History 2710 MacKay Fall 2008
Project Topics
You must complete 10 of these by writing short formal papers during the semester.
Instead of one of the projects you may choose to summarize and comment on one lecture:
Project #1: Peruse the materials at the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia; write a short paper commenting on the helpfulness of the site to increase your understanding of the failure of Reconstruction.
Project #2: Choose one:
Project #3: Chose one:
- Take a virtual Tour of a New York Tenement. Report your reactions.
- Read an essay by economist Brad Delong on "The Robber Barons." How does this essay help answer the question which is important for us today: At what level does corruption become intolerable and undermine the legitimacy of democracy?
Project #4: In 1911, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Until 9/11, it was the largest single-cause disaster in New York City, Explore the Triangle Factory Fire exhibit from Cornell University. How does this site help you understand some of the issues for workers during the Gilded Age?
Project #5: Choose one:
Project #6: Chose one:
Project #7: Choose one:
Project #8: Choose one
Work with some of the maps selected from newspapers of the times. How helpful do you think these maps were in helping the public understand events? How helpful in understanding this war are they to you?
View the film Saving Private Ryan; consider the materials "Behind Saving Private Ryan." How does the film help you understand some of the issues for humans involved in that war. Do you agree with Paul Fussel's analysis?
Project #9: One of the dynamics of the Cold War was McCarthyism. Consider this article comparing McCarthyism to our current suspension of due process of law as part of the war on terrorism. What do you think of Rothschild's argument?
Project #10: Work with the materials about 1950s Fashions. Use at least 5 contemporary images of women in advertising to talk about the changing expectations about women from the 1950s to present day. Do we expect women today to be more independent of men? more sexually available to men? to assume roles not available to men?
Project #11: Choose one:
Project #12: Viet Nam Generation: A Journal of Recent History and
Contemporary Issues was founded in 1988 by
Kalí Tal. It has been the journal of record in Sixties and Viet Nam war
studies since its inception. Do to lack of funds and understaffing there have
been no new issues of the journal produced since 1996. However the issues are
on line as part of The Sixties Project. Read an article, summarize and
comment.
Project #13: Interview a recent immigrant to the U.S. for about 30 minutes. Have they become a U.S. citizen? What issues do they face as an immigrant? Has life in the U.S. been worth the difficulties of immigration? Report.