We want to hear your interpretations, and we want you to support your essays with specific and relevant examples from the readings; required films, where relevant; lectures; and section discussions. The trick is to make an argument that includes a thesis and to use your evidence wisely and well. Be creative, and please be bold, and don ‘t be afraid to disagree with your professor and/or teaching assistants. Please be sure to address every issue raised by each prompt! Your exam will be read as a whole. Please limit EACH of your essays to 1200 words, and understand that we’ll stop reading at 1500 words. You MUST contextualize and analyze at least two primary sources for every essay prompt, except Part I, Question 4. You don’t need to use footnotes unless you are citing a source from outside the syllabus. Needs to have to use some evidence from the textbook “Give Me Liberty!: An American History (Seagull Sixth Edition) (Vol. 2)”
Choose from one of the four prompts
1. Compare and contrast the U.S. approach in promoting “freedom” in Asia as part of its foreign policy goals (World War II’s Pacific War, the Vietnam/Second Indochina War, the Gulf Wars, and Afghanistan) with the often contradictory societal and governmental treatment of Asians and Asian Americans back home (e.g., internment, Yellow Power movement, post 9/11 suspicion of Arab Americans, Trump’s “Muslim Ban.”). If you see any differences between foreign and domestic policy, how do you explain them and the reasons for them? To what degree, if at all, have the ways in which Asian American experienced “freedom” in the United States been affected by US foreign policy towards Asia?
2. Bob Marley once said, “That until the basic human rights/Are equally guaranteed to all/Without regard to race/Dis a War.” (“War,” 1976). Apply his statement to Americans’ struggle for civil rights from 1919-2022. How have the changing definitions of freedom and equality helped and/or hurt the fight for equal protection of the laws? How have THREE different groups of Americans inspired each other in their struggle for human rights? Consider differences within the groups–e.g., differences based on race, sex, and class–as well as differences between them.
3. How, if at all, has the United States federal government, from the 1920s to the present, aimed to make capitalism more equitable for its citizens? How has it succeeded and/or failed? Your answer should include discussion of specific policy initiatives and their consequences for US politics, society, and culture.
4. Congratulations! You’ve been selected to write a new U.S. history textbook, covering the years from 1919 to 2022. This is a huge deal; millions of students around the country will learn how you think we should interpret U.S. history. It’s also potentially a huge money-maker for you. Your first task is to write the introduction to your textbook. Your introduction should introduce the major theme(s) you want students to explore as they learn about the past and brief discussion of each chapter. Include a title for the textbook and each chapter. As you create your chapters, show how you will divide up this 103-year stretch, identify the key turning points, and explain their significance. Note: we strongly suggest re-reading Foner’s introduction to get a sense for what is typically included in a textbook introduction.