Part 3 & 4 Short Essays
The Growth of American Democracy, Expansion & Civil War, 1800-1865
One project should include a site visit. Recommended sites are shown on the right. There are many other suitable sites that you may use, and they do not necessarily have to be directly connected to a project. If submitted separately, they should consist of a 2-3 page discussion of where you went, what you observed and what you thought about your visit.
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| The John Marshall Project John Marshall is generally acknowledged to be the the greatest Chief Justice in American history. He served 34 years during the terms of six presidents and wrote some of the Court's most important decisions. In addition, he instituted practices that have made the Court unique in the halls of government to this day, instilling a spirit of collegiality that transcends differences of opinion which must exist in any body charged with some of the most important business that the nation conducts. |
John Marshall House
Richmond
U.S Capitol |
| American Political Parties. America has been fortunate in its political history in that the basic structure—the two-party system, which we inherited largely from the British—has led to a stable system of government which, contested elections aside, has not by its nature led to serious divisions in the country. (In the matter of political issues, of course, considerable divisions have occurred.) |
U.S. Capitol |
| The Second Generation. The generation of American leaders who followed the founding fathers are far less well known or recognized than their illustrious predecessors, but they carried the principles of the revolution and the constitution forward, sometimes erratically, but always with great conviction. Including such men as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, Sam Houston, Stephen Douglas and others, they deserve to be remembered. |
| Tocqueville's America. Alexis de Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America in 1831 and 1832 and wrote what has often been called the greatest book ever written about America and the greatest book about democracy. Get to know this astute observer of America. |
The Tocqueville Site at C-SPAN (Virtual) |
| The Seneca Falls Project. This project asks you to address an important milestone in the history of women's rights in America. The 1848 Convention, noted for its famous “Seneca Falls Declaration,” brought attention to the status of women and argued forcefully for change. This project may also be used for a Part 3 project. |
Women's National Historic Site
Seneca Falls, NY |
| Andrew Jackson. Get to know “Old Hickory” and why historians have said, Only in America could someone like Jackson have rising to the top of the political structure. |
The Hermitage
Nashville, Tennessee |
| Early Texas Project. The History of the Mexican Province of Tejas, which eventually became the independent Republic of Texas and then the 28th state of the United States, is one of the most interesting side-shows in early American history. Heroes Sam Houston, Stephen Austin and many others left an indelible mark on the state and the nation. |
Alamo, San Antonio
San Jacinto Memorial
Houston |
Film Project: “The Alamo.” The producers of this film employed Texas historians to assure the histoic validity of the project. Many people involved in the making of the film are Texans, including Dennis Quaid, who plays Sam Houston.
Recall that the heroic battle at the Alamo in San Antonio was only one part of the Texas revolution. It is important to view that event in the context of the larger story of the Texas revolution. See How to Critique.
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| The 1850 Compromise. When the 1850 Compromise was passed, rejoicing was heard across the country, for it seemed that the divisive issue of slavery was once again moved off the front pages, as it had been by the Missouri Compromise 30 years earlier. But the ink was barely dry on the signatures before conflict erupted again, and the Compromise in fact settled very little. This project asks students to examine the Compromise of 1850 through the documents of the time to understand why there was hope in the act, and why it ultimately failed. |
| Civil War Project 1 Results. The purpose of this project is to examine the question of whether or not the outcome of the American Civil War was inevitable. “Traditional wisdom” has long argued that with superior manpower, industrial and financial resources, the North (Union) was bound to win. This project will test that theory. |
Civil War Battle Sites
Antietam, Maryland
Gettysburg, PA
Manassas
Wilderness
Richmond
Petersburg
Cold Harbor
Fredericksburg
Lincoln Memorial, DC |
| Civil War Project 2 Leaders. This project invites you to inquire into the lives of important figures in the American Civil War. It's hard to deal with the giants of the era such as Lincoln, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Sherman or Davis, because of the huge volume of material that exists; but the second and third tiers still have many fascinating figures for investigation, about whom much has been written in any case. |
| Civil War Project 3 Site Visit. Places to visit that deal with Civil War history. If you are in Virginia, or in the South that was part of the Confederacy, you have many opportunities for site visits. If you live elsewhere in the country or outside the United States, thanks to modern technology you can still conduct a virtual visit. |
| Civil War Project 4: Military Issues. The military history of the Civil War is of limited interest in terms of strategies and tactics, unless you happen to be a military historian. But many factors about the military conflict are significant, including leadership, medicine, the impact of technology, roles of women, and so on. This project asks you to look at some of those factors. |
