course material

1. America rebirth and the emergency of modern america 1863-1918
Topic: america rebirth and the emergency of modern america 1863-1918Order
Descriptionhe following is an example of how is expected this Essay should
be:HistoryPrompt: Our Unit I theme was America’ s Rebirth and the Emergence of Modern
America, 1863-1918. With that theme in mind, write an essay explaining what type of
nation America became in the half-century following the Civil War. Based on the materials
you have been assigned during the first six weeks, including lectures, textbook readings,
website links, etc., identify and describe, using specific examples to illustrate, the four or
five most important, defining themes/features/developments of the country that emerged
during this period.Sample Midterm EssayThe essay below is recopied here just as it was
submitted, with no corrections or changes. Notice how this student brings together material
from both our Foner textbook and the weekly lectures, and uses that information to
illustrate the chosen/highlighted themes of freedom and equality. These themes help hold
the narrative together and make it easy to follow. At the same time, you can hear the
author’ s voice – it reads/sounds like this person’ s point-of-view on the subject we’ ve
studied.In the half-century following the Civil War America became a divided nation. A
nation divided in many ways, some of which were views of freedom, equality, policy, and
power. There were many factions of the divided but the two most prominent divisions were
the people that were ready to embrace the future of America and excited for the prospect of
change, and the people who didn’ t want the change that was happening and would hold on
to the ‘ good ole days’ as long as they possible could, reluctant to anything or anyone who
threatened to closet the security blanket that represented the past ways and only ways they
knew.The definition of freedom is one of the first noticeable divisions after the dust of the
Civil War settled. “ What is freedom?” asked Congressman James A. Garfield in 1865. “ Is it
the bare privilege of not being chained? If this is all, then freedom is a bitter mockery, a
cruel delusion.” (Foner, p. 587) The freedmen felt freedom was what the whites had rights
to, rights such as the right to own property, go to school, vote, etc. And there were others
that were not black or former slaves that felt this way as well and supported the former
slave’ s ideas of freedom. ThaIDeus Stevens, a white man and leader of the Radical
Republicans, called for forty acres of land, a mule, and fifty dollars per head as an
amendment to the 1867 Reconstruction Act passed by the Radical Republicans in congress
(Video Lecture: Landscape of Freedom 1866- 1876). Unfortunately even with the

2. supporters former slaves had, the oIDs were stacked against them tenfold. One example the
black codes, laws that were put into place to regulate the former slaves. While the black
codes allotted former slaves some rights like legalized marriage, ownership of property and
some access to courts. It also denied former slaves rights as well such as testifying against
whites, serving on a jury or militia, and the right to vote (Foner, p.601). Trying to determine
what American freedom was during the Reconstruction Era was like tight rope walking on
the bar supporting the balancing scales, the meaning of freedom and ever changing laws
were constantly tipping the scales of both sides, former slaves would get a more fair version
of freedom only to have it be revoked or with conditions.The question of what freedom
truly meant at times during the Reconstruction Era and the laws, practices, and daily life
routines that were formed with the bias mindset during this time played a hand in the
division of Americans ideas of what it meant to be equal. The division of what Equality was
had more factions than that of the opinion of freedom. Equality was something that was
sought after by the blacks, other immigrants, different political parties, and women. And the
biggest divisions were of course the people that wanted equality versus the white men of
power that didn’ t want to share that power. Post the Reconstruction Era 1877 to about
1898 while the struggle with freedom was still ongoing so was inequality for former slaves.
Former slaves were faces with challenges like the Jim Crow laws, and the promise of the
“ new south” . The idea of this “ new south” being “ The clear and unmistakable domination
of the white race…that is the hope and assurance of the South” and the death of civil rights
(Video Lecture: After Freedom: Race and Ethnicity), because the old south’ s way of
inequality and racial conduct was deemed “ natural” . 1896 Plessy vs. Fergusons verdict of
“ separate but equal” did not help. Even using the word equal was a slap in the face when
blacks were treated anything but equal, with them be separated from the whites when it
came to things like; transportation, theaters, restaurants, education, and not being allowed
to marry interracially in many states (whites with any other race that was not a form of
white). But with all the hardship that was being faced and the inequality that was being
more and more apparent, blacks were not the only ones fighting for a chance to be treated
equally. Of all the different roads you can take to discuss how America was divided on its
thoughts regarding equality, women equality was a long struggle that poised very obvious
division. Women were starting to question publicly why they were not considered being an
independent being capable of having a voice with the right to vote, have fair wages, and be
respected enough to be granted safe working conditions. “ The contest with the South that
destroyed slavery has caused an immense increase in the popular passion for liberty and
equality” Sidney George Fisher wrote in his diary (Foner, P. 608). To support the effort to
create equality for women two women’ s rights organizations were formed the National
Woman Suffrage Association led by Stanton and the American Woman Suffrage Association
led by Lucy Stone (Foner, p. 609). These associations wanted to break women out of the
“ domestic sphere” . This sphere pigeon holed women into only needing to be concerned
with motherly and wifely duties at home. In 1890 during what was considered the
“ Women’ s Era” women were able to step out of the domestic sphere, but still did not have
the right to vote. The right to vote is what women held as the marker of finally reaching
equality. Finally by 1900 more than half the states allowed women to vote in local elections

3. dealing with school issues, and Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah had adopted full
women’ s suffrage (Foner, p.753). Women were now getting somewhere with their
campaigns but they still had a long road ahead of them that finally came to an end in 1920
when the United States became the 27th country to allow women to vote (Foner, p.784)The
division of policy and power really can be seen as being in cahoots. Policies are made to help
keep the power. As modern America is emerging the division of policy and power are
abundantly clear in the case of Eugene V. Debs. Eugene was a socialist that was opposed to
World War I and he would deliver speeches saying such. The government took his speeches
as a violation to the Espionage Act and sentenced Debs to 10 years in Federal Prison. The
division was clear that not everyone felt the same way as the government, thought a lot of
people did, when Deb’ s ran for presidency and received around 900,000 votes while in
prison (Foner, p.786)Looking at the history of America after the Civil War the division of
race is horribly obvious but the nation was not only divided by the color of skin but also the
beliefs and morals practiced by its citizens. Even today there is division amongst the nation
and there probably always will be because there will always be someone with an opposing
belief or idea and the ideal of ‘ the good ole days’ will always be something that people are
trying to achieve no matter the cost as long as they come out on top, but that same ideology
can be applied to those in favor of change for their own beliefs as well.lectures;Lectures:
HistoryWeek 2 A Landscape of Destruction: America at the End of Civil War, 1865Video
Lecture: Landscape of Destruction, part 1ShermanVideo Lecture —Landscape of
Destruction, part 2PowerPoint —Landscape of Destruction, parts 1 & 2A Republic of
SufferingAnalysis: Lincoln’ s Gettysburg AIDressAbraham Lincoln & the Gettysburg AIDress
Interactive websiteWeek 3 Checklist: ReconstructionPowerPoint: The Landscape of
Freedom —Reconstruction, 1866-1876Video Lecture —The Landscape of Freedom:
Reconstruction, 1866-1876Week 4 Checklist: Age of Industry and Western ExpansionWeek
4 Discussion Board Directions:How Was the West Won?PowerPoint Lecture —An Industrial
Landscape: Chicago as Nature’ s MetropolisVoicethread: John Gast, American
ProgressVoicethread: John Gast, American Progress (text)PowerPoint Lecture: Native
American LandscapeVideo Lecture: Native American LandscapeCuster’ s Last Stand (PBS
video)Study Questions: Custer’ s Last Stand (video)Wounded Knee, 1890 (500 Nations
videoStudy Questions: Wounded Knee, 1890 (500 Nations video)Week 5 Checklist:
Freedom’ s Boundaries at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900Video Lecture —After Freedom:
Race and Ethnicity in Post-Reconstruction America, 1877-1900Lecture —After Freedom:
Race and Ethnicity in Post-Reconstruction America, 1877-1900 (pdf format)Lecture —After
Freedom: Race and Ethnicity in Post-Reconstruction America, 1877-1900
(PowerPointLecture: Mythic Landscape of American Empire (pdf format)Lecture: Mythic
Landscape of American Empire (PowerPoint format)Video Lecture: Mythic Landscape, part
1Video Lecture: Mythic Landscape, part 2Images of Empire in the MediaMusic During
WartimeAnti-Imperialism: Writings of Mark TwainTeIDy Roosevelt, "The Duties of a Great
Nation"Rough Riders on FilmImages of "Warrior" PresidentsWeek 6 Checklist: The
Progressive EraRead chapter 21 in our textbook and watch the Hard times and New Deal
Leacture part 2. watch radio broadcast of FDR’ s First Inaugural AIDress from 1933 and
Senator Huey P. Long’ s Share the Wealth speech from 1935. Political ideas, etc.he following

4. is an example of how is expected this Essay should be:HistoryPrompt: Our Unit I theme
was America’ s Rebirth and the Emergence of Modern America, 1863-1918. With that
theme in mind, write an essay explaining what type of nation America became in the half-
century following the Civil War. Based on the materials you have been assigned during the
first six weeks, including lectures, textbook readings, website links, etc., identify and
describe, using specific examples to illustrate, the four or five most important, defining
themes/features/developments of the country that emerged during this period.Sample
Midterm EssayThe essay below is recopied here just as it was submitted, with no
corrections or changes. Notice how this student brings together material from both our
Foner textbook and the weekly lectures, and uses that information to illustrate the
chosen/highlighted themes of freedom and equality. These themes help hold the narrative
together and make it easy to follow. At the same time, you can hear the author’ s voice – it
reads/sounds like this person’ s point-of-view on the subject we’ ve studied.In the half-
century following the Civil War America became a divided nation. A nation divided in many
ways, some of which were views of freedom, equality, policy, and power. There were many
factions of the divided but the two most prominent divisions were the people that were
ready to embrace the future of America and excited for the prospect of change, and the
people who didn’ t want the change that was happening and would hold on to the ‘ good
ole days’ as long as they possible could, reluctant to anything or anyone who threatened to
closet the security blanket that represented the past ways and only ways they knew.The
definition of freedom is one of the first noticeable divisions after the dust of the Civil War
settled. “ What is freedom?” asked Congressman James A. Garfield in 1865. “ Is it the bare
privilege of not being chained? If this is all, then freedom is a bitter mockery, a cruel
delusion.” (Foner, p. 587) The freedmen felt freedom was what the whites had rights to,
rights such as the right to own property, go to school, vote, etc. And there were others that
were not black or former slaves that felt this way as well and supported the former slave’ s
ideas of freedom. ThaIDeus Stevens, a white man and leader of the Radical Republicans,
called for forty acres of land, a mule, and fifty dollars per head as an amendment to the 1867
Reconstruction Act passed by the Radical Republicans in congress (Video Lecture:
Landscape of Freedom 1866- 1876). Unfortunately even with the supporters former slaves
had, the oIDs were stacked against them tenfold. One example the black codes, laws that
were put into place to regulate the former slaves. While the black codes allotted former
slaves some rights like legalized marriage, ownership of property and some access to
courts. It also denied former slaves rights as well such as testifying against whites, serving
on a jury or militia, and the right to vote (Foner, p.601). Trying to determine what American
freedom was during the Reconstruction Era was like tight rope walking on the bar
supporting the balancing scales, the meaning of freedom and ever changing laws were
constantly tipping the scales of both sides, former slaves would get a more fair version of
freedom only to have it be revoked or with conditions.The question of what freedom truly
meant at times during the Reconstruction Era and the laws, practices, and daily life routines
that were formed with the bias mindset during this time played a hand in the division of
Americans ideas of what it meant to be equal. The division of what Equality was had more
factions than that of the opinion of freedom. Equality was something that was sought after

5. by the blacks, other immigrants, different political parties, and women. And the biggest
divisions were of course the people that wanted equality versus the white men of power
that didn’ t want to share that power. Post the Reconstruction Era 1877 to about 1898
while the struggle with freedom was still ongoing so was inequality for former slaves.
Former slaves were faces with challenges like the Jim Crow laws, and the promise of the
“ new south” . The idea of this “ new south” being “ The clear and unmistakable domination
of the white race…that is the hope and assurance of the South” and the death of civil rights
(Video Lecture: After Freedom: Race and Ethnicity), because the old south’ s way of
inequality and racial conduct was deemed “ natural” . 1896 Plessy vs. Fergusons verdict of
“ separate but equal” did not help. Even using the word equal was a slap in the face when
blacks were treated anything but equal, with them be separated from the whites when it
came to things like; transportation, theaters, restaurants, education, and not being allowed
to marry interracially in many states (whites with any other race that was not a form of
white). But with all the hardship that was being faced and the inequality that was being
more and more apparent, blacks were not the only ones fighting for a chance to be treated
equally. Of all the different roads you can take to discuss how America was divided on its
thoughts regarding equality, women equality was a long struggle that poised very obvious
division. Women were starting to question publicly why they were not considered being an
independent being capable of having a voice with the right to vote, have fair wages, and be
respected enough to be granted safe working conditions. “ The contest with the South that
destroyed slavery has caused an immense increase in the popular passion for liberty and
equality” Sidney George Fisher wrote in his diary (Foner, P. 608). To support the effort to
create equality for women two women’ s rights organizations were formed the National
Woman Suffrage Association led by Stanton and the American Woman Suffrage Association
led by Lucy Stone (Foner, p. 609). These associations wanted to break women out of the
“ domestic sphere” . This sphere pigeon holed women into only needing to be concerned
with motherly and wifely duties at home. In 1890 during what was considered the
“ Women’ s Era” women were able to step out of the domestic sphere, but still did not have
the right to vote. The right to vote is what women held as the marker of finally reaching
equality. Finally by 1900 more than half the states allowed women to vote in local elections
dealing with school issues, and Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah had adopted full
women’ s suffrage (Foner, p.753). Women were now getting somewhere with their
campaigns but they still had a long road ahead of them that finally came to an end in 1920
when the United States became the 27th country to allow women to vote (Foner, p.784)The
division of policy and power really can be seen as being in cahoots. Policies are made to help
keep the power. As modern America is emerging the division of policy and power are
abundantly clear in the case of Eugene V. Debs. Eugene was a socialist that was opposed to
World War I and he would deliver speeches saying such. The government took his speeches
as a violation to the Espionage Act and sentenced Debs to 10 years in Federal Prison. The
division was clear that not everyone felt the same way as the government, thought a lot of
people did, when Deb’ s ran for presidency and received around 900,000 votes while in
prison (Foner, p.786)Looking at the history of America after the Civil War the division of
race is horribly obvious but the nation was not only divided by the color of skin but also the

6. beliefs and morals practiced by its citizens. Even today there is division amongst the nation
and there probably always will be because there will always be someone with an opposing
belief or idea and the ideal of ‘ the good ole days’ will always be something that people are
trying to achieve no matter the cost as long as they come out on top, but that same ideology
can be applied to those in favor of change for their own beliefs as well.This essay is just
based on foner textbook and the lecture topics thats all