kim woods Introduction & Concepts: The very idea of the "modern world" is complex; in fact, it is impossible to describe and fully comprehend the multitude of people, ideas, and events that defined modern world history. But, by channeling this multitude into broad categories and identifying themes or issues that different people, ideas, and events shared in common, we can make sense of an otherwise chaotic mass of information.
One main idea that many people in the modern world embraced was "freedom." However, different people defined "freedom" in different ways in various times and places. Our job as historians is to understand what freedom meant to people in the past and to describe the ways they sought to gain or keep their liberty-or the ways in which some people or groups restricted the freedom of others. To aid you in this effort, think about the following four types of freedom and how the material from HIS 11 might relate to each one:
Freedom of Action (to do what you want)
Freedom of Conscience (to say or think what you want)
Freedom of Association (to have the friends or allies you want)
Economic Freedom (to choose how you work and what you buy)
Project Assignment: Your project this semester is to trace the way one (1) of these four types of freedom developed, changed, and affected the lives of people and/or the shapes of societies over the span of the modern era. During the semester, you will write a series of essays (one short Response Paper and the Midterm Exam), which will help you develop your ideas about freedom and relate them to different historical examples. The last essay will be a 4-6 page paper due by 11:59 PM on December 4 2016. All essays except the Midterm should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, and turned in through SafeAssign on Blackboard.
Your semester project paper must contain the following elements:
A clear and concise thesis statement
Clearly identified sources of information (in footnotes or MLA citations)
Multiple historical examples that support your thesis
Your thesis will come from the following process:
Identify one of the four (4) types of freedom above that will be the theme of your project. (You will inform me of your choice in your first response paper.)
Choose three (3) major events, subjects, or historical figures covered in the course materials this semester that you think relate to your chosen type of freedom. Each historical example should come from a different one of the ten units listed on the syllabus. In other words, each example should cover a different place and time-do not draw all of your examples from a single historical period or location.
Select three (3) primary sources from the documents listed on the HIS 11 Syllabus-one related to each example you chose above.
Your thesis should then address the following questions:
Comparing and contrasting your historical examples and documents, do they show change or continuity in the nature of freedom over time? In other words, were they similar or different? Why?
Lastly, you will include in the conclusion of your essay 2-3 sentences that compare and/or contrast your historical examples with your own definition of freedom. This will be worth ten (10) points of the Semester Project grade.
Guidelines: When selecting your three historical examples and primary sources use the following guidelines to help you:
1. Historical Examples: Select an event, individual, or group that we covered in the course this semester. Briefly describe your example (5 W's) and relate it to your thesis. For this summary, your sources of information can include the textbook and an online source such as Wikipedia, but a scholarly source, such as a book or article from the BCC Library or one of its databases, is recommended. Use the following questions to guide you as you relate your chosen example to your thesis:
Why is your example considered a significant part of history and still remembered today?
Did the participant(s) involved tend to support freedom or were they critical of others' calls for freedom-or both? What were their views on freedom?
Did your examples make the world a better place? What effects did participants' actions have on other people? Were those effects positive or negative?
2. Primary Sources: Select one (1) primary source from the documents listed on the HIS 11 Syllabus that is related to each example. (You may use one of the documents that you previously discussed in the Response Paper, but you are not required to do so.) Analyze the document in relation to both your thesis and your chosen example. Use the following questions to help you:
How does the document relate to your historical example? (Please note that this does not mean that a participant had to have written the document, or even agree with it. It does mean that they are from the same historical period and/or dealt with overlapping social, cultural, political, or economic issues-so be specific!) What is the document's historical context? (time, place, recent relevant social, economic, or political events)
Does the document agree with the notion of freedom found in your historical example? What kind of words did the author use that showed his or her views?