Requirements:

A. The paper has a clear original thesis or central argument. It is well developed and well structured with a clear topic sentence and a clear transition to the following paragraph and ends with a strong conclusion.

4-5 page persuasive commentary on ONLY ONE of the following assertions

(Limit References to 5, if they must be used):

· The Cold War has been called by many historians and non-historians alike as one of the most intense events in history. The United States underwent monumental changes during the early years of post World War II(late 1940s early 1950s). Dramatic situations occurred with breathtaking frequency. Were the changes largely positive? or negative?

· The Modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a watershed event that had a profound impact on our nation. More than half a century has passed since a number of monumental events associated with this time in our nation's history took place. The impact on how the movement affected Black Americans since the late 1960s has been intensely debated. The Modern Civil Rights Movement has produced significant or limited gains for Black Americans?

· Since the 1950s American Popular Culture has deeply impacted our society. Over the past few decades we have seen a plethora of various types of media that have become an integral part of our society. Television, the internet, various forms of music to name. With such ongoing developments has come both praise and criticism. How has the current state of American Popular Culture reached a tipping point?

· In 1960 America was introduced to the pill. This was a form of contraception that provided opportunities for American women, in particular, a level of sexual freedom that had previously been denied to them. As the decade and century progressed, various forms of sexual identity and expression emerged in American society. Divorce, Gay men, Lesbian Women, Single people, interracial marriage, adolescent grown men, same sex marriage were just a few of the topics that have dominated the public discourse. Such openness and frankness about sexuality has been the source of contention for some Americans who feel such issues should be kept behind closed doors. How has American attitudes on sexuality become more complicated since the late 1960s?

· Since the 1980s, America has witnessed three decade of unprecedented situations. Such events have had a profound impact on our nation. The AIDS crisis, Ronald Reagan, The Iran Contra-Scandal, deep economic divisions, the fall of communism, the rise of the religious right in politics to name a few events. How was the 1980s a decade of certainty?

· Since the early 1990s, has witnessed a number of events, the Clinton years, the expansion of globalization, increasing levels of technology, multiculturalism, the culture wars, numerous sex scandals, September 11, 2001, Mexican Immigration, the racial fallout over Hurricane Katrina, unprecedented redistribution of wealth, the election of the nation's first Black president among others. How has our nation been able to handle such events with a degree of maturity?