American history exam essay.

Essay:
Answer the following question for 25% of the examination grade:

1. Choose
three (3) wars in which the United States participated during the
period covered by this course (the Cold War may be one of your
choices). Compare the standing of the U.S. in the world before or
after each war. In other words, what was the position of the U.S. as
a power before the war, and how did this change after the war.

Essay:
Answer the following question for 25% of the examination grade:

2.
Identify at least three (3) important social, cultural, or political
movements since 1877 and reflect upon how each movement impacted the
country. DO NOT merely summarize the movements. Your analysis must
show how the country changed after each movement.

Essay:
Answer the following question for 25% of the examination grade:

3.
Identify three events in American history in which people were able
to improve their lives. This may include gained freedoms, more
economic prosperity, job opportunities, voting, or any other
category. Just make sure that you are clear. DO NOT merely summarize
the events. Your analysis must show how the event enabled a group of
people or the whole country to improve their lives.

Directions:

FOR
EACH QUESTION

You
should follow the discussion forum format of providing factual
support from the textbook and analysis, reflection, and opinion.

You
must include the following:

One
quotation from your textbook with page numbers in parenthesis to
support your ideas.

Penalty
of 20% for not including one quotation from the textbook with page
number citations.

About
75% of your response should be analysis/reflection, much like your
forum posts. Penalty of 20% for limited analysis/reflection.

A
minimum of 350 words for each question response.
Penalty of 20% for not reaching word minimum.

No
outside sources may be used. Penalty of 20% for using outside
sources.

REQUIREMENTS

Your
response should be at least 350 words for each question in
order to receive credit. The instructor asks your response to follow
the FACT/EVIDENCE, ANALYSIS/OPINION. 1) a factual response to the
question with a direct quote and proper citation, 2) analysis of the
factual information with citations if needed and opinions reflecting
on the topic.

Suggestion:
rather than re-stating what others have said, post fresh ideas that
look at the topics from a unique perspective. Feel free to include
your own personal analysis or understanding of the readings. All
direct quotations from the textbook and/or other source must be cited
properly. Paraphrased information must be cited as well. You MUST
draw from the textbook in supporting your answer.

TEXT
BOOK

Corbett,
P. Scott, Volker Janssen, John M. Lund, Todd Pfannestiel, and Paul
Vickery, U.S. History, Houston, Open Stax, 2016.

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FOR FREE: http://cnx.org/content/col11740/latest/.

MODEL
STUDENT RESPONSE

Question:
Why was President Andrew Johnson impeached and what impact did it
have?

FACT/ANALYSIS: The
textbook reveals that Johnson was charged with “high crimes and
misdemeanors” on “eleven counts of misconduct.” We
learn this week that Johnson opposed black suffrage and vetoed the
Reconstruction Act of 1867, but that Congress overrode his veto. The
Reconstruction Act of 1867 divided the country into military
districts and provided specific instructions on how freed blacks
would be allowed to vote in elections, but prevented ex-confederate
leaders from voting. Johnson also suspended Secretary of War Edwin M.
Stanton. The impeachment did not bring down the president because
Congress fell short of convicting him. The book states that the
“dissenting Republicans felt that removing a president for
defying Congress was too damaging to the constitutional system of
checks and balances.” The impeachment did open the door for
Ulysses S. Grant to become the next president
(1). REFLECTION/OPINION: Although
the book does not specifically state what charges were brought
against Johnson, it seems as though Congress wanted to punish him for
his anti-suffrage views. It is clear that tensions were high during
this period, and that the country was still trying to grapple with
all the difficulties of the post-Civil War period. I am wondering if
Congress was trying to get revenge on Johnson or whether there were
actually any real crimes or misdemeanors. It’s interesting how the
ex-confederates were prevented from voting, but I guess this was
necessary to keep them from coming back into power. I learned from
the reading that during an impeachment, the House of Representatives
serves as the prosecutor and the Senate is the court. I also find it
interesting that the southern states were divided into military
districts, but I guess this is what they needed to do to ensure that
freed blacks could vote. It is amazing how many changes took place
during the country at this time. To think that people who were slaves
right before the war would be voting in just a few short years is
amazing.

Works
Cited

1.
Edwards, Rebecca; Henretta, James A; and Self, Robert O. America: A
Concise History. Volume 2: since 1865. (New York, NY: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2012), 452-453.