Historical Response Essay

Due Wednesday, 2 P.M.
Readings- The Twentieth Century, Zinn intro and Chapter 1
Foner 15-17 Give Me Liberty, Volume II, 4th or 5th ed. (main text);
Intro to Stone/Kuznick (to page xxxiii) Untold History of the United States
Websites: External citing but prefer from book and lecture
-The Gilded Age, then and now…
http://billmoyers.com/story/maga-new-gilded-age/
Interview with historian Nell Painter
http://billmoyers.com/content/historian-nell-painter/
On Robber Barons and Rebels by Howard Zinn
http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnbaron11.html
-On Native American Studies- A Research Guide
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nas/research/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html
Resistance/Chief Joseph
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/chiefjoseph.htm
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/six/jospeak.htm
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm
A Matter of Genocide of the Indigenous Peoples?
Article by historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2015)
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/162804
Another view by political scientist Guenter Lewy (2004)
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/7302
A Boston Globe article on the term by historian and journalist Stephen Kinzer (2018)

5BDiHUr11NbIQtvM/story.html
-On Women/Gender (general)
http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm
-Race: The Power of an Illusion (PBS three part series)- Full series below, but $5 to
stream
Episode three going through the 20th Century
http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/race-the-power-of-an-illusion-2003/ (Links to an
external site.)
-On African Americans- A Research Guide (broad and general)
http://guides.lib.washington.edu/history-africanam
There are four choices here, please read carefully and follow the formatting directions or
points will be deducted.

Choose ONE of the following essay selections to answer as specifically as possible
(between 1,000 and 1,500 words). Be sure to include factual support for thesis
statements and opinions in your answers. You are not graded on your ideological
positions but will be held accountable for factually supporting any statements. Write as
much as you know regarding the specifics in the Prompt and be very inclusive of lecture
and text materials. Course texts and lecture materials are required for use and
consideration in the essays. Students can use external sources in addition to course
sources, but cannot ignore course sources. Please use college level English (i.e. write
in complete sentences and paragraphs, use proper grammar).

Choose ONE of the following for your essay topic:

1. The West plays a major role in American mythology–The Frontier Thesis, Manifest
Destiny, etc. Define these. How important was Western development in the Gilded Age
(briefly include the roles of government and mining and railroad industries)? How did
the West develop? Describe this phenomenon. How did Western expansion impact the
Native populations and other groups like farmers, ranchers, cowboys and new Western
immigrants? What did it mean, the Frontier “closed” by the 20th century, and what were
the ramifications of this for American mythology of Manifest Destiny? In conclusion, how
do authors Stone and Kuznick, in the beginning of their text Untold History, frame the
problems of writing and the telling of history, and how do those concepts relate to these
aforementioned issues above?

2. Post-Reconstruction America gave rise to an incredibly transformative society and
culture. Modernism was beginning to sweep the land with the industrial revolution,
urbanization and westward expansion. For this Prompt, please address: How did the
underprivileged fare in this new America? What were the experiences and problems of
the Native Americans, women, African Americans, and various immigrant groups at this
time? Be specific. Was there a gap between the rhetoric of hope and democracy
peddled by American institutions and leaders and the reality on the ground for the
masses? What of the meanings of The New Colossus on one had, and the Chinese
Exclusion Act on the other? What do these represent about historical development and
issues of liberty in the late 19th century US? In conclusion, how do authors Stone and
Kuznick, in the beginning of their text Untold History, frame the problems of writing and
the telling of history, and how do those concepts relate to these aforementioned issues
above?

3. Discuss the rise of industrialization in the United States. What were the important
components? Who were the major players or “robber barons” and in what industries did
they thrive? How did technology tie into their developments? Describe the
development of a new, industrial working class, and explain their circumstances and
conditions (rise of labor unions)? Discuss the rise and significance of the labor
movement in its various phases. Who were the labor leaders and did they influence the
coming 20th century? If so, how? Be sure to discuss the various intersections of
classes in this rapidly growing American capitalism. Do you see any parallels between
the Gilded Age and today, of the myths of rags to riches and the notions of Social
Darwinism? Explain. How do authors Stone and Kuznick, in the beginning of their text
Untold History, frame the problems of writing and the telling of history, and how do
those concepts relate to these aforementioned issues above?

4. Considering that history is a collection of narratives from diverse groups, how do
various themes impact the way we as people see our past? More specifically, how do
race, class, gender, geography, and technology impact the way people see history?
Give three specific examples from the 1870s to 1900 in the US and think about how
these themes may overlap in terms of historical development (if you are choosing this
prompt, you should e mail or talk to the instructor about them). Why do things happen
the way they do in the examples you cite? What are possible disagreements in
interpretation and why? How might this shape perception in the present? How do
authors Stone and Kuznick, in the beginning of their text Untold History, frame the
problems of writing and the telling of history, and how do those concepts relate to the
issues cited? Be sure to cite lecture notes and texts for support in your essay.

Last Updated on March 4, 2018