ESSAY QUESTIONS Midterm #1

Chapters 10-13

You may use a single 4" x 8" index card, to jot down important events, names, dates, places, etc. to use while writing your essay. You must turn this card in, along with your essay on exam day to receive credit. Bring at least 8 sheets of paper and a pen to class on the day of the midterm.

The following questions are actual exam questions. Of the three questions below, two will be on the exam. You will choose one of the two questions to write your essay. (If you prepare for at least two of the questions, you will be assured that one of the two you've prepared for will be on the exam.)

Your discussion should be detailed and well organized. You should take a moment to draft a brief outline of your answer. Do NOT write your essays in the first person.

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1. From 1800 - 1860, the northern and southern sections of the United States developed in entirely different ways. Why were their developments so disimilar? In particular, which aspects became the most problematic and inevitably led to irreconcilable differences by the time of the Civil War?

2. European observers frequently criticized the United States as being culturally backward, intellectually barren, politically chaotic, and morally destitute. If you were an American in 1840, how would you react to these charges? Would you refute them? If so, on what grounds? Or would you feel compelled to agree (again, on what specific grounds)?

3. Do you feel that the reforms undertaken in the 1830s and 1840s reflected a spirit that was basically optimistic or pessimistic? (spectrum -> romantic vs. order & control) Explain why, citing specific examples.