Midterm #2 Essay

Write your essays in the box below

HST203 - Midterm #2
Essay Exam

You will write 2 essays.
Choose 1 essay from choices 1-3. Choose 1 essay from choices 4-6.
I suggest you sketch out a brief outline of your answer. A 3-5 paragraph essay should be sufficient to answer each question completely. Regardless, be sure to answer the question.
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1. "The United states entered the First World War not Îto make the world safe for democracyâ as President Wilson claimed, but to safeguard American economic interest."
Assess the validity of this statement

2. Wars are barrels of explosives with short fuses just waiting to be "set off" by a spark. Most important is what makes up the underlying causes of these wars. Discuss each of the four causes of World War I that were discussed in class. Be sure to give details, such as incidences between countries or practices/heritage of countries. Be sure to use all of the vocabulary (jargon/phraseology) that clearly illustrates your knowledge of these causes.

3. During the 1910's, the United States practiced a foreign policy of non-involvement in the affairs of Europe. Although World War I had begun in 1914, the United States remained neutral. A series of events occurred, though, which made United States involvement inevitable. Discuss at least four of the six reasons discussed in class. Be sure that you explain each one clearly and show specifically how it got the United States closer and closer to the conflict, finally culminating in a declaration of war against Germany and the Central Powers.
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4. According the video on the 1920âs, the decade had "two faces", a positive one and a negative one. Choose one or the other and support it as the more important, influential, or accurate representation of the decade known as the Roaring Twenties. Be sure to include the most important examples/facts which support your case and justify your position.

5. The U.S. National Census Report of 1920 illustrated that the country was entering what was referred to as the "Modern Age". Do you agree or disagree with this interpretation? Assess the validity of this statement.

6. The causes of the Great Depression are many, but the responses by President Hoover and the national leadership were few. Define "conservativism" according to Herbert Hoover. Did he remain true to its principles? What successful historical (conservative) precedents under the administrations of his Democratic AND Republican predecessors did he attempt to follow and why didnât they produce similar results in the early 1930âs.