American History

Midterm Exam

H101 Spring 2015

This is a take-home midterm. You have one week to complete the exam. There are eight questions from which you may choose any four. You will be graded on how well you answer the questions, based on your understanding of Only Yesterday and the first four essays in the Banner book. Each essay should be about 500 words (about 2 pages), double or 1.5 spacing, normal font (10 or 12) and 1” margins. All quotes, statistics, and borrowed ideas must be footnoted according to the Chicago Manual of Style (no in-text citations). For a quick guide, see: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Keep in mind the rules regarding legitimate sources and plagiarism; refer to Benjamin if you are unsure. I expect standard English, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Please be sure to proof read your essays before handing them in.

While I value your opinions in classroom discussions and on Blackboard, this exam is for you to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to integrate the assigned readings. The question all relate to historiography in some way: what aspects of the past do historians choose to write about; how does their own moment in time influence how they write about the past; how does our understanding of the past change over time?

Frederick Allen’s opening chapters describe the aftermath of America’s involvement with WWI. Who benefitted and who was disadvantaged in Allen’s somewhat ironic use of the phrase, “Back to Normalcy?” According to Allen, what did “normal” actually mean, and to whom?

Is Allen’s presentation of the Red Scare a social or political history, according to definitions presented by Wilentz and Kornblith/Lasser? If both or neither, based in the readings, explain the reasons for your conclusion.

Why does Allen’s attention to 1920s fashion and new technologies (radio, movies, auto) hold such a prominent place throughout his book? Consider our conversations about historians writing at their own moment in time (and the subtitle of the book), and the main sources of his research.

The Kornblith/Lasser chapter on changes in social history scholarship over time lays the groundwork for how other fields of study also changed in the 1960s and 1970s. What were the central factors (what was happening at that time) that opened up new areas of study in almost every field of historical research?

Rosenberg depicts a dramatic change in the historiography of America’s relations to other countries. How does she explain the influence of social history on historians’ understanding of global history?

In what aspects are Allen’s presentations of the Harding and Coolidge presidencies social or political history? Use definitions by Wilentz and Kornblith/Lasser to explain.

Allen is critical of the people he calls “Highbrows.” Using specific examples, what does he criticize them for, and why? What are Allen’s attitudes or biases toward them?

Allen focuses on two stories that took up front page space over the decade of the ‘20s, prohibition and land speculation, especially in Florida. As an eye witness, what is his critique of both? According to Allen, do either or both add to the weakness of the economy that preceded the stock market crash? Explain.

Exams must be submitted via email no later than 11:59 on March 5^th (Thurs). Please combine all four essays into ONE email file, not four separate emails. No exams will be accepted late without a doctor’s written explanation or other approved and documented reasons. Any requests for an exception must be approved prior to the exam due date.

Final Paper Guidelines

The final paper requires a minimum of three primary documents and 5 secondary sources. The assignment is to take topic of history in the 1920s and examine how that topic was interpreted over time. You can begin with primary sources from the decade, and then use your secondary sources to analyze the historiography of the subject.

For the secondary sources, choose books or articles that were written in different eras. For example choose something written in the 1940s or 1950s, something from the 1960s or 1970s, something written in the 1990s, finally the most recent work you can find (2010s). The idea is to see how your subject in the 1920s has been treated and reinterpreted by historians over time.

All papers must include both foot or end notes and bibliography according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Papers should be between 7 and 10 pages, excluding footnotes and bibliography. As with your midterm, I expect the writing to be careful with regard to spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The final paper should be in traditional essay form: introduction and thesis statement, evidence, conclusion.

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Question 1

Back to normalcy must have been the title used since it was in the time when the war ended and the people were trying to get back to their normal lifestyles. As said in the book, the people still took to the streets to celebrate even though they had done so four days ago on the basis of a wrong alarm. The people were so determined to see an end to the war and, therefore, the cause of the jubilation. It was time for the people to rebuild their countries. They were against anyone who had, for some reason, been seen to be instigating the war. That was the reason why some shops were closed reading that they were attending Kaiser’s funeral. Just as the case would be with any other community, the Americans were happy that their brothers, fathers, sons and other family members who had left for Europe…………….

APA

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