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Writing Options
S16 HIST 17C
Each student is required to write one 3-page paper. You have a choice whether to choose the
one that is due on May 5, 2016, or the one due on June 7, 2016.
Option One due on May 5, 2016:
[See Chapter 25]
The atomic bomb has had global implications since it was developed during World War II by the
United States. Begin your paper by explaining how German anti-Semitism was a factor in the
American quest for the bomb. Describe the Manhattan Project, who worked on it, and who
knew about it? What were the options facing President Truman in his decision to drop the
bomb? How has Truman’s decision shaped perceptions of America abroad? Finally, explain your
opinion of Truman’s decision.
Option Two due on June 7, 2016:
[See Chapter 27]
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was one of the most significant Supreme Court cases of
the twentieth century. Write a three-page paper which explains your understanding of the
case, identifying the main litigants, and give the arguments that legislators in the South gave
against the decision.
Why do you think the Supreme Court ruled as it did?
What obstacles did African-American students have to face in integrated schools? Do obstacles
still remain in America’s schools for people of color?