Historical Thinking Essay #2 asks you to consider the history of American democracy in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s (Chapters 24-27). Everyday people in the United States (citizens and non-citizens alike) have worked to make this nation a better place by actively participating in democracy—including through protest and resistance. How did everyday people work to make the United States a better place by attempting to resolve problems in the nation from 1940 to 1970? How might you have done the same?
STEP ONE: READ about the history
Review Chapters 24-27 in The American Yawp and familiarize yourselves with
the corresponding Primary Sources in The American Yawp Reader. STEP TWO: EXAMINE the evidence
Identify at least three (3) primary sources (please rely on textual documents for this assignment) in The American Yawp Reader that serve as evidence to show the ways in which Americans sought to resolve a persistent political, economic, social or cultural issue from 1940 to 1970.
Draft Historical Thinking Essay #2 in response to the following prompt. PLEASE NOTE that you are NOT invited to use AI for this paper; using AI for this essay will be considered plagiarism.
STEP THREE: INTERPRET the evidence.
Identify a major political, economic, or social issue that persisted from 1940 to
1970 (Chapters 24-27). Then, drawing on the primary sources and your own
critical analysis, explain how some Americans proposed a solution to that problem
or issue. Finally, propose your own original solution to the problem(s) and explain
the potential benefits and drawbacks.
