Category: History

Texts: Chrétien de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart; Dante: Inferno; selections from supporting documents
Please examine the brief excerpts from other documents carefully; I expect you to refer to them as evidence as you craft your responses.
TEXTS FROM SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
from the document “Hum 302 Dante Essentials”:
2 kinds of love (from St. Augustine, De doctrina Christiana 1.4):
uti  (“use”: directed; love of things in the world for their relation to God)
frui  (“enjoyment”: intransitive; God alone its proper object; love of anything else for its own   sake is considered idolatrous). 
Moral progress in the poem:
The speaker, representing all humanity in its quest for God, undergoes a process of reformatio animi  (reformation of the soul): the soul becomes more godlike (and thus more like itself–cf. Augustine Confessions 7.10, regio dissimilitudinis) as it proceeds. [Dante starts his journey reacting like a man to God’s judgment; eventually, his soul’s reformation will allow him to accept and embrace the rigor of Divine Justice]
from the document “Hum 302 Dante Love in Christian Theology”:
Wisdom 13:5-10
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see,
because the things seen are beautiful
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its LORD?
But doomed are they, and in dead things are their hopes . . .
ASSIGNMENT
In Inferno Canto V, the Dante Pilgrim encounters the Carnal, the souls of those who have succumbed to their passions and sinned in the flesh; he spends most of the Canto in an encounter with two famous lovers, Paolo and Francesca. 
Writing at least 400 words but NO MORE THAN 500 WORDS, compose three coherent and roughly equal-length paragraphs, in response to each of the following three questions (I realize this gives you a lot to do in 500 words, so be concise, and only write what you need to):
1) Consider the concept of the two forms of love described in Augustine’s De doctrina Christiana and the lines from the Book of Wisdom (above) that illustrate this doctrine.  How can you interpret these writings as informing Dante’s response to the sin of Paolo and Francesca?
2)  Keeping these same doctrinal pronouncements in mind, consider the vast differences between the fates of the damned souls in Canto V and the treatment of characters in Chrétien de Troyes’s courtly romances (from the previous Lesson).  Think of Lancelot, for example, who relentlessly pursues and literally adores another man’s wife.  What kind of “religion” is the basis for Lancelot’s love of Guinevere in the romance?  Is Lancelot condemned or celebrated for his “observance” of courtly love?  Finally, how would Dante’s system of divine retribution deal with Lancelot and Guinivere?
3) With reference to the concept of reformation animi, briefly explain why the Dante Pilgrim reacts the way he does in Canto V to the sufferings of Paolo and Francesca.

Question1: How did the Great Awakening both reflect economic changes and suggest revolutionary tendencies? What role did Great Britain’s reformation play in the colonization of the New World?
OR
Question 2: Did Great Britain lose more than it gained from its victory in the French and Indian War? Were the colonists justified in resisting British policies after the French and Indian War? Support your response with specific taxes or policies.

Choose only one of the following to answer: 
Question 1:
How did the growth of tobacco impact the land, culture, economy, politics, and social relations both in North America and throughout the Atlantic?
OR
Question 2:
The absence of gold in Canada and North America influenced colonial behavior toward the land and the natives. Do you think that this statement is accurate or inaccurate? Why did the Spanish, French, and English come to the New World and how did their colonies develop differently from one another?

Should be written from a third person perspective 12 point font size 
The main source must be Alexander The Great by James S. Romm 
Answer the question how was Alexander the Great different other “conquerors” during his time and future generations? What societies did Alexander leave and incredible mark upon and were the effects positive or negative?

FINAL RESEARCH PAPER
This assignment will allow you to further explore a topic related to our course that is of interest to you and research your chosen topic in depth. Accordingly, you will submit a research paper that is 5-8 pages of written content (a minimum of 5 written pages, not including covers pages, pictures, maps, citations, etc.), typed, double-spaced, and of standard font (10-12 font size). In addition, you must use at least five sources (your textbook can be used as a source). Use APA, MLA or any other writing format to show your sources for summarizing, paraphrasing or for direct quotes.
topic of research paper:
The 1937 Parsley Massacre (Dominican Republic)

(Your thesis must be on ONE theme + two examples from 2 of the first 4 Chapters.)
Remember: your 1-sentence thesis statement ends with a list of predictions. Each body paragraph follows that list of predictions, one prediction at a time, in order (see EW). Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence, have sufficient examples to prove each of the points, and your citations (see FW #8) must be added parenthetically at the end of each sentence. Also see the Citing Sources handout.

What is the role of the body in medieval mysticism? You may wish to discuss the place of pleasure and pain in mystical experiences (think Francis or Bernard or Theresa of Avila).  Discuss specific examples from two of the mystics found in your readings. Be original!
Select one of the mystics discussed in class or in your readings. Provide a short biographical outline and account of his/her/its mystical experiences and an analysis of his/her/its role within a historical context.  DO NOT ANSWER THIS QUESTION IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED PART I, QUESTION 1.
(NEEDS TO PASS AI AND PLAIGIARISM CHECKS)

What caused the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War?  Did US foreign policy under Reagan and Bush contribute significantly to the withdrawal of Soviet power from Eastern Europe?  Did the collapse of the USSR show the strength of the United States and its allies or the weakness of Soviet Communism?  Explain.

Presentation Discussions: Discussion is one of the most important components of this class. In this assignment students will introduce the class discussion by opening with no less than a fifteen-minute presentation. Please submit your discussion presentations here. Make sure your discussion introduction presentation includes the following two parts.
PART 1—Theme + Pivot Point + Provocation: For each assigned chapters—In your own words,
THEME: What are some of the central themes in the chapter. Do not summarize the reading—select specific major themes.
Argument: What arguments (claims/premises or in short claim, evidence and conclusion) are being made around these themes?
PIVOT POINT: Identify one of the pivot points concerning History in the chapter—what is a point at which a major issue (problem or question under consideration) turns? Note the page number and explain the issue briefly (2-3 sentences).
PROVOCATION: Note a statement(s) in the text with a page number that was thought provoking for you as a student of History. Explain why this statement(s) was thought provoking as a student of History.
PART 2—Discussion Questions: Based on the whole reading selection (no matter how many chapters), prepare three implication/application questions for use in class. At least two questions should be from the reading, not about the reading. Frame the questions in an “If…, then…?” format OR other format that helps open us to specific “So what?” ways of thinking (e.g., “What are some ways we can make sense of…?”).
Chapter 4-5 of the book Only Tired from Pure Fire.

compare the way English, Spanish, and French settlers interacted with the Native Americans. For each group, answer the following questions: How many settlers were sent? What was the gender ratio? Did the group come with the intention to settle? To trade? How did their intent impact interactions with the Native Americans? Analyze the impact that culture had on these interactions. Remember to use supporting citations from the textbook and online lectures.