Analyze the attack on Fort Sumter and share how you would have reacted as a Southerner or a Northerner. Then, either summarize the South's arguments about States' rights and "The Cause" as understood by Southerners, or refute those arguments as a Northerner. Was the Civil War inevitable? Why or why not? Be sure to support your claims with evidence from the texts.
Explain why World War I is called a world war. Why did America wait too long to join the conflict? What role did the media play swaying public opinion for, or against, war? Why did World War I not prove to be, as many hoped, the "war to end all wars"?
American Ambassador John Hay, in writing to Theodore Roosevelt from London, called the Spanish-American War "a splendid little war." Explain what you think Hay meant by this and how it reflected U.S. attitudes, especially in light of "Yellow Journalism." What were the main differences between the Spanish-American War and either the Civil War or the Mexican War from an American perspective?
During World War I, did the Wilson administration achieve an appropriate balance between ensuring public safety and maintaining the civil liberties of Americans? How did the government treat dissenters during the conflict?
Words Limit: 2500-3000