*** all sources and reading material will be attached.***
***no outside sources besides the attached materials***
The purpose of this essay is for you to reflect upon the second half of the course, and to demonstrate what you have learned about the third-wave era. Essays should be around 500 words (roughly two pages), and will be graded on your use of evidence and clear, organized arguments.
You may refer to the textbook as you compose your answer, but the essay must be written in your own words. Do not cut and paste information from the textbook or primary sources (use your own writing to explain or describe it), and as always, NO INTERNET OR OUTSIDE SOURCES MAY BE USED. Your own thoughts and words are good enough; I am looking to see how you think historically and see the big picture. Please avoid long quotations, as they take up too much space in a short essay. To cite the textbook, simply use the author and page number (Strayer, 50); to cite something from Working with Evidence or Thinking through Sources, write the source number like this: (Sources 3.2) or (Evidence 11.5).
Once you are done writing your essay, you can submit it by clicking on the Final Exam Essay
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The Third Wave Era, 600-1500 CE
[Choose One]
1. Pick a single civilization (or pastoral/village society, if you prefer), and describe how it changed over the course of the third-wave era. Which historical developments had the greatest effect on it during this period? Did it grow, did it collapse, or was it incorporated into another civilization? How did it interact with the outside world during this period, how was it affected by those connections, and how did it influence the world? How did this civilization or society relate to its own ancient and/or second-wave past, and how did it adapt or redefine that identity as it moved into the fifteenth century? What legacies did it ultimately leave?
2. How did the Mongol conquest (and the later consequences of Mongol rule) affect the civilizations of Eurasia, both directly and indirectly? What benefits and disruptions did the Mongol legacy bring, and to whom? Ultimately, how did the Mongols shape the world of the fifteenth century and beyond? You will need to look at the periods before and after the Mongols to be able to explain what the impact was. Compare two civilizations when providing examples.
3. Imagine that you are a person living in the fifteenth century before 1492 (i.e., before Columbus’ ships arrive in the New World). Given your knowledge of the world around you in the fifteenth century, and of the way that things have progressed historically up to that point, make three bold predictions about the future. Note: at least one of these three predictions must be incorrect (prophecy is tricky business, after all!). As you make your predictions, they should still make sense from the historical perspective of the fifteenth century, so be sure to ground them in their historical context, and cite supporting evidence from both the textbook and primary sources.
