Midterm
Primary Source Analysis
What is the source and what historical period is it from?
A source is a topic of study that provides insights into historical events, and it can originate from various periods. Determining the historical period and where it’s from allows us to contextualize the source effectively, enabling a deeper understanding of the circumstances.
Who is the author and what is their bias or perspective on the event?
An author is someone who had written based on their experience or viewpoint, and understanding their background can reveal potential biases. Finding their bias or perspective is crucial because it helps us think critically about the reliability of the source and assess its usefulness.
Who is the intended audience, and how does that shape the author’s rhetoric or messaging?
Finding the intended audience can significantly influence the tone, style, and choice of language the author employs, as they tailor their message to resonate with specific demographic.
What kind of historical arguments could this source help you make?
This source can support arguments about the significance of social context in shaping events or ideologies, as it may provide insight into how the author’s personal experiences and biases reflect broader historical narratives.
What are some of the limitations of the source, i.e. what questions would you be unable to answer using only this source?
Limitations of the source are considered as it may lack comprehensive coverage of alternative perspective or counterarguments, which could lead to an incomplete understanding of the historical context. Additionally, the reliability of the author’s perspective may be questionable, given potential biases that could color their interpretation of events.
Image Analysis
What event, process, or them does the image represent?
What bias or ideology can you discern from the image?
Who is the intended audience, and how does the artist appeal to them?
What critical historical questions could you ask about the image?
Thematic Essays
State: Describe the nature of the US state at the end of the Civil War. How have different authors characterized in this period? Now describe the changes that took place between that period and 1924. What new state forms emerged? What new state functions? What broader historical changes did the most to transform the US state during this period?
Immigration and Nativism: How did immigration shape American society and culture between the Civil War and 1924? Discuss the different stages of US immigration policy and the influences behind them. What changes took place nationally and globally that influenced US immigration policy? What policies were most influential? Finally choose one of the following topics and explain how it relates to the history of immigration: the red scare;
Race and violence: How did African Americans seek to make freedom meaningful in the decades after the Civil War? How did whites respond to this? How did violence shape American ideas of race in the 19th century? How did the meaning of race and racism change from the Civil War to the First World War?
Imperialism: When did America emerge as an imperial power, and why? What economic, social, and cultural forces were most influenced by American empire? Alfred McCoy refers to the “colonial laboratory” in his work. What does McCoy mean by this? Do you find this formulation illuminating? Why, or why not?
Industrialization and labor movement: Discuss the development of the US labor movement. What historical milestones would you point to? What organizations or figures were most influential? What kind of opposition did the labor movement face and how effective was this opposition?
Progressive Era and Worls War One: Describe the changes to US society that took place during the Progressive Era and World War One. What events, figures, or historical processes are most relevant? What institutions or agencies emerged during this time? Do you consider this a positive or a negative period in US history, and why?