US History
Forms of Labour
British Restrictive Policies
Shawnee and the Cherokee tribes
F.J. Turner – frontier
Irish Immigrants
War of 1812
Female Slave
Causes of American Civil War
Unit I: A New World
[a] The Growth of American Colonies: Diverse Demography; Forms of
Labour: indigenous tribes, indentured labour, slaves
Critically examine the role and contributions of different forms of
labour to the consolidation of the colonial economy in America.
Examine the different forms of labour that facilitated the process
of colonisation in America.
[b] Revolution: sources, historiography
Do you agree with the view that the British imperialist policies
after 1763 made the Revolution imminent?
Do you agree with the view that the restrictive British policies were
responsible for the American Revolution?
Unit II: Limits of American democracy
[a] The Federalist Constitution: Structure and its Critique
Evaluate Charles Beard’s interpretation of the Constitution of 1787.
What were the responses of his critics?
‘The Federal Constitution of the USA was inspired by nobler,
philanthropic, humanitarian motives.’ Examine critically.
[b] Jeffersonian Democracy: Its Limitations
[c] Westward Expansion: Jefferson and Jackson; Marginalization,
Displacement of the indigenous tribes; case histories of the Shawnee and
the Cherokee tribes
Comment on the American racist and ethnic bias towards the
indigenous tribes. Examine with special reference to the
resistances of the Shawnee and Cherokee tribes.
Examine critically the ‘white advance on native lands’ in antebellum America. Illustrate its impact by the case studies of the
Shawnee and the Cherokee tribes
Evaluate the contributions of F.J. Turner to the study of the
Frontier.
Comment on the significance of Turner’s hypothesis of the Frontier
as ‘safety valve’.
Unit III: Early Capitalism and its inequities
[a] Growth of Market Society: Industrial Labour: gender, race, ethnicity
[b] Immigrant Labour: religious, racial, ethnic bias; case history of Irish
immigrants
Examine critically the social evolution and political participation of
the immigrants in antebellum America with special reference to
Irish immigrants.
Discuss the nature and objectives of the Irish Land League in
America in the nineteenth century. Did it influence and transform
the attitudes of the Irish immigrants towards the American
society?
Unit IV: U.S. quest for dominance
[a] Imperialism and Changing Diplomacy: Manifest Destiny, War of
1812; Monroe Doctrine
Analyse critically the origins of the War of 1812. Was it a prelude to
Manifest Destiny?
Was the Monroe Doctrine a challenge to the world or was it a
strategy to fulfil U.S. imperialism? Discuss with reference to its
various facets.
Examine critically the genesis of the War of 1812. Was it indicative
of the USA’s desire for territorial expansionism?
Unit V: Slavery
[a] The economics of slavery: South vs. North/Debate
Evaluate the validity of the definition of slavery as political
economy. Was it distinct from northern capitalism?
Discuss the political economy of slavery in ante-bellum America.
Did it facilitate capitalism in ‘Agrarian South’?
[b] Slave life and culture; nature of female slavery; slave resistance
(including female slave resistance)
Examine the patterns of slave resistance with particular reference
to the challenges posed by female slaves in nineteenth century
America.
Comment on the patterns of slave resistance with particular
reference to the role of the female slaves in challenging the
nineteenth century racist stereotypes.
Unit VI: The Civil War
[a] Issues of the War
Discuss the main issues that led to the Civil War. Was the war
‘inevitable’?
Is it fair to suggest that the Civil War was a ‘brutal and a horrible
experience for the soul of America’. Explain in the context of the
issues that led to the War.
[b] Interpretations