American and French Revolutions

Midterm Exam  (2 Essays – 3 Pages for the first 1.5 for second)

You have freedom to choose your topic for the second part. The first part will be an essay as well. I will provide you links to some textbook resources, but that only qualifies as 1 source as I need to other outside academic sources (this will be up to you).

Submit answers to the Midterm Exam as a single file (.doc or Google doc) to the Exam #1 drop box on Canvas.

You should write coherent, well-argued essays, in which you state clearly your thesis that answer the questions posed; present arguments explaining and supporting your theses; and discuss specific historical evidence that supports your arguments. Be as specific as possible in answering the question and in supporting your theses.  You should provide evidence drawn from primary sources ((at least 3 for each question) texts written, or objects created, in the time period of the events you are discussing).

You need not formally cite sources (unless you want to), but you should reference them.  For example, “Maximilien Robespierre states in his ‘Speech to the National Convention’ that……”  Please keep the use of quotes to a minimum—put things in your own words (I want your ideas and conclusions, not the authors’).  What I am looking for is your ability to synthesize and analyze a variety of sources to develop and support an argument.  To reiterate: you should use more than one source (the textbook alone is not enough) and you should use primary sources.

You should answer and submit 2 essays.  Everybody complete Part A and choose 1 question to answer from Part B:

PART A: Your essay should be ~3 pages (75 points).

Write an essay in which you compare the American and French Revolutions in terms of ideological underpinnings, causation, outcome, and relative importance for Western Civilization.  Please note: I am not concerned about the military aspects of these revolutions, so please don’t tell me about battles.

You may answer this question in one of two ways:

As a traditional essay, or
You may prepare a narrated (by you) presentation on PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, etc.
You may write from a firsthand perspective as someone (or something like an inanimate object) that witnessed both revolutions.  You may write in a series of letters, newspaper articles, a diary, etc.  You can be as creative as you like, but you must provide a comparison of these revolutions and you must include primary sources for support.
Of course, you should include a thesis of some sort, regardless of how you answer this question.

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PART B: Select and answer one (1) of the following (25 points, 1½ to 2 pages):

The early modern period witnessed the rise of modern nation-states from the chaos of the 16th century.  Compare the process of nation building in England, France, and one other state.  (Consider why each state developed as it did, the similarities and differences between the states as they developed, and the role of such factors as economics, religion, and the bourgeoisie in this process.)
Explain the major characteristics of the Enlightenment, why it began, and its significance for Western civilization.  (Some things to consider: what was the Enlightenment, who was involved, where and why did it emerge, and where did these ideas come from?).
You should consider:
What major problems did the philosophes see and what solutions did they propose?  How did they view religion?
In general, how realistic and effective were the philosophes in bringing about the progress they advocated in eighteenth-century Europe?
Why was northwestern Europe the center of economic growth in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries?
What was the effect of print culture on the eighteenth century?