HST 331 Sec. 105 M. McCarthy Fall 1992 Midterm Exam "A student who changes the course of history is probably taking an exam." -- Franklin P. Adams Identification (10% of exam) Define four of the seven terms listed below, including time and place (where appropriate) and an explanation of significance: historiography Frederick W. Taylor Plessy v. Fergusen vertical consolidation Wounded Knee, South Dakota Muckrakers The Influence of Sea Power on History Short Answer Essay Question (30% of exam) Choose one of the three questions below and answer it thoroughly in essay form. 1. Booker T. Washington, in his "Atlanta Compromise" speech (1895), contended that "no race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized." W.E.B. DuBois diagreed, however, and in The Souls of Black Folk (1903) argued, "Is it possible and probable that nine million men can make effective progress in economic lines if they are deprived of political rights, made a servile caste, and allowed only the most meagre chance for developing their exceptional men? If history and reason give any distinct answer to these questions, it is an emphatic NO." Explain and contrast these two views concerning the betterment of the African-American race. What specifics about the personal background of each might help explain the differences between the two? Explain the differing analyses of Washington presented by DuBois in "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others" and historian Louis B. Harlan in "Booker T. Washington and the Politics of Accommodation" (from your Taking Sides text). 2. Andrew Carnegie, in The Gospel of Wealth (1901), explained what he believed to be the proper response to the disparity of wealth in late 19th century American society. He wrote, "Even the poorest can be made to see . . . and to agree that great sums gathered by some of their fellow citizens and spent for public purposes, from which the masses reap the principle benefit, are more valuable to them than if scattered among them through the course of many years in trifling amounts." Describe the various ideologies offered to justify the disparity of wealth in late 19th century America between the very wealthy and the very poor. 3. Hamlin Garland, in the introduction to his novel Jason Edwards (1891), writes romantically of the American West: "The Golden West, the land of wealth and freedom and happiness. All of the associations called up by the spoken word, the West, were fabulous, mythic, hopeful." Later in the book, however, Garland suggests that the travails of the Western farmer were distinctly different from this ideal, as one character comments, "So this is the reality of the dream! A shanty on a barren plain, hot and lone as a desert. My God!" Place Garland's novel in historical context by describing the difficulties faced by the American farmer on the Western Plains in the late 19th century. Long Answer Essay (60% of exam) Choose one of the three questions below and answer it thoroughly in essay form. 1. Some historians claim that history is moved by the actions of great individuals. They believe, as Barbara Tuchman suggests in Practicing History (1981), that "historians start with a great advantage over fiction in that our characters, being public, are invested with the power to affect destiny. . . . They are the actors, not the acted upon, and are consequently that much more interesting." Other historians disagree with the idea that a few individuals exercise significant influence over historical events. Jesse Lemisch, for example, argues in his essay, "The American Revolution Seen from the Bottom Up," (1967) that to "draw conclusions about entire societies on the basis of examinations of the minority at the top" is an improper approach to historical research. These historians believe instead that average people or economic, social and demographic trends play a much more significant role in shaping the course of the past. Evaluate these two opposing views of the nature of history in the context of urbanization in late 19th century America by discussing the changes within the city that occurred in response to industrialization and immigration. Were these changes brought about the actions of a few individuals or by more nebulous social, economic, demographic and cultural forces? Explain. 2. Professor Emil Schwenk, in The Common Roots of Populism and Progressivism (1950), claims that "Politics clearly bridged the millennium in America. The ideological foundations, constituency and economic goals of Progressivism in the early 20th century United States were a direct outgrowth of the Populist movement of the late 19th century." Describe the ideas, goals and constituencies of the Populist and Progressive movements and evaluate Schwenk's claim. Did these two movements share a common foundation, as Schwenk suggests? Explain. 3. In Woodrow Wilson and the Politics of Morality (1956), historian John Morton Blum describes Wilson's commitment to "New Freedom" Progressivism in the Presidential campaign of 1912: "[Wilson] preferred, as he always had, a minimized national authority, a federal system leaving large areas of authority to the states, a society adjusting itself through the competition of determined but decent men." Describe Wilson's "New Freedom" Progressivism and its manifestations in the early years of his administration. Did Wilson remained true to his Progressive ideal during American involvement in the First World War? Explain, paying particular attention to economic mobilization and to government reaction to dissent. Bonus Question (OPTIONAL) For a bonus, you may identify any term that is not listed in the identification section of this exam but that is among the twenty- one given to you on the review sheet. If you identify the term correctly, you will earn a 2% bonus on your exam grade. If you attempt this bonus and do not correctly identify the term, you will lose 3% from your exam grade. Feel lucky?