History 12

Midterm Exam

Students need to choose TWO of the following questions. Submit as one file attachment.

Students need to answer it in correct essay form. Each of the TWO essays should contain:

Begin with an introduction in which the question is written as a statement (thesis sentence), an overview of the question should be given, and major terms should be identified..
Next include the body of the essay which should contain a minimum of three paragraphs which addresses the main points of the essay.The difference between A and C papers is often the level of detail in the answer. Use
End with a final concluding paragraph should summarize the key points.
This is a formal essay, hence students need to use third person. Correct grammar and sentence composition are expected. Answers should reflect original thoughts of the student. This is NOT a research paper, However good answers include details from the textbook, modules, and other readings/assignments from the class.

Good writing is written, then re-written. Begin early.

This exam is worth 200 points, a Chunk of your grade, so spend time on this and do it well.

I certify that my answers reflect my own ideas:

The American West between 1865-1900 offered opportunity and hardships. Describe the living conditions (housing and working) for the various people who inhabited this area. Include description of people who already inhabited the area: The Native-Americans, Mexican-Americans and those who moved into the region: United States migrants, and foreign immigrants. Would you have desired to live in the American West during this time period?
Analyze the impact of industrialization on the United States population at the end of the 19th century. Include a definition of industrialization, its impact on the growth of big business, effect on laborers, creation of new technology, and consumer goods. What role did the government play in the development of industrialization? Overall were these changes good or bad and why?
Analyze the functions of Government during the Gilded Age? Include a discussion of laissez faire, social Darwinism, the boss system, and court actions. Which groups in society benefited from government actions and which groups were left out? In what ways did the populist and progressive parties change the roles of government?
Mark Twain summarized the anti-Imperialists sentiment when he wrote, “I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.” Defend or refute this statement using argument of the early 20th century. Was United States involvement in Cuba, Panama, China and WWI justified?
Historian John Milton Cooper called Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, “The Warrior and the priest.” Both these men exemplified progressive and expansionist viewp01oints at the beginning of the 20th century. Compare and contrast the two men. Include a discussion of their backgrounds, philosophies, and domestic and foreign accomplishments. Who would you have voted for in 1912 and why?