Choose one prompt and answer it in a short essay of 250-500 words. The essay should fully consider the question(s) and should pull from the course readings, as well as your own experiences and opinions, if applicable. Show me that you've really thought about your topic and that you have a full understanding of this issue. Your essay should have both a strong introduction (with a thesis statement that clearly states your argument) and a strong conclusion.
Part 1-
1. How was late 19th-century immigration different from earlier immigration? Where did the majority of immigrants end up and what was life like for them once they reached the U.S.?
2. Define realism in late 19th century art and literature. Explain the basic values of realism, and describe works of specific writers and artists who would be classified as realists.
Part 2-
1. Based on what we've covered so far in terms of social issues in the United States during the 19th century and early 20th century, how do you see the progressive movement in this country trying to change how Americans lived? What were some of the progressive era's most important reforms and do you see this era as having changed the United States? How?
2. Why were Americans neutral at the beginning of the Great War and then why did they abandon that policy? Describe American involvement in the war and why America's entry determined the war's outcome.
Part 3-
1. There's no question that the outbreak of World War II significantly changed the lives of Americans during the war years and after. In this essay, explore how the war years altered the United States from the Depression-ravaged country it had been before the war to the reinvigorated nation in the years after.
2. Over the past two semesters, we have talked about the beginnings of slavery in North America, through the abolition of slavery, Reconstruction, and the rise of segregation. As the course comes to a close, it's fitting that we discuss the dawning of the Civil Rights era. Discuss the push toward civil rights and how you see the legacy of African-American history asserting itself in these events.
Part 4-
Compare and contrast the infamous events and trials relating to Leo Frank (in 1913), the Scottsboro Nine (in 1931), and Emmett Till (in 1955). What do these incidents and cases have in common? What might they and their aftermaths suggest about the nature of common social beliefs regarding race/ethnicity and womanhood in the American South? Your response should be in the range of 250-500 words.