Essay Assignment

For this essay, choose ONLY 1 essay question from the list below. Grades will be based on the content of the answer and must be more than 300 words in length. Direct quotes do not count toward the required word count.

Essay Questions:

1. How and why did Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge redirect the nation's politics away from Progressivism? Why was that shift popular? How did it affect the nation's economy? In what areas did Progressive reforms persist? How did they affect American society?

2. How and why did the positions of Women, African-Americans, and Mexican-Americans change in American society during the 1920s? (examine political, economic, and social changes)

3. Explain the major causes of the Great Depression. How were Americans in Urban areas affected by the Depression? How were Americans in Rural areas affected?

4. By 1936, why did many people believe that another world war would break out soon? How did Americans react to these fears? How did the Neutrality Acts of 1937 attempt to keep the United States out of the war? How and why did Franklin Roosevelt attempt to circumvent those efforts?

5. How and why did the United States become involved in World War II? (examine events in both Asia and Europe)

6. How was the American home front affected by World War II? How did the government promote the war effort? How and why did the government restrict civil liberties? How and why were racial and ethnic tensions exacerbated by the war? How did the war affect the economy?