one question is 700 words . second one is 800 words … total will be 1500 words

First, answer one (1) of the two questions from Part I with a 700 word essay.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ONLY ANSWER ONE!  Substantiate your answers with specific historical examples from the book, including both specific events and individuals that impacted these aspects of American History. Use the textbook as your prime source of evidence and remember that YOU MUST CITE PAGE NUMBERS FROM THE MAIN COURSEBOOK in order to receive a passing grade on whichever question you select.  Please be sure you DO NOT utilize ANY outside sources, such as Wikipedia in any other website.  ONLY USE COURSE MATERIALS.  Part I is worth 150 points.

PART I –

1.)        The tension between the north and south played a defining role in shaping early American society.  For this question, discuss how the north and south diverged from from one another from the 1790s to the end of Reconstruction in 1877.  What specific events happened that caused this tension?  Who were the major figures in both the north and south, and what specifically did they argue?  Be sure to discuss at least two of the following: the 1) political, 2) social, and 3) philosophical differences that emerged between the north and south, and explain why these societies ultimately proved so incompatible.

2.)        Discuss and analyze the history of America from the end of the American Revolution to 1865 from the perspective of a modern scholar interested in advancing the Native American perspective.  How did the important events that occurred over this time period (including the War of 1812, U.S. Mexican War, Civil War, and Reconstruction period) directly affect Native Americans?  You may also consider: 1) what changes occurred in white Americans perceptions of Native Americans and 2) how did the movement West affect Native Americans internally as well as externally?  Be sure to discuss at least a few prominent Native American figures of the time and explain their impact on Native relations with the United States.

Next, answer Part II with a 800 word essay (Minimum 3 double-spaced pages).  Use A SHORT, OFFHAND KILLING AFFAIR as your prime source of evidence and YOU MUST CITE SPECIFIC PASSAGES WITH PAGE NUMBERS FROM THIS BOOK to earn a passing grade on this question.  Be sure to also cite other readings from this course as well.  Be sure you DO NOT utilize ANY outside sources, such as Wikipedia in any other website.  ONLY USE COURSE MATERIALS.  Part II is worth 200 points.

PART – II

1.)       In A Short, Offhand, Killing Affair, author Paul Foos contends that the American military army and volunteer forces that invaded Mexico represent an accurate cross section of American society and American views on race and ethnicity during the 1840s.  Utilizing Foos, explain the state of race relations and racial attitudes in America during the U.S. Mexican War; what specific actions did the U.S. military forces take in Mexico that prove many among the American forces were racist?  Provide specific examples from the book that might be indicative of how Americans viewed the Mexican people, as well as other peoples they perceived as racially different.

Next, utilize your course book to detail a few instances of how the racial attitudes described by Foos during the 1840s set the tone for the way Americans continued to deal with people they perceived as different (African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans) from the end of the U.S. Mexican War to the end of Reconstruction in 1877.  You may also discuss, if you like, immigration’s impact on how America struggled over the issue of who should be included in American society and who should be excluded based on race and ethnicity.

As to the final, the format will be the same as the midterm, and I want to be sure you all know that 60% OF THE FINAL EXAM WILL CONCERN A Short, Offhand Killing Affair. You will be required to write one of your two final essays about this book, and you MUST CITE PAGE NUMBERS from the book in order to earn a passing grade on the final.  I can’t stress how important having read this book is for the final exam, as well as having a physical copy on hand.  It constitutes just over half of your final exam grade, so make sure you have a copy on hand before you write.

Finally, please recall that once the exam opens you will be able open the final exam questions, print them out, then take your time researching and answering them.  I strongly recommend creating a detailed outline of your answers, to ensure you are answering as many parts of the question as possible.  And of course, don’t forget to use citations from the books.  As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I’m always here to help!