Discussion Instructions
The purpose of the discussions are to give you an opportunity to interact with your instructor and fellow classmates regarding topics from each of the sections. In order to do well on each discussion you should:
1) Read through the selection of questions and pick ONE prompt to answer. Be sure to label which question you are responding to.
2) Make sure you answer the discussion prompt in at least 1 paragraph (5-7 sentences). Your answer should be as specific as possible.
3) Cite any information that you use (even if its just a textbook page, or you can cite the readings, a website, etc.)
Part I Discussion Prompts
For this week introduce yourself to the class. You can tell us your name, what you are majoring in (or interested in if you haven't declared a major) and what your past experiences are with US History classes (high school, college, etc.). THEN, please pick ONE of the following prompts to answer. You should use evidence and material from Chapters 1 & 2 to show your knowledge of the material.
1) What were the major patterns of Native American life in North America before Europeans arrived?
2) What factors encouraged European explorers to look west across the Atlantic, or what factors encouraged Europeans to explore?
3) What were some of the consequences when peoples in the Americas came in contact with Europeans? Give 2 specific examples.
4) In what ways did Europeans explore and interact differently with the indigenous populations? You should compare and contrast the Spanish, the French and the English.
5) What challenges did the early English settlers face in the Chesapeake (Jamestown)?
6) How did Virginia and Maryland develop in their early years?
7) What were the main sources of frustration in New England?
Part II Discussion Prompts
Please pick ONE of the following prompts to answer. You should use evidence and material from Chapters 7 & 8 to show your knowledge of the material. Then, please respond to at least ONE of your classmates responses in a thoughtful and web appropriate manner.
1. In what way did the Articles of Confederation define the creation of nationally controlled public domain in western land? Meaning, how did the Articles of Confederation create a system creating territories? Was this system successful or not? Give at least 1 specific example to justify your argument.
2. What do you think were 2 of the biggest issues regarding the Articles of Confederation? In what way did the US Constitution attempt to fix those two issues (be specific)?
3. What triggered Shay's Rebellion (meaning, what were the causes of the rebellion)? In what way do you think Shay's Rebellion was a defining historical moment, meaning, what is the significance of Shay's Rebellion to the time period? Use the Document "Divergent Reactions to Shay's Rebellion" to help answer this question.
4. In what way does the US Constitution deal with the question over slavery? Give at least 2 specific examples to address how its dealt with, and what the historical implications were from the federalists interpretation of slavery in this manner (meaning, why does it matter that they addressed slavery in this way).
5. In what way did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists debate the ratification of the US Constitution? Give 2 specific examples of ways in which the Federalists and Anti-Federalists differed on their interpretations of what the constitution should say. What role did the Bill of Rights play? Use the readings "James Madison Defends the Constitution" and "Patrick Henry Speaks Against Ratification" to help answer this question.
6. What were the achievements and failures of Jefferson's presidency? Give at least 1 example for an achievement, and at least 1 example for a failure and explain both examples, and how they help to shape Jefferson's presidential legacy.
7. What were the causes and results of the War of 1812? Give at least 2 causes and 2 results, and be sure to explain your examples. Why is the War of 1812 significant, meaning, who's stats was changed the most by the War of 1812, American Indians or the United States?
8. At the end of the American Revolution, what was the status of women in the United States (both white women, and enslaved black women)? In what way did Mary Wollstonecraft pave the way for a discussion of women's rights with her publication of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman?
9. The year 1804 marked two important events: The Revolution in Haiti and the Louisiana Purchase. Explain how these two historical events impacted the future of the United States after 1804.
Part III Discussion Prompts
Please pick ONE of the following prompts to answer. You should use evidence and material from Chapters 13 & 14, and the Week 7 Videos, to show your knowledge of the material. Then, please respond to at least ONE of your classmates responses in a thoughtful and web appropriate manner.
1. What were 2 important long term causes (meaning events before 1850) leading up to the Civil War? Explain each of your examples. What do you think were the 3 most significant short term causes (meaning, after 1850) of the Civil War? You should explain each of your examples, and why do you think they constitute as significant causes leading up to the Civil War.
2. What is Manifest Destiny? In what ways was the Mexican American War part of "manifest destiny?" In what way did wester expansion affect the building tensions between the North and South, and how does it constitute as a cause of the Civil War?
3. Why is the Civil War considered the first modern war? Give at least 2 examples to justify your answer. In what way did new technological advancements play an important role in the changing atmosphere of the Civil War? Give at least 3 examples to justify your answer.
4. What role did American Indians play during the Civil War? Who was Ely Parker? What stance did the Cherokee Nation take during the Civil War and why? Who was Stan Waite? Were American Indians allowed to enlist in the war effort? What impact did the American Civil War have on American Indians? Your answers should relate to this week's video, "Indian Warriors: The Untold Story of the Civil War."
5. Explain the role that the mini-ball, the railroad and the telegraph each played in transforming the atmosphere of the Civil War. What role did photography play during (or after) the Civil War? In what ways did the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address leave a significant impact on the course of the war?
6. Why weren't black men allowed to enlist for the Union when the Civil War broke out? After the Emancipation Proclamation, what roles did African American men take within the Civil War? In what ways was the Civil War experienced differently by women living in the North, and women living in the South. Consider the jobs and roles of women in each area, and also the ways in which race and class would have changed women's experiences deepening on where they were living during the Civil War.
Part IV Discussion Prompts
Please pick ONE of the following prompts to answer. You should use evidence and material from Chapters 18 & 19 and the Week 10 Videos and Readings, to show your knowledge of the material. Then, please respond to at least ONE of your classmates responses in a thoughtful and web appropriate manner.
1. Using the Progressive Movement, explain what problem progressives had with political corruption and child labor, and explain how Progressives' attempted to address those issues (e.g. be specific about what they were fighting, why it was problematic, and what specific reforms or initiatives Progressives took to fix this problem; also include if there were any major leaders or reformers that helped paved the way). What impact did these reforms have on the United States (e.g. why are they significant).
2. Using the Progressive Movement, explain what problem progressives had with unsafe working conditions and the overpowering role of big business, and explain how Progressives' attempted to address those issues (e.g. be specific about what they were fighting, why it was problematic, and what specific reforms or initiatives Progressives took to fix this problem; also include if there were any major leaders or reformers that helped paved the way).What impact did these reforms have on the United States (e.g. why are they significant).
3.Using the Progressive Movement, explain what problem progressives had with lack of environmental conservation and increasing immigration, and explain how Progressives' attempted to address those issues (e.g. be specific about what they were fighting, why it was problematic, and what specific reforms or initiatives Progressives took to fix this problem; also include if there were any major leaders or reformers that helped paved the way).What impact did these reforms have on the United States (e.g. why are they significant).
4. Using the Progressive Movement, explain what problem progressives had with gender inequality and lack of food/drug regulation, and explain how Progressives' attempted to address those issues (e.g. be specific about what they were fighting, why it was problematic, and what specific reforms or initiatives Progressives took to fix this problem; also include if there were any major leaders or reformers that helped paved the way). What impact did these reforms have on the United States (e.g. why are they significant).
5. What was a major cause of World War I? Why didn't the United States join until 1917, and what ultimately prompted the United States to join? What impact did World War I have on Progressive legislation? What role did women and minorities play as part of the war effort? What impact did the Treaty of Versailles have, or what legacy did it leave?
Part V Discussion Prompts
Please pick ONE of the following prompts to answer. You should use evidence and material from Chapters 23 & 24 and the Week 13 Videos and Readings, to show your knowledge of the material. Then, please respond to at least ONE of your classmates responses in a thoughtful and web appropriate manner.
1. What major ideological conflicts, security interests and events brought about the Cold War? Give 3 examples and explain why they are causes of the Cold War.
2. Define what the "containment" policy was, as laid out by George Kennan. In what ways did the United States attempt to implement containment from 1945-1953? Give 2 examples, and explain whether or not those attempts were successful in "containing" communism.
3. How did the United States government attempt to shape public opinion during the Cold War? Give 2 examples and explain them. In what ways do you think the idea of what it meant to be an "American" changed at the start of the Cold War?
4. How did the Cold War affect civil liberties in the United States? What impact did Anticommunist politics have on the daily lives of Americans at the start of the Cold War?
5. After World War II Americans encountered a new "affluent society," what was the new "standard of living" that Americans aspired to live up to in the 1950s? Give (and explain) at least 3 examples related to how American life was transformed in the 1950s.
6. What were the most significant factors that contributed to the growing momentum of the civil rights movement in the late 1940s and 1950s? Give (and explain) 3 examples.
7. Using the Elaine Tyler May reading on Cold War Families, explain what happened to families during the late 1940s and 1950s? What roles did gender and sexuality play in the new time period?