Category: American history

After the surrender of the Spanish in the Spanish-American War, the United States assumed control of the Philippines and struggled to contain an anti-American insurgency. Excerpts by President William McKinley on American Expansionism and British writer and poet Rudyard Kipling’s urging Americans to take up “the white man’s burden” provide evidence of pro-expansionist arguments. On the other hand, an excerpt by African-American clergyman and editor H. T. Johnson and another by Filipino revolutionary and statesman Emiliano Aguinaldo reject expansionist ideas and challenge US imperialist ambitions. Compare and contrast the four literary pieces. How did the views express in these excerpts conflict with one another?
William McKinley on American Expansionism (1903)Links to an external site.
Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899)Links to an external site.
“The Black Man’s Burden”: A Response to Kipling (gmu.edu) — http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/gilded/empire/text7/johnson.pdfLinks to an external site. ——————–Links to an external site.—————https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5476Links to an external site.
“Aguinaldo’s Case Against the United States. By a Filipino,” North American Review (nationalhumanitiescenter.org)Links to an external site.
Write a thesis statement responding directly to the question and provide a brief discussion of your claim. Use evidence from the textbook and given primary sources to support your thesis. No outside sources are allowed for this assignment. Your total word count should be about 700 words.

The Republican victory in 1896 gave heart to proponents of prosperity through foreign trade.   McKinley sought neither war nor colonies, but many in his party wanted both. Called “jingos,” they included Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt; John Hay, the ambassador to London, and senators Albert Beveridge and Henry Cabot Lodge.  Britain, France, and Germany were seizing territory around the world, and jingos believed the United States needed to do the same for strategic, religious, and economic reasons. 
In order to prepare for this discussion forum::
Review and identify the relevant sections of Chapter 17 that support your discussion. 
Read the linked document, taken from an article by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MASS), in the 1895 issue of Forum Download Forummagazine. What motives for imperialism are reflected in Lodge’s article?
After you have completed your readings post your response the following question.
Several reasons are proposed explaining why the United States decided to join the “Imperialist Club”.  Which argument was the strongest, and which argument was the weakest?  Explain your position.
Directly and completely answer the question.  Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information contained in the assigned readings.
Make sure that all statements are supported with facts from the reading selections.
Reminder: Please make sure to comply with all Netiquette Guidelines listed in the Getting Started module.
chapter 17 information
Chapter Overview | Freedom’s Boundaries, at Home and Abroad (1890–1900)
This chapter concentrates on the limitations of freedom, including those affecting farmers, immigrants, Blacks, women, and colonial subjects. The chapter opens with the Homestead Strike, which demonstrated that neither a powerful union nor public opinion could influence the conduct of the largest corporations. Farmers also illustrated that not everyone benefited from the prosperity of the industrial revolution. The chapter examines how farmers mobilized into a political force culminating in the 1892 organization of the Populist Party. Attempting to build a broad base, the Populists courted labor, women, and Black farmers, but their party dissolved after the defeat of William Jennings Bryan in 1896. Also discussed is the rise of the American Federation of Labor and the trend away from inclusiveness within the labor movement. The chapter then explores the New South. After Reconstruction, Blacks faced disenfranchisement, threat from the lynch rope, and Jim Crow laws sanctioned by the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. Booker T. Washington took a different approach in dealing with the limitations of freedom put on Blacks, preaching a policy of accommodation and vocational education.
The new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe faced growing restrictions on their freedom in the face of nativism. The Chinese were singled out and permanently excluded from immigrating to America in 1882, and they had to fight through the court system to gain a few liberties. Women, barred from suffrage, were nonetheless politically active in clubs and national organizations like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. All these groups, then, found ways to compensate for the limitations placed on them. The chapter ends by examining America’s rise to world power. In the course of expanding abroad in search of markets and new frontiers, America fought Spain in 1898 and won for itself several territorial possessions. With the annexation of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, the United States took on an imperial role. With imperialism came the formation of the Anti-Imperialist League, and many were fearful of the consequences of a new overseas empire for the republic. Voices of Freedom (Primary Source document feature) includes a portion of “Lynch Law in All Its Phases” (1893), a speech by Ida B. Wells on the evils of lynching. Another Voices of Freedom section comes from W. E. B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk (1903), in which he calls for the recognition of Blacks as full members of American society. Who Is an American? (Primary Source document feature) provides a portion of Charles G. Ames’s 1898 address to anti-imperialists in Boston.

Choose a primary source document from Chapter 16-20 of THE Links to an external site.AMERICA YAWP PRIMARY SOURCE READER Links to an external site. that was not assigned in our discussions or on the syllabus. What does this document tell us about the society that produced it? Your thesis statement should respond directly to this question. You can begin your thesis statement “[Document Name] shows that…” if you would like. Be careful not to overstate your thesis! Support your claim with a structured argument that mobilizes specific pieces of evidence from your document. Provide context for the document using information provided in your textbook.
Begin your paper with an introduction to the source that ends with your thesis statement. You may not know what your argument should be until you have read through your notes on the source. You may want to start writing the paper and then compose your thesis statement once you have decided what you think. End with a brief concluding paragraph that summarizes your main points. 
You will write 750 words on this document. This is approximately 3 double-spaced pages.
https://www.americanyawp.com/reader.html
These papers will be evaluated mainly on the basis of organization (how clearly and logically organized is presentation of the material?), analysis (how perceptively and fully is the evidence interpreted?), and style (how grammatical, fluent, and effective is the writing?). There is no correct or incorrect thesis, so focus on supporting a clear response to the prompt as well as you can in the space allotted. 
Important(!): This is not a research paper; it is an analysis of a primary source already collected for you. You are not allowed to use secondary source material other than the textbook for this assignment. 

Write a 2-3 page essay discussing the
questions below. Give citations from both the textbook by Eric Foner and
primary documents as necessary. Choose either Chicago style footnotes
or MLA style citations. Essays should be double spaced in 12-point
typeface with one-inch margins.
Compare the 1861 Cornerstone Speech by Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy with the 1861 essay by abolitionist Rev. William Patton titled, The American Crisis; or, the True Issue, Slavery or Liberty?
These writers represent opposing viewpoints regarding the secession of
the Southern states from the Union. Where do they agree and disagree
regarding the cause and justification for secession? What audience is
Alexander Stephens addressing in his speech, what is the occasion and
purpose, and why is it important to the South? What audience is William
Patton addressing in his essay, what is the purpose, and why is it
important to the North? (For extra points: Compare Stephens and Patton
to the first paragraph of the primary document, The Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession (1860) in Chapter 14, page 968 of Foner.)

You can choose any topic from the instructions (they are in the suggestions that the professor gave us). All the instructions and the sample layout provided by the professor are attached. 

Write a short paper/essay about tennesse history.( Main details like when was founded stste flower, bird ec and capital.)

Slide 1 – Explaining the purpose of the briefing,
and what will be gained from the briefing
Slide 2 – Overview of
. Main Point 1
. Main Point 2
Slide 3 – Describe the research and history of Main Point 1
Slide 4 – describe the research and history of main point 2
Slide 5- Summary of Maint Point 1&2

https://digital.lib.niu.edu/illinois/gildedage/populism

16. Capital and Labor

The essay will focus on Turner’s article, “Understanding the Populists.”
Turner’s article is found in the course module.  As Turner explains, for decades historians have debated the significance of the Populist 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.  Turner reviews the different scholarly perspectives on Populism. Your task is to effectively transmit the contents of the Turner article, but also indicate a clear understanding of Turner’s argument and speak to the pieces of historical evidence that Tuner 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 Turner 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 populism. 
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:
Illustrate an understanding of Populism in American political history.
Transmit Turner’s argument.
In the final section of the paper, use your understanding of the topic to identify one Populist measure that you would have supported (explain why) and one Populist measure that you would have opposed (explain why). Populist reforms are outlined in the Omaha Platform listed above.
The entire paper should be 3-4 pages.  
Resources:
These resources can be incorporated into your essay to meet the reference/source requirement for the assignment.
Turner’s article, “Understanding the Populists,” and Brinkley’s review of Hofstadter, “Richard Hofstadter’s The Age of Reform: A Reconsideration,” are the main readings for the assignment.  
Secondary Sources:
-The American Yawp offers a section on Populism in Chapter 16.  This should help with context.  
-Northern Illinois University offers a solid introduction article, have a look.
https://digital.lib.niu.edu/illinois/gildedage/populismLinks to an external site.
-And PBS has an interactive site on Populism:
https://florida.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/us-history-collection/era/populism-and-progressivism-18901918/Links to an external site.
-As a primer to Turner, 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 Turner’s article.  
Primary Sources: 
“Mattie Oblinger Describes Life on a Nebraska Range,” Johnson, Reading the American Past, Document 17-3.
“Mary Elizabeth Lease Reports on Women in the Farmers’ Alliance,” Johnson, Reading the American Past, Document 20-1.
“The Omaha Platform of the People’s Party,” (1892), found in the Primary Source section in the American Yawp, Chapter 16.
“Dispatch from a Mississippi Colored Farmers’ Alliance (1889), found in the Primary Source section in the American Yawp, Chapter 16.
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 Turner 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.

What were some unique features of Egyptian society when compared to other ancient civilizations such as those in Mesopotamia, or the rest of Africa? Why are these conditions unique to ancient Egypt? (Cite your text in the body of your essay and list your used sources, two required. (Your textbook and module sources are acceptable). No title page or abstract required. (min 500 words)

Choose a person, an event, a social movement, or an idea that we studied in HIST-121 that you believe had the most significant impact on the development of the United States, today. Make an argument for your topic’s importance. Contextualize: who or what is your topic? Why was your topic important to Americans in its time of prevalence? In what ways do conditions that exist in the nation today reflect the lasting influence of this person, event, social movement, or idea? How does your chosen topic impact Americans, today? How do you believe your topic will continue to impact the nation going forward, over the next fifty years? Please directly quote at least two primary sources assigned within this semester, as well as the textbook/Class Guide, to support your answer.
What I will be looking for:
A thesis statement.
This should answer ALL parts of the final essay prompt in 1-3 sentences. BE SPECIFIC! This should be an argument–do not be afraid to take a stance.
Underline your thesis statement!!!!!
Your thesis statement should appear at the end of your first paragraph, and no where else!
Here is an example thesis statement: “This specific event (name of the event, person, movement, or idea) was crucial for Americans, today, as it transformed the social (or political or economic) stance of the nation, evident in example a, example b, and example c.” BE SPECIFIC!
Three direct quotes to support your argument.
Quotes need to come from at least two different primary sources, as well as at least one quote from the textbook or class guide.
DO NOT CONSULT OUTSIDE SOURCES UNLESS APPROVED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.
Explicitly answer all questions listed in the prompt above. 
In what ways do conditions that exist in the nation today reflect the lasting influence of this person, event, social movement, or idea?
How does your chosen topic impact Americans, today?
How will your topic continue to impact the nation?
Be clear – start your sentences throughout your body paragraphs with “(My topic) impacts Americans in 2024, evident in…”
Be specific and thorough!
Organization and presentation.
A clear beginning, middle, and end. Clear connections between ideas. Use transitions. Context and analysis around quotes. 
Your body paragraphs relate back and prove your thesis statement.
I strongly recommend following the “Suggested Essay Organization,” listed below. 
Double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font, with a header and title – not “Final Essay”!
3-5 pages.
Some type of citations – just be consistent and accurate.
Proofread your essay – preferably out loud – to spot small errors in grammar and spelling.
Remember – you can 100% use one of the ideas/quotes you talked about in your Discussion #11 (as well as any quotes you get in the replies from your classmates) if you want to!
Suggested Essay Organization – (do it this way)
Paragraph 1:
A strong introduction – a few sentences that offer a taste of background information that contextualizes who or what your essay is about.
A thesis statement – a strong, provable, specific argument that takes a stance and directly answers one or more questions listed in the final essay prompt. Your thesis statement should appear at the end of your first paragraph, and no where else! Underline your thesis statement.
Paragraph 2:
Background information – who or what is your topic? How, and under what circumstances, did this individual, movement, idea, system, etc, come to serve the American people? Why is your topic important? Describe and introduce your topic thoroughly – to someone who is not a member of our class. Always connect back to your thesis statement – prove yourself!
A quote from 1 source assigned within the semester – either the textbook or one of your chosen primary sources – that supports what you are describing. Plus, analysis in your own words.
Paragraph 3:
Answer – In what ways do conditions that exist in the nation today reflect the lasting influence of this person, event, social movement, or idea? Explain the cause and effect of your chosen topic. Be specific! 
A quote from a second source assigned within the semester – either the textbook or another primary source – that supports what you are describing. Plus, analysis in your own words.
Paragraph 4: 
Answer – How does your chosen topic impact Americans in 2024? Be specific! Are all Americans impacted? Certain regions of the country? A certain gender? Will your topic impact Americans going forward? 
Another quote from one of your chosen assigned sources – either the textbook or a primary source (3 sources total) – that supports what you are describing. Plus, analysis in your own words.
Paragraph 5:
Conclude – Reiterate your main argument, recap your evidence, and conclude your essay. 
NOTED: 2 CITATIONS FROM PRIMARY SOURCES ATTACHED AND ATLEAST ONE FROM THE BOOK.
I ALREADY STARTED YOU CAN CONTINUE IT OR CAN CHANGE SOME OF IT