Although the United States of America has become a melting pot for a diversity of cultures, its basic institutions and ideals are essentially Western.

Identify a specific characteristic of American culture that originated in each of the four major periods of Western Civilization under study in this class:

1. the Ancient World (Near East and Egypt)

2. the Classical World (Greece and Rome)

3. the Middle Ages

4. the Renaissance/Reformation

In an essay, thoroughly discuss each chosen characteristic and explain its significance in the development of Western culture.

This essay should be written as a formal essay and will be graded as such. That is, you need to include an introduction and a conclusion, and structure your essay around a clear thesis statement.

I am not looking for any particular information in this essay, though you do need to be specific about the topics you choose to highlight as you respond to the question.

I do not expect you to write comprehensive histories in answering this question, but you do need to show that you have a grasp on the material and the impact of the topics you choose to discuss.