Instructions for Essay #1
On the following pages are two (2) essay questions. Choose one (1) question only, and write an
essay answering the question. In writing your essay, note the following instructions:
Address every part of the question. Be sure to answer each part of the question in the prompt. It
may help to organize your essay using the parts of the prompt as a guide.
Include a thesis statement. You are encouraged to introduce the main argument of your essay in
the first or second paragraph, so that your explanation of it is clear throughout.
Think for yourself. Answer the questions with your own brainpower, in your own words. This is
NOT a research paper assignment!
***Do NOT visit the Library or the World Wide Web for additional resources. Everything you
need to answer the question is in the listed sources. Students who use outside sources risk
failing the assignment***
Prove your point. Provide ample evidence to support your argument(s) by providing concrete
examples and illustrations from your reading. You do not need to use quotations, but your paper
should demonstrate a familiarity with the important arguments made by the documents.
Avoid personal sentiments. Voice your view, but avoid using the first person and personal
sentiments such as “I feel that…” or “I believe that…” Your essay should make an academic
argument based on evidence, not opinion.
Cite your sources. Be sure to make specific reference to and cite specific examples from your
reading as evidence to support your answer.
Use your own words. Plagiarism is unacceptable. If you are confused about what constitutes
plagiarism, consult the library’s guide, or ask the instructor.
Citations. You may use whatever format you like (MLA, APA, Chicago style) to cite your
sources, but you must make clear for your reader where your information (and not just direct
quotations) comes from.
Format and Submission
Length. Your paper should be about 4 pages long, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins (about
1000-1200 words)
Format. Submit your paper in one of the following formats: .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, .txt, .pdf.
Do NOT use the Apple .pages format.
Submission. Submit your paper through TurnItIn on the Cougar Courses website. You will
receive a TurnItIn submission number. Please record this number.
Due Date: Saturday, October 17, by 11.59 p.m. No late submissions will be accepted.
1
Option #1 – Gilded Age Inequality
In Give Me Liberty!, Eric Foner argues that the growing industrial economy of the United States
during the Gilded Age led to greater inequality. Many Americans in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries began to debate about the causes of this inequality, the consequences of
inequality for freedom and democracy, and about what (if anything) should be done to correct
the problems of inequality. Americans also argued about the proper role of government in
addressing these issues.
Write an essay discussing the most important debates over the issue of economic inequality and
the problems of democracy in the Gilded Age. Why did some Americans come to believe that
they were being denied economic independence and democratic self-government during Gilded
Age? What solutions did they offer for correcting these economic and political problems, and
what opposition did they face?
In answering this question, address the following issues: competing arguments about the causes
of economic and political inequality; competing ideas about the role of government in protecting
rights and freedoms; policy recommendations for alleviating economic and political inequality;
and differences (if any) among various different interest groups.
In writing your essay, make use of ALL of the following sources.
Primary Sources
Andrew Carnegie, “Wealth,” North American Review (1889)
William Graham Sumner, What Social Class Owe to Each Other (1883)
Henry George, An Analysis of the Crime of Poverty (1885)
Mary Elizabeth Lease, Women in the Farmers’ Alliance (1891)
People’s Party (Populist) Platform (1892)
John A. Ryan, A Living Wage: Its Ethical and Economic Aspects (1906)
Progressive Party Platform (1912)
You may use relevant sections of the textbook to provide context and additional information,
where appropriate, but your essay should focus on analyzing the primary sources and using them
to help you answer the question.
Do not simply summarize each primary sources. Try to make an argument that addresses the key
issues raised in the question, and use evidence from the sources to support your argument.
2
Option #2 – Immigration, Expansion, and American Civilization
From the 1880s to the 1920s, millions of new immigrants arrived in the United States, and
America expanded its influence in the West, and in overseas territories such as Cuba and the
Philippines. This immigration and expansion caused a growing debate in the United States over
the nature of American values, American culture, and American civilization. Americans argued
over the consequences of immigration, and over the consequences of controlling foreign
countries and foreign populations.
Write an essay discussing the most significant debates over American civilization and its role in
world affairs between the 1880s and 1920s.What were some of the key concerns expressed by
different groups of Americans about the issues of immigration and overseas expansion? How did
these concerns reflect Americans’ ideas about their own nation, and about American society and
culture?
In answering this question, address the following issues: competing definitions of American
values and American civilization; the role of race and ethnicity in defining who is an American;
debates over how to deal with immigration to the United States; and debates over America’s
values and its responsibilities as a nation.
In writing your essay, make use of ALL of the following sources.
Primary Sources
Richard Pratt, “The Advantages of Mixing Indians with Whites” (1892)
Josiah Strong, Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis (1885)
Emilio Aguinaldo, “Aguinaldo’s Case against the United States” North American Review
(1899)
American Anti-Imperialist League Platform ( 1899)
Senator Albert Beveridge (IN), “The March of the Flag,” campaign speech, (1898)
Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, “Imperialism—Its
Dangers and Wrongs,” (1898)
Samuel Bryan, “Mexican Immigrants in the United States,” The Survey, (1912)
Ernestine Alvarado, “Mexican Immigration to the United States,” Proceedings of the
National Conference of Social Work (1920)
Manuel Gamio, The Mexican Immigrant: His Life-Story (1931)
Randolph Bourne, “Trans-National America,” Atlantic Monthly (1916)
1920s Immigration Laws, with associated census data.
Hiram W. Evans, “The Klan’s Fight for Americanism,” North American Review (1926)
You may use relevant sections of the textbook to provide context and additional information,
where appropriate, but your essay should focus on analyzing the primary sources and using them
to help you answer the question.
Do not simply summarize each primary sources. Try to make an argument that addresses the key
issues raised in the question, and use evidence from the sources to support your argument.