HIST405 All Assignments latest 2018 august

Week 2 Web Link Assignment #1

Search the library for scholarly articles on the debate surrounding the composition and ratification of the Constitution. These can be primary or secondary sources but should come from academic sources. Recommended topics include: state constitutions drafted after the American Revolution; correspondence from significant colonial figures (e.g., John Dickinson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and others); the Virginia and/or New Jersey Plan; the Federalist Papers, and so on. These entries will provide a valuable resource for your first historical essay. Unacceptable internet resources include but are not limited to: Wikipedia, online general reference encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica, online dictionaries, and general informational search sites such as coursehero.com, infosearch.com, infoplease.com, about.com, answers.com, etc.

General Instructions

Write a 4-6 sentence description of a single URL on the specified topic. Submit the assignment as a Word document.

Your Web Link Assignments should include an introduction to the site and a description, and/or evaluation, of it. Be specific. The key is that someone should be able to read your entry and know whether this site is one that might be relevant to their research. See the example below for a good description.

Example

Pennsylvania State Constitution of 1776. (2008)

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/pa08.asp

The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 (ratified September 28, 1776) has been described as the most democratic in America and was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The Constitution provides for a unicameral legislature, a Supreme Executive Council, a President elected by an Assembly and Council together, and a Council of Censors. The constitution was later copied by revolutionaries of Vermont as a basis for their constitution. This site is useful as it gives us an insight into the debate over constitutional government that would culminate in 1787.

Week 4 Historical Essay #1

This assignment is due this week.

As depression struck the new nation in the mid-1780s, new questions arose about the nature of American democracy. Many conservatives believed that the answer lay in a stronger national government. Most radicals believed it was up to the states to relieve the financial burden of the people. These sentiments fostered a movement for a new constitution. Political differences soon stimulated the creation of political parties.

Compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation with the new Constitution of 1787. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles vis-à-vis the Constitution? Give specific instances that demonstrate the weakness of the Articles (such as the Western problem).

Then analyze the drafting of the Constitution, using specific details to show how the various states (slave vs. free, east vs. west) compromised in order to effectively draft a constitution. Pay particular attention to Roger Sherman's plan, the Great Compromise, which broke a stalemate that could have been fatal to the development of the new Constitution.

Finally, compare and contrast the debate over ratification between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Make sure you cite specific examples from the Federalist Papers to support the Federalist position and contrast it with leading proponents of the opposition (such as John Hancock). Analyze how the debate over a bill of rights illustrates the differences between the two parties. Evaluate the relative success of the Bill of Rights in achieving an effective balance between national and states' interests.

This paper must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (not including the References page) and utilize no less than four academic quality sources. Margins should be no more than one inch (right and left) and the essay should be composed in an appropriate font and size. Sources must be documented and cited using APA format.

Week 6: Web Link Assignment #2

Students are to search the Internet for scholarly articles on the events and causes that led to World War I. These can be primary or secondary sources but should come from academic sources. Recommended topics include: essays and articles on the rise of nationalism and imperialism in Germany and the other major powers involved in World War I; the rise of militarism in the decade before World War I; Irish- and German-American reaction to World War I; etc. These entries will provide a valuable resource for your second historical essay. Unacceptable internet resources include but are not limited to: Wikipedia, online general reference encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica, online dictionaries, and general informational search sites such as infosearch.com, infoplease.com, about.com, answers.com, etc.

General Instructions

Write a 4-6 sentence description of a single URL on the specified topic. Submit the assignment as a Word document.

Your Web Link Assignments should include an introduction to the site and a description, and/or evaluation, of it. Be specific. The key is that someone should be able to read your entry and know whether this site is one that might be relevant to their research. See the example below for a good description.

Example

Pennsylvania State Constitution of 1776. (2008)

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/pa08.asp

The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 (ratified September 28, 1776) has been described as the most democratic in America and was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The Constitution provides for a unicameral legislature, a Supreme Executive Council, a President elected by an Assembly and Council together, and a Council of Censors. The constitution was later copied by revolutionaries of Vermont as a basis for their constitution. This site is useful as it gives us an insight into the debate over constitutional government that would culminate in 1787.

Week 7 Historical Essay #2

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the immediate cause of World War I. But the events that led to the Great War go further back into the nineteenth century. As with the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, nationalism, imperialism, and militarism all played a part.

Analyze how the forces of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism irrevocably led to World War I. Pay particular attention to the rise of Pan-Slavism in Eastern Europe and the corresponding rise of nationalism in German-speaking states. Analyze how the alliance system contributed to the ultimate outbreak of war.

Then analyze the events that drew the United States into World War I. Clearly discuss why America first remained neutral between1914-1917. What role did ethnicity play in America's neutrality? Then identify and analyze the specific events that led to America's entrance into the war. Evaluate America's contribution to the war effort and to what extent America's entry contributed to the end of the war. Finally, analyze the events that led to the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles. What effect did this have on America's role in the world during the 1920s and 1930s? Pay particular attention to the role of President Woodrow Wilson both during and after the war, in particular, his efforts to establish the League of Nations.

This paper must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (not including the References page) and utilize no less than four academic quality sources. Margins should be no more than one inch (right and left) and the essay should be composed in an appropriate font and size. Sources must be documented and cited using APA format.

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