01 Mar The labor movements, the?Populists, and the Progressives were all responding, in their own?different ways, to the challenges

History 1378 Essay #1

Professor Sbardellati

Spring 2022

Your assignment is to construct a 5-6 page essay in response to one of the following questions. This essay is worth 25% of your overall grade in this course. It is due on Blackboard by 11:59pm on Friday, March 4. Late papers will be docked 1 point (from a max of 25, meaning the penalty is 4%) for each day they are late.

Specifications and guidelines:

Your paper must be based entirely on course material from weeks 1-6. Therefore, you are expected to utilize the podcasts and course readings (Contending Voices and U.S.: A Narrative History) but forbidden from using any other sources for this exam. Papers that incorporate outside sources will automatically receive failing grades. Furthermore, you must cite your sources. When citing a podcast, if paraphrasing, a parenthetical reference to the episode number will suffice; for example: (Episode 4). If you are directly quoting a podcast, include the episode number and the time stamp when the quote begins; for example: (Episode 9, 22:50). When citing U.S.: A Narrative History, please use a parenthetical reference with lead author and page number; for example: (Davidson, 411). When citing the essays in Contending Voices, the standard author/page number will suffice; for example: (Hollitz, 87). When citing the primary documents in Contending Voices, please also include the source number; for example (Hollitz, Source 5, 108). You do not need to include a works cited page since you are utilizing only course materials for this assignment. Your paper must be double-spaced, with standard 12-point font and normal margins.

This is a formal essay assignment. It will be marked based on the strength of your argument, your analysis of course materials, and the quality of your writing. The best papers will draw from a variety of course sources, and will incorporate close analysis of at least one or two primary documents. As with any essay you would write in university, we expect to see: a strong thesis statement which communicates your core argument; a well-structured and organized body of the paper that advances your argument via analysis of course materials; and a formal conclusion that not only ties the argument together, but elaborates on its significance.

Questions (choose one):

1. The labor movements, the Populists, and the Progressives were all responding, in their own different ways, to the challenges presented by the rise of big business. Write an essay focusing on these three groups. What were the specific problems they confronted, what were the various solutions they put forward, and how successful were each of these groups in achieving their goals?

2. Assess the ways in which Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Upton Sinclair responded to the Great Depression. What assumptions and values guided each of their approaches? What were the merits and shortcomings of the solutions they each put forward? Of course no American policymaker managed to rescue the nation from the Depression, but which of these three figures, in your view, put forward the best path for dealing with the economic catastrophe?

3. In the first half of our course we have surveyed American history from the late 19th century through the Second World War. Some historians have depicted this era of U.S. history as one that was dominated by periods of reform, most notably during the Progressive Era and the New Deal. Others, however, may take a darker view of these years. What’s your view? Considering the period from the 1880s through 1945, do you see the narrative of U.S. history in these years as one of overall progress? Make sure to substantiate your argument with specific, well-chosen examples.