Below are the two essay questions for the midterm.
Both questions are very broad and much can be said on each topic. Remember these are not short answer responses. They should be well developed and well written answers. Your response should be approximately 250 to 500 words (250 words is about one double-spaced page of 12 point font). You could easily write more but it is not required. Be sure to incorporate as much material from the assigned readings as possible.
Avoid excessive personal commentary. You can offer your views, of course, but be sure to support your views with historical evidence. First review and include the arguments made by the authors of our textbooks (and other supporting documents). Then support or refute their views by analyzing the historical evidence. Remember, I am trained as an attorney so make your arguments as they are supported by the historical facts and be sure to demonstrate that you have read and understood the various reading assignments.
Good luck and here are the two questions:
1. Race and ethnicity have played major roles in American social history. How do these constructs relate to an explanation of what it means to be an American? Be sure to define each term. Additionally, what impact did the English view of race have on American society?
2. Trace the development of the system of slavery, and discuss the way it became entrenched in the American colonies. Be sure to consider the economic, social, and political causes for its institutionalization.
