University of Florida Expansion of Citizenship and Civil Rights US History Essay Essay Prompt Reflect on the central themes in this course: (1) development

University of Florida Expansion of Citizenship and Civil Rights US History Essay Essay Prompt
Reflect on the central themes in this course: (1) development of American capitalism, (2) expansion of citizenship and civil rights, (3) Native American self-determination, and (4) political realignments. Select one of these themes, and use it as analytical frame to narrate change over time in the United States from 1868 to 2020.

Once you have identified a key theme you want to narrate, write an essay that explains to people living in 1868 how the country will change in the next 150 years. Remember, your target audience has no knowledge of the future world and therefore you cannot take any knowledge for granted. You will need to explain change over time in such a way that your 1868 audience will understand your narrative, and be so historically accurate that anyone who discovers your essay in 2020 will be convinced that you are a time traveller in need of rescue rather than an elaborate hoax.

Essay Structure

Introduction (150-250 words)

Define which course theme you will use an analytical lens for your essay: (1) development of American capitalism, (2) expansion of citizenship and civil rights, (3) Native American self-determination, and (4) political realignments
Explain how your framing organizes historical events, key actors, and historical change over time.
Make an argument about how and why the United States changed between 1868 and 2020.

Interpretive Historical Narrative (500-1000 words)

Interpret ten (10) ID terms in the body of your essay through the analytical frame you developed in your introduction. These key terms can be found on the title slide for each lecture.
Integrate quotations or paraphrased evidence from five (5) of your classmates document labs posted throughout the quarter. Provide a full citation for each of these peer resources.
Use a bold font each time you deploy an ID term, and provide a full citation for the lecture from which it came.
Demonstrate your mastery of course content by contextualizing ID terms (who, what, when, where, and why should we care) and explaining how they illustrate your interpretive frame in act. Avoid stringing together a loose assortment of ID definitions like a grade school exam unless you do not want an “A” on this assignment. Instead, cite them as evidence to support your historical interpretation.
Narrate historical change over time.

Conclusion (100-250 words)

Cinch your argument with a pithy articulation of your theoretical frame or “ism,” its importance in interpreting world history between 1850-2010, how it sheds light on this dynamic period.
Conclude with your own reflection on the importance of understanding the nuances of historical change over time between 1850-2010.

Grading (How to Get an “A”)
1. Make Historical Arguments and Narratives: An “A” quality essay will have an introduction that defines the major historical theme your using to analyze changes in the United States from 1868 to 2020, and make a forceful argument explaining how and why these historical changes developed over time. The body of your essay will tell a coherent story about change over time, driven forward in each paragraphs by topic sentences that advance your argument. More than a mere summary of the course, strive to tell a story about “the future” of the United States from the vantage of 1868. 2. Build Historical Knowledge: An “A” quality essay will integrate ID terms organically into the overarching historical narrative. Rather than stringing together an awkward melange of deracinated historical vocabulary, the ID terms will provide specific examples that reflect the broader course theme analyzed in this essay. Pay careful attention to specific dates, places, and events as well as the historical interconnections between ID terms. 3. Interpretation and Context: An “A” quality essay always places historical facts and arguments in context, not merely string along facts or summarize lectures. Description of key historical events and people must include specific dates and locations where appropriate. 4. Community Engagement: Throughout this quarter, you and your classmates have created a repository of digital secondary with your weekly document labs. By giving each other constant and constructive feedback in our online forums, you have learned to identify reliable secondary sources and digital archives. The author of an “A” quality essay will integrate the key arguments and research findings from at least four classmates’ document labs posted in public forums throughout the quarter. 5. Use Historical Perspectives as Central to Active Citizenship: The author of an “A” quality essay recognizes they are at once historical actors in their own time, and that their lives have been shaped by global historical forces. History comprises more than the recitation of facts or a banal general education requirement. The concluding section of an “A” level essay will address the significance of the author’s arguments in making sense of the world, and provide a usable map of the future for the people of 1868 to understand. 6. Historical Writing: An “A” quality essay demonstrates mastery of the Course Writing Guide, meticulous proofreading, multiple revisions, and perfectly formatted footnotes.