PENNCREST HIGH SCHOOL
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY
MID–TERM EXAM ESSAY QUESTIONS
Directions: Answer TWO of the following questions in essay format. Use a minimum of two
paragraphs in your answer and be sure to include specific examples from the first half of this course.
Do one essay from Part A and the second essay from Part B. If you use sources beyond your textbook
and class notes, be sure to cite the source using MLA formatting. The essays must be word
processed. They must also, of course, be your original work. (20 points each)
Essays are due: At START OF MID TERM. NO EXCEPTIONS. To be handed-in (hard copy)
PART A:
A1. Analyze how the United States achieved the thesis of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea
Power Upon History. Provide an explanation of historical events that support America’s role in
achieving Mahan’s main argument.
OR
A2. Analyze a current event by comparing it to something we have learned about in class. Be sure to
provide a detailed explanation of the current event and relate it to the past with supporting evidence.
In answering this prompt, consider similarities AND differences between the events.
PART B:
B1. Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt were three powerful presidents
that we have studied in the first half of this course. Pick TWO of them and analyze the impact they
made on the United States. (Make sure you stay within the context of the materials we have studied
in the first half of the year.)
OR
B2. Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and John D. Rockefeller were three innovators and
business leaders of the late 19th Century. Pick TWO of them and analyze the impact they had on the
United States. Determine whether you believe them to be “Captains of Industry” or “Robber Barons”
and why you feel that way.