Assignment:
Essay topics chose one (3 to 5 paragraphs)
1. Examine one of the revolutions since the eighteenth century that we have studied. Options include the American Revolution, the French Revolution (1789-1799), the Haitian Revolution, the French Revolution of 1830 (French Revolution), the European revolts of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Russian Revolution, OR the Chinese Revolution.
2. Examine the history of slavery and efforts aimed at its abolition since the late eighteenth century. How did abolitionist efforts intersect with religious principles, nationalism, imperialism, etc.? Briefly describe the experiences of slaves and slaveholders in daily life.
3. Analyze one of the wars we have studied since the midterm exam, including the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War/the Filipino War, World War I, the Russian Civil War, World War II, OR the Korean War. Identify some key people and events.
4. Examine the women's rights struggles and women's experiences in general, perhaps limiting your analysis to two or three countries. How do you assess the effectiveness of the women's suffrage (voting rights) struggle? Why do you think so many authoritarian governments rolled back women's rights?
5. Examine the role of religion and criticism of religion in the unfolding of modern global history since ca. 1800. You may choose to focus on a specific religious tradition. How did religious leaders and believers respond to the Enlightenment and various revolutions? To the Industrial Revolution?
6. Examine the influence of nationalism and its relation to liberal, conservative, and socialist ideologies in both the Western world and non-Western world, including anti-colonial independence wars, since the early nineteenth century. You may also examine the connections between nationalism and industrialization.