What was the relationship between Martin Luther King, the Black Panther Party Program, urban riots and Brown v. the Board of Education? What are some of the similarities and differences between the four? What does an examination of the them reveal to us about the Civil Rights movement in the US?

Essay Rules and Procedures

The following is a list of essay topics/sets of questions. Remember to base your essay on only one topic. Do not integrate questions from other topics into your essay.

1.) Andrew Carnegie is one of the most well-known “robber barons” in US history. What does an examination of his life, principles and personal philosophies reveal to us about US society, culture and ethics during the Gilded Age (roughly 1865-1900)? How did Carnegie feel about so-called “aristocratic privilege?” What were some of the similarities and differences between Carnegie/US steel, and Rockefeller/Standard Oil and J.P. Morgan? Were these men ultimately successful in life? Were they and their business enterprises and tactics good for America? Please explain.

2.) What was the judgment of the US Supreme Court in Buck v. Bell? Do you agree with the Court’s decision? What relation does the case have to the eugenics movement occurring in the US in the early 1900s? What do you believe sparked the eugenics movement in the US?

3.) How and why did the United States get involved in Cuba and Hawaii? Be sure to explore the following in terms of their ability to explain American interest in “imperialism” at the end of the nineteenth century: racial theories, international rivalry, trading interests, religious humanitarianism, and political ideology. Discuss three major results of the Spanish American War.

4.) Theodore Roosevelt is sometimes considered America’s first modern president. Interpret this phrase and consider if it fits Roosevelt’s conduct in office. Explain the key characteristics of his personality and his style of leadership and his philosophy of the presidency. Identify the “three Cs” of his Square Deal. What did he do to bring reform action in each of the three areas? How did the role of the federal government and the office of the presidency change as a result of Roosevelt’s activities in office?

5.) What was the goal of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment to the Constitution? Why do you think it fomented so much opposition? What was President Wilson’s position on the woman’s suffrage issue at the start of his administration? How did Alice Paul pressure him to recognize the importance of her cause? What were the conditions endured by suffragists in the Washington D.C. jail and the workhouse in Virginia? How did the suffragists protest such harsh treatment? In your opinion, why did Wilson ultimately decide to support the passage of the 19th Amendment?

6.) The United States of America remained a neutral power for much of the “Great War” of 1914-1918. Yet, in April 1917, Woodrow Wilson called for a declaration of war. Explain the factors that undermined US neutrality during WWI, and discuss how Wilson justified going to war. What role did the United States play in ending the war?

7.) Evaluate the following statement: The 1920s represented the first modern decade. Then consider: In what ways did the decade of the 1920s see a reaction to the emergence of modern values? Do you think the 1920s should be most noted as a decade of anxiety and intolerance, hedonism ad liberation, or both?
8.) What did Herbert Hoover do to combat the Great Depression? What more do you think he should have done? Why didn’t he? Account for Franklin Roosevelt’s election victory in 1932 and his landslide triumph in 1936. How “revolutionary” was the New Deal? Evaluate the significant changes that it wrought and determine how different the nation became because of it.

9.) Assess President Roosevelt’s conduct of American foreign policy from 1935 through 1941. When and why did he move from isolationism to interventionism in Europe and Asia? Why wasn’t he more candid with the American people about what he was doing? Do you think he purposely led the United States into war? Why or why not?

10.) What was the relationship between Martin Luther King, the Black Panther Party Program, urban riots and Brown v. the Board of Education? What are some of the similarities and differences between the four? What does an examination of the them reveal to us about the Civil Rights movement in the US? What were some of the similarities and differences between the Civil Rights, counterculture and women’s rights movements?

11.)Why were the years between 1970 and 1988 so important? What were some of the major events during this period? Why has Ronald Reagan historically been considered one of period’s most influential figures? Why was he so important and what did he symbolize? How did the events of the 1970s and 80s (Oil Embargo, Iran Hostage Crisis, immigration patterns, etc.) fundamentally change the nation?