Exam+Topics

American Studies II Final Exam Topics/Possible Questions People Choose 5 people from the list given and, using precise language, explain how their actions helped define the age in which they lived. Choose 5 people from the list given and, using precise language, explain why you would or would not “friend them” on Facebook. Who should have gotten more attention in our texts or discussions this term? Why?

Events What events would you like to have witnessed (or helped influence)? Explain with context—aim for 12 well-chosen pieces of precise language per event. Did America’s eventual participation in World War I necessarily lead to the Great Depression? Explain. Again, aim for 12+ well-chosen pieces of precise language in your response. Was the New Deal good for America in the long-run? Explain. Which advancements in technology were most important for the US between 1875-1940? Why? Was the Harlem Renaissance really a renaissance? (How so? For whom? )

Ideas Was the New Deal a second American Revolution? (be careful—this question has important dimensions economically, politically and socially.) How do you define The American Dream, and did people have equal access to it from 1877-1940? Is the American dream for individuals only, or is it for the federal government too? Defend your answer with several examples. Did race relations improve between the Civil War and 1940? (another HUGE question!) From 1900-1940, describe the relationship between the spread of mass/pop culture, technology, and business/labor in the US? Is Social Darwinism contrary to Thomas Jefferson’s assertion that “all men are created equal”? How does //Frontier House// connect powerfully to the themes of this semester? The federal government changed substantially from the end of the Civil War to 1940. Were these changes good for America? Do you think the concept of “movement” or “responsibility” better characterizes America from the end of the Civil War through the end of the Depression? Was the US wise in its immigration policies from 1875-1925? We’ve talked a lot about the tension between “reform” and “progress” this term. Did the achievements of the Progressive Era equal to the needs for reform?