodicals, academic papers/research, class materials, videos, and readings.
If you are ever unsure of the credibility of a source, run it by me!
Keep track of your sources!
At the end of this assignment, you’ll assemble a Works Cited page for each source you used/found while researching.
This will be incredibly helpful to refer back to later or incorporate into your final paper.
Be detailed and thorough!
It is to your benefit to gather as much information as possible at this stage.
The more research you do here, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to organize your final paper and write it.
Submissions lacking detail, missing important pieces of information, or not thoroughly answering each question will lose points.
Submission & Formatting Instructions
Using a Word or PDF document (Not a Google Doc, Text Document, or
Pages file), upload your assignment using the TurnItIn.com tool and make
sure it adheres to the following:
Submissions must include ALL SECTIONS of the assignment.
Submissions must be formatted to mirror the formatting of the instructions.
For example, this assignment starts with the US House of
Representatives and ends with the US Federal Executive Branch; your
submission should mirror that.
Formatting Instructions
Font: Times New Roman 12pt
Spacing: Double
Margins: 1 inch
Friendly reminder, Google Docs defaults to 1.15 spacing and Ariel 11 font, so be sure to change those! 
Include the question in your submission and write the answer underneath as a short answer essay OR a series of bullet point answers, whichever you prefer.
Research Focus
In a short paragraph, describe/summarize your chosen policy topic.
In what policy area is your chosen topic? What information would be
useful for an outside observer to know about your topic?
US House of Representatives
Section 1 – General Knowledge
Visit the US House of RepresentativesLinks to an external site. website to answer the following questions:
Which political party currently holds the majority? By what margin?
Who is the Speaker of the House, and which state AND district do they represent? What is their political party affiliation?
Who is the House Minority Leader, and what state/district do they represent? What is their political party affiliation?
Which committee would you consider to be the most influential? Why? Explain your answer. Be detailed and specific.
Section 2 – Connection to Topic
For the following questions, answer with your specific policy topic in mind.
Which committee(s) are most applicable to your chosen topic? What
are their names, and what jurisdiction do those committees have/what do
they do? What is the chair’s name of each committee, what political
party are they, and what districts do they represent? How can these
committees influence policy related to your topic?
What laws have the US House of Representatives passed that impact
your policy topic? Have their actions/approach to your chosen policy
topic changed over time? If so, why? Have there been any significant
debates, controversies, or accomplishments at the US House level related
to your chosen topic? Provide an example and describe in detail the
history of your policy topic at the US House level.
Which lawmakers are active/vocal about your policy topic? Identify
two lawmakers with opposing views on how to address your policy topic.
Describe their positions on your topic. Explain why they might adopt
that view, such as constituency, lobbying/special interest influences,
party affiliation, personal background/history, education, etc.
US Senate
Section 1 – General Knowledge
Visit the US Senate websiteLinks to an external site. to answer the following questions:
Which political party currently holds the majority? By what margin (difference)?
Who is the Senate Majority Leader, and what state do they represent? What is their political party affiliation?
Who is the Senate Minority Leader, and what state do they represent? What is their political party affiliation?
Which committee would you consider to be the most influential? Why? Explain your answer. Be detailed and specific.
Section 2 – Connection to Topic
For the following questions, answer with your specific policy topic in mind.
Which committee(s) are most applicable to your chosen topic? What
are their names, and what jurisdiction do those committees have/what do
they do? What is the chair’s name of each committee, what political
party are they, and what districts do they represent? How can these
committees influence policy related to your topic?
What laws have the US Senate passed that impact your policy topic?
Have their actions/approach to your chosen policy topic changed over
time? If so, why? Have there been any significant debates,
controversies, or accomplishments at the US Senate level related to your
chosen topic? Provide an example and describe in detail the history of
your policy topic at the State Senate level.
Which lawmakers are active/vocal about your policy topic? Identify
two lawmakers with opposing views on how to address your policy topic.
Describe their positions on your topic. Explain why they might adopt
that view, such as constituency, lobbying/special interest influences,
party affiliation, personal background/history, education, etc.
US Executive Branch
Section 1 – General Knowledge
For this section, answer questions based on the US Federal
Government’s Executive Branch. Make sure you are using US Federal
Government-specific information, as there may be important differences
between positions at the state and federal levels.
Who is the President of the United States? What is their political
party affiliation? What is the primary role/responsibility of the
President? Identify a power held by the President and give an example of
that power. Be detailed and specific.
Who is the Attorney General of the United States? What is their
political party affiliation? What is the primary role/responsibility of
the Attorney General? Identify a power held by the Attorney General and
give an example of that power. Be detailed and specific.
Who is the Secretary of State of the United States? What is their
political party affiliation? What is the primary role/responsibility of
the Secretary of State? Identify a power held by the Secretary of State
and give an example of that power. Be detailed and specific.
Who is the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States? What is
their political party affiliation? What is the primary
role/responsibility of the Treasurer? What is the difference between the
Treasury Department and the Department of Commerce?
Who is the Secretary of Education? What is their political party
affiliation? What is the primary role/responsibility of the Secretary of
Education? Identify a power held by the Secretary of Education and give
an example of that power. Be detailed and specific.
Section 2 – Connection to Topic
How has the President spoken about your chosen topic during their
time in office? Have they made statements regarding their position on
your chosen topic? Provide an example. Have they taken any action on
your chosen topic, such as sponsoring initiatives/programs, signing
legislation, issuing orders, etc.? Does it align with their spoken
position/goals? Why/why not? Be detailed and specific.
How has the Attorney General used their position to address your
chosen topic? Have they been part of a case, lawsuit, investigation, or
administrative action related to your chosen topic? If so, cite the
specific case, lawsuit, investigation, action, etc., and summarize it.
What impact has this had on your chosen topic? Be detailed and specific.
Are there any Independent Agencies (such as NASA), Regulatory
Commissions (such as the FCC), or Government Corporations (such as USPS)
that impact your chosen policy topic? What are those
agencies/corporations? What do they do/what is their
role/purpose/responsibility? What actions have they taken related to
your chosen policy topic? Provide examples. Be detailed and specific.
Identify a department or agency within the US Federal Executive
Branch that directly impacts or influences your chosen policy topic
area. What is that department or agency? What actions have they taken
related to your chosen topic? Have they implemented any task force,
commission, initiative, regulation, or oversight related to your chosen
topic? Have their actions changed over time?
Final Thoughts & Considerations
Have other countries taken action on your policy topic that differs
from the United States? What factors contribute to those differences? Is
there an opportunity for cooperation/coordination among different
countries? Are there obstacles to consider with
cooperation/coordination? Consider treaties and executive agreements,
distribution of cost/benefits, responsibility, partisanship, public
investment, differences in diversity among countries, etc. Provide
examples. Be detailed and specific.
Have non-governmental actors such as unions, think tanks, research
groups, private businesses, lobbying groups, special interest groups,
etc., influenced policymaking on your chosen topic at the state level?
Have there been any partnerships between non-governmental actors and the
government on your chosen topic? Some examples include private groups
and their relationship with executive agencies such as the FDA and
Pharmaceutical Companies, the Department of Defense, and Private
Military Firms, or unions and lobbying executive agencies. What impact
has this relationship had on your chosen topic? Provide examples. Be
detailed and specific.
How does the government provide financing to your chosen policy
topic? Do they provide grants such as research or development? Do they
provide tax incentives/breaks? Do they collect tax revenue specific to
your topic? Do they contract out the management? Do they allocate a
portion of their budget? How does the financial consideration of your
topic influence policy? Be detailed and specific.
How does each institution’s approach to addressing your topic
differ? What contributes to that difference? Consider differences in the
role of the legislature and the executive, power, structure, community,
stakeholders, and the entirety of your research when answering this
question.
Which institution is more likely to act on your chosen topic?
Consider legislative and executive differences and differences in
representation, constituency, partisan control, etc. Is this an issue
more likely to be addressed by the delegate style of the Assembly or the
trustee style of the Senate? Is this an issue more likely to be
addressed by an executive agency or a representative? Why?
How does your chosen topic directly impact the local communities at
each level? Is the significance of the impact different across parts of
the United States? Does it differ among communities and groups? Does it
impact some more than others (districts, communities, groups,
occupations, income brackets, etc.)? Are some
groups/communities/stakeholders more involved than others? Why?
What action do you think should be taken on this issue at the
federal level? Are things being done on this issue at the federal level
that you support? Any that you oppose? Are there any groups that are
active on this issue that you support? Any that you oppose? What new
policy, law, reform, idea, etc., would you recommend at the federal
level? Why? What existing new policy, law, reform, idea, etc., would you
oppose? Why? Be detailed and specific.
What other information might be relevant to your chosen policy topic
that the assignment did not address? What information did you learn but
didn’t have space for in the answers above? Did you find interesting
information you’d like to keep track of but didn’t find a place to put
it? What questions do you wish I asked/included in this guided
questionnaire? What questions did you come up with that you might want
to explore further? Use this as an opportunity to jot down notes, ideas,
or your thought process at this part of your research.
What class resources (textbook chapters/terms/concepts, videos, readings, lessons, notes) apply to your research?
Works Cited
Create a works cited page using the sources of information used to
answer the above questions. For sources you did not use but would like
to keep track of, make a note of it in a separate section.

America’s journey is complex and ever-changing.  In this assignment, you will connect an issue confronting Americans today with an event or trend from the past.  You will engage fully with the issues surrounding the current event that you have chosen by exploring relating issues from the past.  You must use specific examples from both the current event and the historical event.   For example, you may choose to trace the issue of race relations in America’s past with issues today.  Your paper should be 1,500 words and include a bibliography in Chicago Manual Style.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Race relations in America
Immigration issues in America
Religious Freedom in America
Presidential Power
Constitutional interpretations

This is the second of two assignments that ask students to not only convey their understanding of a particular political episode in American history, but also transmit the central arguments of a scholarly article.  One of the central objectives of the course curriculum is to ensure that students are able to comprehend academic research—essentially understand information that is professionally researched, peer reviewed, and intended for the “academic discourse.” For this essay, students will illustrate their capacity for comprehension and then express that comprehension in a short, explanatory piece of writing.   
The essay will focus on the Filene article, “An Obituary for the Progressive Movement.”
Filene’s article is found in the course module.  As he explains, for decades historians have debated the significance of the Progressive Movement.  When historians write books/articles they are usually in response to other historians’ books/articles.  Historians either argue against each other, add to the cumulative knowledge of the “conventional wisdom” surrounding the historical topic, or on rare occasions offer breakthrough, novel interpretations.  Filene reviews the different scholarly perspectives on Progressivism. Your task is to effectively transmit the contents of Filene’s article, but also indicate a clear understanding of Filene’s argument and speak to the pieces of historical evidence that Filene raises to prove his argument.  
Here are some ideas/questions that should help you complete the assignment:
Identify the author, title, and year of publication.  Remember the Filene article is your focus.
Situate the topic in its historical context, based on what you know from the textbook and other sources in this class.  Take some time to illustrate your understanding of progressivism. 
Identify and summarize the author’s thesis in YOUR OWN WORDS.  Demonstrate your ability to read and comprehend a published article and effectively summarizing the main idea(s) of the author in a concise summary.  This is the main point of the assignment.  State and explain the author’s supporting ideas and evidence.  Explain the underlying meaning or goal of the article, not simply the superficial details. 
To be sure, your paper should address the following items:
There are a few tasks associated with the assignment.
Illustrate an understanding of Progressivism in American political history.
Transmit Filene’s argument.
In the final section of the paper, use your understanding of the topic to identify one Progressive measure that you would have supported (explain why) and one Progressive measure that you would have opposed (explain why). Progressive reforms are identified in the Filene article or Chapter 20 in the American Yawp. They are more explicitly identified in the “Progressive Party Platform” noted below.
The entire paper should be about 3-4 pages.  
Resources:
These resources can be incorporated into your essay to meet the reference/source requirement for the assignment.
Secondary Sources:
-The American Yawp offers a section on Progressivism in Chapter 20.  This should help with context.  The entire chapter is dedicated to American Progressivism so there is not really a need to consult outside secondary sources.   
-As a primer to Filene, read Brinkley’s review of Hofstatder’s Age of Reform.  This will help you better understand the broader literature surrounding turn-of-the-century reform movements.  Brinkley’s review is posted to the course module.  You must incorporate Brinkley’s review into your discussion of Filene’s article.  
Primary Sources: 
The American Yawp, Chapter 20 has 9 primary source documents at the end of the Chapter that relate to Progressivism. https://www.americanyawp.com/text/wp-content/uploads/yawp_v2_open_pdf.pdf
“A Sociologist Studies Working-Class Saloons in Chicago,” 1900, Johnson, Reading the American Past, Document 21-3.
“Marie Jenney Howe Parodies the Opposition to Women’s Suffrage,” Johnson, Reading the American Past, Document 21-4.
“The Progressive Party Platform,” (1912) https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/progressive-party-platform-1912Links to an external site.
Writing Standards
The essay will be 3-4 pages long.  Make sure you fulfill items 1-3 above.
Standard margins.
12 point times new roman font.
In-text parenthetical citations.  For example: (Johnson, 25).
The essay needs to reference/cite the Filene and Brinkley articles.  The essay also needs to reference at least two of the sources from the module 2.  So, the essay must reference four sources. 
All essays need to be submitted to turn-it-in, through canvas.  I will not grade the essay if it’s not submitted to turn-it-in.
Proofread the essay.  If I can’t understand the writing, the grade will be penalized. 
The rubric is posted on the course portal.
Every essay needs a formal works cited page.  Remember to cite each individual source.  MLA format for works cited page.
There is no need to consult outside sources.  All of the information needed to complete this essay is found in the module.  If you do consult outside sources, understand that “progressivism” gets some people very excited and many have drawn connections to more contemporary American politics.  In other words, some of the writing on “progressivism” is politically charged.  This assignment does not deal with “twenty-first-century Progressivism.”

WRITING ASSIGNMENT # 2A: American Imperialism
In the late
nineteenth century, the United States showed a heightened interest in
establishing an overseas empire. The example of European nations and
Japan, which were seizing colonies in Asia and Africa, stimulated this
expansionism. As a result, America’s territorial boundaries will extend
beyond its borders, and its territory will include colonial possessions.
Read the linked articles and use at least one of them for your essay to support your 
discussion:
War and the Yellow Press
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/yellow-journalism
De Lôme Letter
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/delome-letter
Platt Amendment 1903 –  
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/platt-amendment
Links to an external site. transcript
Identify and incorporate at least one additional outside source
to support your discussion. In addition to the textbook, you may use
any material outside of the textbook that is recommended in the
Additional Reading section at the end of each chapter. You are also
encouraged to do your own research and identify relevant sources. Please
keep in mind that WIKIPEDIA is not an acceptable reference.
PREPARE AND SUBMIT:
Write a well-organized essay, a minimum of 700 words
(but not limited to), including supporting details from the
documents/textbook/other sources, in which you analyze the assigned
readings and address the following question:
Discuss the
economic, strategic, and ideological factors that contributed to
American interest in overseas expansion in the latter part of the
nineteenth century, and how the U. S. achieved this expansion. As part
of your analysis and discussion identify the arguments of both critics
and supporters of imperialism, evaluating, and explaining who had the
strongest arguments.
Reminders
Use Microsoft WORD to write the essays. The acceptable submission file types are .doc, .docx, and .rtf.  No Pages documents.
Prepare the assignment as a Word Document, double-spaced, and using a standard 12-point font.
Paragraphs in an essay are not numbered. Any
questions that are associated with an assigned reading are there to
serve as a guide for your discussion.
Your discussion should incorporate all of the information from the documents and or textbook, and outside sources as one essay.
Students are required to research and incorporate into their discussions additional sources that relate to the content. Recommendations can be found at the end of the textbook chapter in Additional Reading.
All statements must be supported, and all sources must be identified and cited, and included in your reference list. This also applies to the textbook. Failure to do so constitutes Plagiarism,
and the college has strict policies and penalties for failure to
comply. Under the Resources,  you will find links to sites that review
how to format a paper or essay. I recommend that students use APA or Chicago Style to format their essays. Students should ask their instructor which format style they prefer you to use.

Below are the exact instructions provided by my instructor. I will also attach the sources which he is referring to. I was unable to attach chapter 15 but it can be easily found only , the name is “ The American Yawp” chapter 15. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I truly appreciate it. In the introduction to our reading on Reconstruction, it is argued that the Reconstruction Era (1863-1877) “witnessed perhaps the most open and widespread discussions of citizenship” since the founding era. The era was, in the words of the chapter’s contributors and editor (Nicole Turner), a “moment of revolutionary possibility and violent backlash.” Drawing on a selection of primary sources included in “Files>Assignment 1-Primary Sources”, your reading of Chapter 15, and our lecture and discussions on the Civil War and Reconstruction, explain the extent to which you agree with Turner et al’s assessment of the Reconstruction era. Be sure to draw on multiple sources in your assessment. You may also use any of the sources included in American Yawp’s readerLinks to an external site., in addition to those posted on Canvas. You do not need to cite every single source – select those that are most applicable to the arguments you make. Structure: Include a short introduction and conclusion.
Citations: You may use Chicago or MLA style.

Utilize footnotes when needed and provide a bibliography with correct citations. Make the thesis arguable.