History 361 – Final Exam Preparation
The
final exam will have six sections. Remember in all of your
answers to be specific; avoid empty generalities!
I. Write short identifications
for five out of the following (10 mins.)
II. Choose one of the following
questions on a pre-1865 topic and write a short essay in response to it. (15 mins.)
III. Choose one of the following
questions on a post-1865 topic, and write a short essay in response to it. (15 mins.)
IV. Analyze the provided document
in terms of how it relates to the other material we have investigated so far
this semester. (20 mins.)
V. Select one of the following
groups of people and explain the ways in which they would be likely to agree
and/or disagree with each other. In
each group, choose three names to discuss.
(15
mins.)
VI. Choose one out of the
following three essay topics and write an essay on it that integrates the
material we have covered so far in the course.
No matter which question you choose, be sure to be as specific as
possible in your answer. Vague
generalizations are not substitutes for concrete facts and the careful
summarization of particular positions.
(30 mins.)
A.
“American
intellectual history is an oxymoron. In
the end Americans care much more about practicalities than theories, about
compromise than consistency, and about success than principle.” Choose at least three examples and discuss
the merits of this observation.
B.
“By
the late nineteenth century, intellectuals in America had largely turned away
from religion and toward science as a source of truth. This stance persisted throughout the period
between the Civil War and World War II.”
Discuss this observation by focusing on the work of at least three specific individuals (or groups) and what
sources of authority they drew on in putting forward their ideas.
C.
As
we have seen, one of the consistent themes in the history of American
intellectual thought has been the attempt by various members of, or
sympathizers with, groups other than white middle-class males to argue for
their right to be a part of the nation’s cultural conversation and the attempt
by many in the cultural mainstream to justify denying such individuals that
public voice. Focusing on the period
1865-1940, choose at least two different examples of debates over
inclusion/exclusion and write an essay in which you analyze what arguments were
put forward by the various sides in the debate, where they agreed and where
they disagreed.
DON’T
FORGET TO BRING TWO BLUEBOOKS!