HST 202 - Midterm Exam Essay Questions

You may use a single 4" x 8" index to use while typing your essay. You must turn this card in to your instructor after you have submitted your typed exam.

You will write/type a total of 2 essays.

The following questions are actual exam questions. Of the three questions in Section A, 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.) Of the two questions in Section B, both will be on the exam. You will choose one of the two questions to write your essay.

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

Choose one question from Section A and one from Section B.

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Section A

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.

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Section B

1. Examine the connection between slavery and territorial expansion. How were they interrelated? To what extent did attitudes toward slavery influence attitudes toward expansion? Consider all of the territory acquired in the 1840s in your discussion.

2. What were the various formulas for addressing the matter of slavery in the territories in the half-dozen years before the Civil War? Examine the different proposals, identify their authors, and explain why none was universally acceptable.