History

Prompt: In the scope of our class we have seen the Muslims develop from a tiny, disaffected group in the Arabian Peninsula into the major religious and political force in the Eastern Hemisphere. In a coherent essay that draws from our primary and secondary reading materials, the modules, and the videos, explain how and why it was that Islam—as a religious force and a political force—spread so far and wide. How did the varieties of Islamic expression—political, religious, social, scientific, cultural—develop and spread throughout the Dar al-Islam, from the era of the Prophet Muhammad through to the journeys of Ibn Battuta? Can we generalize about what constitutes “Islamic civilization”? If so, how? If not, why not? A word to the wise: You are required to cite any quotations you take from any source, as well as any ideas that are not your original thoughts. I don’t care which citation format you use–MLA, parenthetical, Turabian, Chicago, etc.–but you must use one and be consistent. Please come to me if you would like further help with this concept.  Things to double-check when proofreading your paper: Have you cited all sources? Have you written full sentences? Have you purged your language of internet jargon, contractions, and other informalities? Have you fully answered the assignment? Have you proofread and not merely relied upon the spellchecker of your word processing program? Do you have a thesis statement, and have you supported that thesis with historical evidence? Are your block quotes single-spaced, and is the body of your paper double-spaced? Things I do not want to see in your academic term paper: Please do not use dictionary definitions, and do not use Wikipedia or other unreliable sources from the internet. Do not write in mega-paragraphs that go on for pages and pages and incorporate millions of topics. One paragraph=one topic. Remember – Anecdotes are not historical evidence without context, and your opinion should only be expressed with historical evidence to support it. It is important to take a stand and build an argument, but you need to use evidence to do so.

You are to write a 2-3 page paper on Utopia. The paper should have standard margins and 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman or Arial), double-spaced, with no extra spaces between paragraphs. Remember that this is NOT a book report. I’m not asking for a summary of what you read.             An A paper makes connections between the readings, external sources, the lectures, and the book. It is also organized, with an opening paragraph describing your thesis and outlining your paper’s main points. Each of those main points should be tackled in order. Finally, the conclusion should quickly explain how each of those points supports your thesis.   Prompt             Select two or three features of life in More’s fictitious land. Why are they considered ideal? More importantly, why are they considered preferable to life in 16th-17th century Europe? Compare and contrast between Utopian and European life of the time.   Tips Avoid contractions (couldn’t, could’ve, etc.). Just write the full two words. Contractions make your paper look sloppy. Avoid first-person (us, you, etc.). Again, it just looks unprofessional. Do not use slang except in a quotation. History papers need to have formal language. Try not to use long quotations in your paper. I want to know what YOU think in your own words because I know you will have good ideas. Cite any specific information and especially quotations with the author’s name and page number (eg. “(More, 9)”) at the end of the relevant sentence. Outside sources need to be in a bibliography. You must use complete sentences. Before submitting your paper, read it out loud. By doing so, you can detect errors in your writing. Make sure to use a grammar checker.

-Write about Each class struggle that shows us workers efforts to unite in the 1880s;  -How bosses tried to divide workers – List the capitalist/industrialist bosses who were pushing for expansion overseas in the 1890s;  -Explain how different US presidents in the 1890s and early 1900s supported these efforts of expansion for the rich; – Show how the Panama Canal construction shows us that US strategies for dividing workers in the US were reproduced in the Caribbean. Emphasize your point. SOURCES You can choose the video sources or the lecture.  Video Resources: May Day video; Rock Springs video; Panama Canal Documentary; Knights of Labor documentary.  1) Knights of Labor  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=VL4gOuaUSKc  2)MAY DAY  https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=NAk03c61WPw 3) Construction of the Panama Canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=Y2XslDKriLA Lecture History is a weapon – A people’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinnempire12.html  Make sure you have an intro/thesis statement and conclusion

your summary analysis of each source should include: A clear description of the author’s main point (Was it a good decision to use the bombs or a bad one?) Specific details and examples of the facts that the author presents in support of his/her main point (evidence) A comparison of how the author’s main point compares to the other author you’re analyzing this week (Are they similar or different?  And in what ways are the similar or different?) An assessment of how effective the author was in their writing style and in their use of evidence to support their main point. P.M.S. Blackett’s “The Decision to Use the Bombs.” Paul Fussell’s “Thank God for the Atomic Bomb.”

1. Review the learning resources listed below. 2. In a three-page essay of 750 words, discuss the causes of the American Civil War. Make an argument to answer the following question: Was slavery the primary cause of the American Civil War? 3. Your essay must contain a counterargument paragraph. In this paragraph discuss the opposing view and why you disagree with this view. 4. Support your argument with evidence from at least one primary source and two scholarly sources. Document the evidence with correctly formatted citations using either the MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citation method. After your essay, include either a Works Cited page for MLA or References for APA or a Bibliography for Chicago Style.    LEARNING RESOURCES    Primary Sources https://emergingcivilwar.com/2019/01/22/primary-sources-slavery-as-the-cause-of-the-civil-war/ (Links to an external site.) https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-causes-seceding-states (Links to an external site.)     Videos The Civil War, Part I: Crash Course US History #20 (Links to an external site.)? What caused the American Civil War? (Links to an external site.)? Four Causes of the American Civil War (Links to an external site.)?   Websites https://www.nps.gov/shil/learn/historyculture/upload/SLAVERY-BROCHURE.pdf (Links to an external site.) https://acwm.org/blog/myths-misunderstandings-what-caused-civil-war/ (Links to an external site.) https://www.thoughtco.com/american-civil-war-causes-of-conflict-2360891 (Links to an external site.) https://www.historyonthenet.com/causes-of-the-american-civil-war (Links to an external site.) https://blogs.baylor.edu/civilwarcauses/

Cattle mutilations Please note assignment has two separate questions and are to be answered as such. 1. Farm animals die all the time and in most of these incidents, there are clear and understandable reasons for this.  Old age, accidents, disease, attacks from other animals and a host of other causes are the normal reasons why cows, horses, sheep and every other farm animal goes from being alive to being dead.  Sad, but nothing mysterious. What happens to our perspective on the normal when things don’t happen the way that we expect them to?  In the case of Snippy the horse, however, death was apparently most unusual.  And, a bunch of later and seemingly similar gruesome animal deaths seemed to indicate that Snippy’s demise was not a singular event. For those alive at this time, there was an actual fear of what was happening to these poor animals and the national media became actively involved, as did the FBI and the federal government. But let’s ignore, for the purposes of this question, any logical or rational explanations that you might have come to agree with after reading the information in this unit and instead examine how these deaths made the move (in the mind of the scared public) from prosaic death and into the realm of truly mysterious and even diabolical.  In the information provided (or any outside sources that you may have looked at), how do you think that the evidence allowed for otherwise rationale individuals to conclude that aliens, black helicopters, cults or Satan worshippers were the actual instigators of these horrible events.  What I am basically asking if how we (meaning, those who bought into the darker explanations) went from a dead horse to alien organ harvests transported to rural fields in black CIA helicopters?  Why do people grab onto such seemingly bizarre explanations?  Or perhaps I should ask you are there some “triggers” that make people make this jump?  What was it about the Snippy case or any of the later ones that caused these “explanations” to be offered?  And believed?  Are there certain “facts” from the incident that moves what would be a normal explanation into the realm of the paranormal? And, I am also curious if you think that the so-called logical explanations make sense to you?  Do you think that there actually might be something very strange going on here??? 2. When it comes to many of the more well-known cattle mutilations, connections have been made with aliens, mysterious cults, Satan-worshippers and even the always-terrifying black government helicopters. So what is it about Snippy and the other unfortunate animals that seemed to bring in these other basically unrelated phenomena? Do you think that it is because the events were so horrible and strange that surely, something mysterious must have been involved?  Or, do you think that we naturally try to draw connections when we are confused and have to come up with something that answers the question, no matter how odd it might actually be?  What was it about these incidents that made the inclusion of other seemingly unrelated phenomena to be offered as part of the explanation? If Snippy was found, say, 100 years ago, how do you think the investigation and explanations might have turned out?  Is there something important about the modern time period – or more specifically, the 1970s – that might have turned people’s attention to unusual or mysterious explanations than perhaps another time?  Why black helicopters?  Can you think of any mysterious creatures from folklore or the past that are like these sinister vehicles?  Are black helicopters just a new version of an old mysterious entity that has inhabited our culture for centuries? (this one may take a little research, but I bet many of you can think of examples without outside sources).  What does this tell us about the reality of these ominous aircraft? *Use the following links/resources to answer the above questions. Answers should be no less than 500 words for each, include appropriate citations and be free from grammatical errors.* https://www.crystalinks.com/animal_mutilation.html http://coloradorestlessnative.blogspot.com/2008/09/cattle-mutilation-cults-and-copters.html http://www.zetatalk.com/theword/tworx112.htm http://skepdic.com/cattle.html

Write a paper that investigates the controversy that surrounds the circumstances of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Answering the following questions:  -Did Winston Churchill have foreknowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor and withhold this information to ensure that the Americans would be forced into the war? – Did President Roosevelt have foreknowledge of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor and withhold this information to ensure that the act of aggression would swing American public opinion in favor of entering the war and provide him with the congressional support that he needed? – Do the known facts of the Pearl Harbor episode support or refute either or both of these questions?

Instructions The movie I choose was Gettysburg  Movie Critique Assignment Sheet  (50 POINTS) Overview:  History is a craft and writing is the craft of the historian.  It is the medium that any historian must use to disseminate interpretations of the past to the public and fellow historians.  In many ways the historian is much like a detective; gathering and evaluating evidence, forming hypothesis and drawing conclusions in order to find out who done it.  History is not memorizing facts, dates and people; it is how the historian analyzes and interprets information.  Film is history, it is a source that can be analyzed and interpreted. Your task is to view a film and to write an analysis of that film connecting it to issues discussed in class. Description:  A film analysis is not a review or summary of the plot, it should go deeper into analysis and reaction.  It should discuss the issues raised by the film, address the film’s importance and purpose, state reactions to the content and quality of the film, and connect it to ideas and material presented in class. IT should be a minimum of 2 pages and include the following Please use a movie from the list below.  If you choose to do a movie that is  NOT on that list you must get instructor approval or risk receiving a zero for your paper.  Procedure: Describe the film in general terms.   What subjects does it cover. Describe the plot and setting What issues does it raise? What do you see as the main purpose of the film?  What are the major theme(s) of the film? (Please be detailed) Evaluate the film for quality and interest: Comment on the screenplay, acting, direction, and production values and music. Are any literary techniques such as symbolism, character development and foreshadowing used?  Would a young person be interested in this film? Please be detailed Relate the film to class discussions, readings, notes or knowledge. Is the film historically (or factually) accurate and realistic? Does it contradict or support anything you have learned?   (Please be detailed) Summarize briefly emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of the film. (Please be detailed)  Requirements: Spelling and capitalization need to be correctAll papers must have a title page, be typed, double spaced with a 12 pt font All pages must have appropriately sized margins.All papers must contain information detailed in the procedure section of these guidelines

Why is it relevant to explore the question of whether Africans came to the western hemisphere before Columbus? Why is it relevant to understand the relationship between the English and Spanish colonies? What is the significance of the frontier as it relates to African Americans?

Oral reports I.  Each student will speak to the class for up to three minutes without notes and on two different occasions about an African descended woman who lived in the Americas (but outside of the thirteen colonies in North America) and made her major historical contribution before 1800.  Please avoid reporting on people already well covered in the course, e.g.  Queen Nanny. Be sure to identify a historiographical debate about at least one aspect of your subject’s life, and tie your presentation to a course objective where possible. UNC-CH has a tradition of graduating students who have a background in public speaking.  One only has to read about the Di Phi’s long history on this campus.  I applaud this tradition but I also know that public speaking always ranks high on lists of most feared situations.  So let me from the start offer you some points to consider as you prepare: 1)   What strategies might you adopt to make speaking without notes a successful experience? Should you over learn your topic, so that you have a “well” to draw on in case you forget what you wish to say?  Should you adopt memory tricks? 2)    What is the central idea you wish to convey?  You have little time, so you need a clear central focus.  Is there a historical debate about your subject, even if it is only about an incident in her life? Does your topic’s life particularly speak to any course theme? 3)   Have you chosen a subject that interests you?  Give some thought to your topic and do not choose one too quickly.  After all, if you are not excited about your subject, we will not be either. 4)   What is the best organizational strategy?  Should you spend most of your time summarizing your subject’s life? Or should you briefly identify her in three or four sentences before going on to focus on a particular incident in her life and how it illustrates something larger?  Students in past courses have followed both of these paths, but the latter one usually seemed to yield better results. 5)   Be creative. Grab our attention with a great opening line and do not hesitate to make your presentation the one that we really remember. 6)   Why not visit me at office hours if you need help or encouragement?    Remember that it is usually the stronger students who take advantage of office hours. 7)    Be sure to consult the schedule on the syllabus, and plan ahead.  Please do not wait to start on this assignment until one or two days before you speak.  Give yourself time to research, organize your thoughts, and practice your talk. 8)    A note of encouragement: While public speaking may be a bit scary, I have given this assignment to previous classes and students in them have done well. I am confident that I will be able to say the same thing about you. Note that an “A” oral presentation will show excellent research, be well delivered, and will teach us something important in a memorable way.  A “B” oral report will be one that is given with competence, and reflects good research, but will be less compelling than “A” work.  Both “A” and “B” work will give evidence of library research