Exam II (Chapters 4-7)
Part I. Big Essay Question: How did America change from the mid-1600s to 1789?
Please write an essay of about eight paragraphs (3-4 pages, double-spaced) to address the question. Please follow these guidelines:
- Develop a main point related to a theme you see in the mid-1600s to the 1780s, such as economic change, cultural diversity, or political development.
- Discuss how America changed in the whole time-period. (You could tell it like a story. If you like, you could show what a person would experience living through this era.)
- Use material from Global Americans, Chapters 4-7. You may also use material from Connecting California if you find it especially helpful. Where you use quotes or specific information from the reading, simply give a page number (221).
- Use about 8-10 key terms or questions from the reading handouts to develop your main points. Put the key items in bold or put a few key words from the questions in bold (please just put it in bold once, the first time you use it in a significant way).
- Include at least three pictures. Note how the pictures help us understand key points in your essay.Integrate the pictures with the writing to reinforce concepts and events.
- Organize your essay as a series of short to medium-sized paragraphs.
- In your first paragraph, give an overview of the kinds of changes you will discuss.
- In your last paragraph, note how these events relate to the country we live in today. You may also note how the history helps us understand our world or ourselves.
- In your essay, you might also use “Habits of Mind for History” for inspiration.
Part II. Reflective Essay (Journal) on the Spanish Mission Era
Please write about three pages of observations on the era of Spanish settlement in California, using selections from Connecting California. Relate your observations to events and concepts we have discussed in class. Reflect on how the documents help you grow as a historian.
Please start your essay with an overall perspective on what you learned. Then examine each of your sources (critically) to show how they add to our understanding. Use about four selections from Connecting California, related to the era, that you have not used before. Please put titles of documents in bold the first you discuss them in a significant way.
Using your own research, include an additional primary source document from the 1600s or 1700s. The document does not need to be about California, as long as it relates to the rest of the essay. We recommend documents in the SDSU library archive or from a recognized institution such as the Smithsonian, California State Library, or San Diego Historical Society.