Midterm Paper Options for University US History

Evaluation of Major US Wars

  • Select one major war in US history that has occurred since the Civil War and is discussed on the peace history website.
  • Provide a comprehensive overview and an assessment regarding whether the conflict qualifies as a just war.
  • Evaluation Criteria:
    • A detailed discussion on the motives underlying the initiation of the war.
    • An analysis of the manner in which the war was conducted.

Deceptive Origins and False Flag Incidents

  • Select one false flag incident where the US government misled the public to gain support for entering a war.
  • Paper Requirements:
    • Detailed description of the specific incident.
    • Explanation of the deceit employed by contemporary authorities.
    • Identification and analysis of contemporary parallels to the event.
  • Examples for Selection:
    • The sinking of the USS Maine.
    • The Gulf Of Tonkin incident.
    • The sinking of the Lustania.
    • Provocations leading to the Korean War.
    • Fake chemical weapons attacks attributed to Baibol or Shir al Assad in Syria.
    • False atrocity claims made in relation to Vietnam or Libya.
    • Deceptive stories regarding Saddam Hussein and WMD's.
    • The nine eleven attacks.

Political Leadership in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

  • Executive and Legislative Assessments:
    • Option A: Identify one US President from the late nineteenth or twentieth century.
    • Option B: Identify one Congressman or woman from the late nineteenth or twentieth century.
  • Research Protocol: Draw on sources in consultation with the professor.
  • Assessment Components:
    • A deep dive into the key policies enacted by the chosen leader.
    • Identification and assessment of the individual's political donors.
    • An evaluation of their overall effectiveness as a leader.

Economic Ethics and the Gilded Age

  • Subject: Provide a biography of one of the "robber barons" from the Gilded Age.
  • Ethical Analysis: Determine whether they accumulated their wealth through ethical practices.
  • Evaluation of Impact: Analyze whether their career and accumulated wealth were ultimately beneficial for America.

Cold War Espionage and Judicial Fairness

  • Subject: Provide an overview of either the Algera His spy case or the Rosenberg spy case.
  • Research Protocol: Drawing on sources in consultation with the professor.
  • Key Areas of Assessment:
    • Determine if Algera His or the Rosenbergs were actually guilty of espionage.
    • Evaluate whether the subjects received a fair trial under the laws of the era.
    • Analyze what these specific cases reveal about the broader culture of the Cold War.

Social Movements and State Repression

  • Subject: Select a biography of a leader of an American social movement during the late nineteenth or twentieth century.
  • Potential Movements for Selection:
    • Labor movement.
    • Socialist movement.
    • Civil rights movement.
    • Women's movement.
    • Anti war movement.
    • Communist movement.
    • New left movement.
    • Environmental movement.
  • Critical Analysis:
    • Assess the effectiveness of the individual as a leader within their movement.
    • Determine what their career reveals about the nature of social movements.
    • Analyze the power structures in America, particularly in the context of state repression faced by the movement.

Analysis of Political Assassinations

  • Subject: Research the assassination of a major political figure or a lesser-known government official.
  • Figures for Potential Study:
    • John F Kennedy.
    • Abraham Lincoln.
    • Martin Luther King Junior.
    • James Forstow.
    • Vince Foster.
  • Analytical Requirements:
    • Address the official version of the assassination provided by the government.
    • Present evidence suggesting that the official version is false.
    • Propose the real reasons or motivations behind why the subject was killed.

Cultural Activism and Woody Gumtree

  • Subject: Woody Gumtree, the world-famous Oklahoma folk singer active during the Great Depression.
  • Overview: Provide a detailed history of his career during the Great Depression, World War II, and post-World War II eras.
  • Impact Assessment: Discuss his influence as a political activist and songwriter, specifically in connection to radical social movements.
  • Required Research Engagements:
    • Visit the Woody Guthrie Museum.
    • Consult archive materials for additional songs.
    • Required Readings:
    • The biography Woody Guthrie, American Radical.
    • Jeremy Kuzmorov's essay, "Hey, Hey, General Macy Maker, Ho Ho, Mr. Lovett, Woody's Guthrie's forgotten opposition to the atomic bombing and Korean War."

The FBI and COINTELPRO Operations

  • Context: Evaluating the FBI's role as a national security safeguard versus its history of violating civil liberties.
  • Focus: Provide an overview of COINTELPRO (counterintelligence operations).
  • Program Details:
    • Developed in 1956 to spy on and harass American leftist dissidents.
    • Targeted groups included the Ku Klux Klan, though in a more limited capacity.
  • Research Methodology: Draw on primary source documents and one or two reputable key histories of the organization.
  • Analytical Themes:
    • Describe the impact of these operations on American democracy.
    • Evaluate what these programs reveal about the "deep state."
    • Assess the evolution of American democracy throughout the twentieth century.