World War II (Textbook Chapter 16 & 17)
TOPIC:
World War II is often characterized as an era of “progress and opportunity.” Assess the validity of this statement by examining
three different aspects of American life (social, economic, political, science/technology).
INTRODUCTION:
 Define progress and opportunity
 Explain social, economics, politics, science/technology BEFORE WWII
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: Socially
 Japanese Americans (Internment, Purple Heart Battalion)
 African Americans (Tuskegee Airmen, Double V Campaign)
 Women (WAAC)
 Mexican Americans (Zoot Suit Riots, Bracero Program)
Option B: Politics
 EO 9066
 GI Bill of Rights
Option C: Economics
 Inflation
 Income tax
 Rationing
 Price controls (OPA)
Option D: Science/Technology
 Medicine
 Weapons
 Nuclear energy/A-bomb



shortages
End of Depression
Employment rates


Radar
transportation
1950s (Chapter 18 & 19)
TOPIC:
The 1950s are often called an era of “peace, prosperity, and progress.” Is this an accurate description of the decade?
INTRODUCTION:
 define peace
 define prosperity
 define progress
 provide background on the years leading into the 1950s (the Great Depression and World War II) focusing on peace,
prosperity, and progress during those eras
PARAGRAPHS:
Paragraph #1: Peace
 McCarthy
 NATO
 Cold War
 H-Bomb
 Open Skies Proposal
 UN
 2nd Red Scare
Paragraph #2: Prosperity
 Poverty levels/income distribution
 Public services
 Ghettos
 Inflation
 Suburbs
Paragraph #3: Progress
 2nd Red Scare
 Segregation
 Brown vs. Board of Education
 Role of women
 Medical advances






Korean War
Arms Race
Spies
Eisenhower Doctrine
Geneva Summit
MAD





Car sales
Fair Deal
“white flight”
Use of credit
Living standards





Civil Rights Act of 1957
NASA
TV
Sputnik
Operation Wetback
Second Red Scare (Textbook Chapter 18)
TOPIC:
Was the second Red Scare that occurred in the 1950s based upon valid threats to American security or was it simply
hysteria? Use both world and domestic events to determine your argument.
INTRODUCTION:
 Define and explain the Cold War (origins? What was it? What was U.S. fighting for? Against?)
 Explain the differences between communism and democracy
 Define what is considered a threat and what paranoia is.
PARAGRAPHS:
Paragraph #1: Political Threats
 Spies
 McCarthy
 Truman Loyalty Order
 Alger Hiss
 Rosenberg’s
Paragraph #2: Cultural Threat
 Hollywood 10
 Blacklists
 HUAC
Paragraph #3: Foreign Threats
 China
 Korea
 Uprisings in Hungary/Czechoslovakia
* Consider this: What happened from the end of WWII to the early 1960s that show the United States was threatened by
communism?
Vietnam (Textbook chapter 22)
TOPIC:
The Vietnam War is often referred to as “Johnson’s War,” since it was on LBJs watch that the major escalation of U.S.
involvement took place. But some scholars argue it could just as easily be called “Kennedy’s War,” or even “Eisenhower’s
War,” because of what these scholars see as the crucial decisions made between the early 1950s and early 1960s. What is
your view?
INTRODUCTION:
o History of Vietnam from colonization through WWII (French and Japanese rule)
o Explain the relationship to the Cold War (rise of communism vs. democracy in Vietnam)
o If arguing that LBJ is ONLY responsible, need to explain the decisions/actions of Eisenhower and JFK
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: Arguing it is ALL three presidents fault
Paragraph #1: Eisenhower’s Policies (1953 - 1960) – one political, one economic, one military
Paragraph #2: JFK’s Policies (1960-1963) – one political, one economic, one military
Paragraph #3: LBJ’s Policies (1964-1968) – one political, one economic, one military
Option B: Arguing it is ALL three presidents fault
Paragraph #1: Political Decisions – one Eisenhower, one JFK, one LBJ
Paragraph #2: Economic Decisions - one Eisenhower, one JFK, one LBJ
Paragraph #3: Military Decisions - one Eisenhower, one JFK, one LBJ
Option C: Arguing that it is only LBJ’s fault
Paragraph #1: LBJ’s Political decisions (3)
Paragraph #2: LBJs Economic Decisions (3)
Paragraph #3: LBJs Military Decisions (3)
1968 (Textbook p 748 – 757)
TOPIC:
1968 is considered by many historians as a turning point in American history. To what extent is this an accurate
assessment? In your answer, discuss the following: national politics, foreign policy, and civil rights.
INTRODUCTION:
 Overview of 1960 – 1967 focusing on politics, foreign policy, and civil right – successes and failures
o Student groups like the SDS
o Vietnam War/Cold War
o Civil Rights Movement
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: Politics
o LBJs decision not to run
o RFK Assassination
o Chicago Democratic Convention
o Election of Nixon (can use any event that occurred as a result of this election as well)
Option B: Foreign Policy
o TET
o My Lai
o Vietnamization
o Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaties (led to Détente)
o Cambodia
Option C: Civil Rights
o Civil Rights Act of 1968
o Assassination of MLK
o Race Riots
o Kerner Commission
Protest Movements (Textbook Chapter 21, 22.3 & 22.4, Chapter 23, Chapter 24.4, Chapter 25.3, p914-915)
TOPIC:
What is a more successful protest technique, violent or non-violent protest? Please examine three different protest
movements, their goals, methods, and what they accomplished, to determine whether violent or non-violent protest is more
effective. You may only use protest movements that occurred in the post-WWII world (examples: women’s rights, African
American, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Vietnam Anti-War, Environmental/Animal Rights Movement, Gay
Rights)
INTRODUCTION:
o Explanation of 1st Amendment & Bill of Rights (as giving us the right to protest)
o History of Protest in the U.S. (Revolutionary War/Progressive Era/etc)
o Define violent & non-violent protest
o Brief history of three movements you are writing about (why they need to protest and the goals)
o Define how you are measuring success
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: Women’s Rights
 Roe v. Wade
 Equal Pay Act of 1963
 EEOC
 NOW
 Higher Education Act
 Title IX
Option B: African Americans
 Affirmative Action
 SCLC
 SNCC
 Voting Rights Act of 1965
 Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964, 1968
 MFDP
 Selma March
 A Philip Randolph
 March on Washington
 Sit-Ins
 Montgomery Bus Boycott
Option C: Anti-War Protests
 SDS
 Vietnam Conflict
Option D: Native American Protest Movement
 Declaration of Indian Purpose
 AIM
 Trail of Broken Treaties
Other Possible Topics:
 Asian Americans
 Latinos
 Gay Rights
 Environmental Movement
**** You MUST explain how a SPECIFIC act of violent or non-violent Protest led to (or didn’t lead to) a specific change
in society. For example the non-violent March on Washington directly led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. So you must
research protests and figure out what they changed.
Civil Liberties (Chapter 22.5, p894-897, 866-867, Chapter 17, Chapter 18.3)
TOPIC:
The Constitution states in both Article I and in the Fifth Amendment that the government has the right to temporarily
suspend some civil rights and liberties during a time of war. Examine three different time periods (WWII to today) where the
government has done this and use these examples to explain if the suspension of these rights is justified.
INTRODUCTION:
 Define and give examples of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
 Explain Article 1 of Constitution
 Explain 5th Amendment
 Examine previous American wars and the suspension of rights (American Revolution, Spanish-American War, Civil
War, Mexican-American War, WWI)
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: World War II
 Japanese Internment
 Economic controls
Option B: Cold War
 Loyalty Order
 Rosenberg’s
 2nd Red Scare
 McCarthy
 HUAC
 Black Lists
 Alger Hiss
Option C: Vietnam Conflict
 Kent State
 Columbia Protests
Option D: War on Terror
 Patriot Act
 Guantanamo Bay?
* Do the ends justify the means? For example during WWII Japanese were interned, was this necessary for
national security?
Just War Theory (Textbook Chapters 16, 17, 22, pages 894-899, 853 – 855, 611- 615)
TOPIC:
Many Americans feel that 20 and 21st century wars have been justified. Using “just-war theory,” choose three recent
conflicts (WWII, Korean War, Vietnam conflict, Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom) to determine whether recent American
foreign policy has really been justified
INTRODUCTION:
 define Just War Theory
 explain the Geneva Conferences/Papers
 explain the 6 tenets of the theory (name and explain)
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: WWII
Option B: Korean War
Option C: Vietnam Conflict
Option D: Persian Gulf War
Option E: Operation Iraqi Freedom
* must find examples for each tenet (can either combine #1/#2 and #5/#6 or use more than 3 quotes)
Government Programs (Textbook p692, Chapter 15, p639, 679-683, p686-693, 795 - 796)
TOPIC:
Do government programs (New Deal, New Frontier, Great Society, etc) succeed in promoting social and economic change,
or have historical programs prove that government-sponsored programs do not work?
INTRODUCTION:
 explain what is meant by “government programs”
 explain federalism (division of powers)
 provide a background to the eras you will be discussing. For example if discussing New Deal – explain the Depression and
the need for change/help for Americans
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: New Deal (FDR)
Option B: New Frontier (JFK)
Option C: Great Society (LBJ)
Option D: Fair Deal (Truman)
Option E: New Federalism (Nixon)
* can do a different program, but it must be from the 1930s to today
American Ideals
TOPIC:
Has the United States achieved the American ideals in the years from 1941 to today? Choose three different eras (WWII,
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, etc) and discuss all five ideals for each era.
INTRODUCTION:
 define “ideal”
 explain origins of ideals (Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War, Constitution, Bill of Rights)
 define all five ideals
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A: WWII
Option B: 1950s
Option C: 1960s
Option D: 1970s
Option E: 1980s
Option F: 1990s
* MUST discuss all 5 ideals for each decade (can combine together liberty/equality/rights)
Pop Culture (p652 -659, p781-787, 808-809, 876-878)
TOPIC:
Does mainstream pop culture (music, movies, television, radio) reflect or refract the lives of average Americans? You can
use three different eras or three different forms of media to prove your argument.
INTRODUCTION:
 define/explain what is meant by the phrase: mainstream pop culture
 briefly explain the changes in pop culture (movement from paper media to digital media)
 provide a brief explanation of life in the three eras you will be focusing on. For example if you are discussing the 1950s,
you need to explain what life was like for Americans in the 1950s.
PARAGRAPHS:
Option A:
Option #1: 1950s (each example must be a different form of media)
Option #2: 1960s
Option #3: 1970s
Option #4: 1980s
Option #5: 1990s
Option B:
Paragraph #1: Music/Radio (each example must be from a different decade)
Paragraph #2: Movies
Paragraph #3: TV
Presidents (chapters 15, 16 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26)
TOPIC:
Can Presidents be successful at both foreign and domestic policy? Presidents who have been notably successful in either
foreign affairs or domestic affairs have seldom been notably successful in both. Assess this statement with reference to
THREE presidents from the 20th and 21st centuries (Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford,
Carter, Reagan, George Bush senior, Clinton, George W. Bush).
INTRODUCTION:
 define/explain foreign policy and domestic policy
 define how you are measuring success
 provide background information on the three Presidents you will be discussing (including their goals & policies)
PARAGRAPHS:
 each paragraph will be about a different president
 you will need to argue that they CAN be successful at both or they CAN NOT succeed at both
 Within each paragraph you will need to discuss the domestic and foreign policy successes or failures (depending on
how you are arguing)
Elections (p412 – 421, 478 – 483, 488 – 490, 634 – 640, 670 – 672, 742 – 753)
TOPIC:
A presidential election that results in defeat of the party in power usually indicates the failure of the party in power to have
dealt effectively with the nation’s problems, rather than indicating the positive appeal of the winning candidate and his party
platform. Assess the validity of this generalization with reference to THREE of the elections in which the party in power was
defeated: 1920, 1932, 1952, 1960, 1968.
INTRODUCTION:
 Discuss and define the basic differences between the Democrats & Republicans
 Provide background on the political climate prior to the three elections you will be discussing (including the failures of
the previous administrations)
 Your thesis should state which is more important: the beliefs of the winning candidate, or the failures of the previous
administration.
PARAGRAPHS:
 Option A: Election of 1920
 Option B: Election of 1932
 Option C: Election of 1952


Option D: Election of 1960
Option E: Election of 1968
For each body paragraph you will need to have three pieces of evidence that prove the candidate was elected because of
his beliefs OR because of the failures of the previous President/political party (depends on what your are arguing)
**** Note: statistics will be very helpful for you in determining your argument and in your body paragraphs