Final Essay Questions For Your Final Essay You Are Responsib

Final Essay Questionsfor Your Final Essay You Are Responsible For Com

For your final essay, you are responsible for completing a 5-6 page essay based on ONE of the following questions. The best essays will be well-organized with a clear introduction and conclusion, well-written, and use specific references to the various readings, videos, and lectures we did this term. Your paper is to be based on the reading, videos, and lectures we used in class. Its goal is to demonstrate your familiarity with the work we have done over the term and your ability to synthesize ideas from the various modules.

Choose one of the following questions:

1. How did the role (or roles) of women change from the beginning of the colonial period through to 1800? How did geography create important differences in the way people lived in America from the colonial period to 1800?
2. Characterize the relationship between Native Americans and European Americans from the arrival of Columbus in 1492 to 1800.
3. How did the lives of African Americans change from the seventeenth century to 1800?
4. To what extent did freedom or restraint characterize American history in the colonial and early republic periods?
5. What were the four most important events or conditions from the colonial period that help to explain the character of American life at the time of the American Revolution and early Republic?

The grading rubric emphasizes clarity of argument, effective use of course materials, organization, and quality of writing. A papers (18-20 points) will be well-written with a clear argument, effectively supported by course materials, and well-organized. B papers (16-17 points) will meet most of these criteria, potentially with minor issues. C papers (14-16 points) will have problems with several areas including argument and organization. D papers (12-13 points) will have a weak argument, mainly general description, and significant writing problems. F papers (less than 12 points) will lack a clear argument, proper use of course materials, and organizational structure, with pervasive writing issues.

Paper For Above instruction

The evolution of women's roles from the colonial period through 1800 reflects broader societal transformations shaped by cultural, economic, and geographical factors. Early colonial America was predominantly patriarchal, with women's functions centered around family and community survival. However, as colonies expanded and economic systems diversified, women's roles began to shift, especially in urban centers where they engaged more directly in commerce and artisanal work. Examples include the rise of "household economies" and women participating in craft production, which laid the groundwork for increased agency and social roles by 1800.

Geography played a critical role in shaping societal differences across America. In New England, harsh climates and rocky soils fostered subsistence farming, tight-knit communities, and a focus on education, including early efforts to establish schools for girls. In contrast, the Southern colonies' warm climate and fertile land supported plantation economies dependent on enslaved labor, leading to a more rigid social hierarchy and different gender dynamics. The frontier regions, characterized by sparse populations, fostered self-reliance and different gender roles, often emphasizing individual survival skills and flexible family structures.

The relationship between Native Americans and European Americans from 1492 to 1800 was complex and marked by conflict, cooperation, and dispossession. Initially characterized by exploration and trade, relations soon devolved into violent clashes over land and sovereignty, exemplified by events such as King Philip's War and the Indian Removal policies. Despite conflict, some instances of cooperation existed, especially through treaties and cross-cultural exchanges. The encroachment of European settlers fundamentally disrupted Native societies, leading to displacement, cultural erosion, and the transformation of indigenous ways of life.

The lives of African Americans underwent significant changes from the seventeenth century to 1800, transitioning from slavery to resistance and eventual manumission in some cases. Initially imported as forced labor primarily in plantation economies, enslaved Africans endured brutal conditions. Over time, enslaved populations developed a range of resistance strategies, from everyday resistance to outright rebellion, such as the Stono Rebellion of 1739. By 1800, though slavery remained entrenched, the African American experience was marked by a growing sense of identity, cultural retention, and the early roots of abolitionist sentiment.

American history from the colonial to the early republic period can be characterized by a tension between the ideals of freedom and the realities of restraint. Colonial societies often aspired to liberty, yet enslaved Africans, Native Americans, and women faced restrictions on their freedoms. The American Revolution proclaimed liberty from Britain, yet enslaved persons and Native Americans experienced continued oppression. The early republic attempted to balance expansion and individual rights, but practices like the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act revealed the persistent dichotomy between rhetoric and reality regarding freedom and restraint.

Four pivotal events or conditions from the colonial period that help explain American life during the Revolution and early republic include the development of colonial self-governance, economic dependence on plantation agriculture and trade, escalating conflict with Native Americans, and the influence of Enlightenment ideas. Colonial self-governance fostered a sense of political identity and resistance to external authority. The plantation economy shaped social hierarchies and labor practices. Conflicts such as King George's War and Pontiac's Rebellion highlighted of Native American resistance and displacement. Enlightenment philosophies inspired revolutionary ideals of liberty and individual rights, shaping political discourse and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence.

References

• Berlin, I. (1998). Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America. Harvard University Press.
• Calloway, C. G. (2016). The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities. Cambridge University Press.
• Norton, M. B. (2014). A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. Cengage Learning.
• Savage, D. (2012). The American Revolution and the Making of a New Nation. Oxford University Press.
• Stampp, K. M. (1956). The era of the American Revolution. Oxford University Press.
• Taylor, A. (2016). American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Zinn, H. (2015). A People's History of the United States. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
• Wood, G. S. (1992). The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage Books.
• Wood, R. (1999). Empire of Liberty: A History of the American Revolution. Oxford University Press.
• Wright, R. (2012). Native Americans and the Making of the Modern World. Routledge.