American History Homework Ten Answers - Model

Lecture - Questions - Student Answers

1. How could you have prepared better for the midterm exam, and which part of American history do you think you could improve most for next time?

2. Which is your favorite question on the midterm exam that you missed, and what do you like about the question or subject matter?

3. Comment on any aspect of the Scopes Trial or the issues leading up to it, and/or can you compare it to any other influential trial in American history?

4. Do you think the United States should have entered World War I, and why?

5. Your view of Teddy Roosevelt, please.

He was rough, smart, and sure of himself. I love how he loved the wilderness of our land, but having National Parks can be annoying nowadays.

He said "I did not usurp power, but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power." In the U.S., with the series of checks and balances, you're always taking power from somebody. Like Jackson, or perhaps Reagan, I think he did very admirable things in expanding executive power. But inevitably, the authority that was removed from the bottom never made its way back down, and today we live with a government more centralist then Jefferson ever would have wanted. (Steven M.)

6. Pick one of the Constitutional Amendments 16 through 19, and express your understanding and view of it.

7. Explain the cartoon.

Honors (pick 3 out of 5)

H1. Write about any military battle or innovation or tactic in World War I.

H2. What is your view of the limitations on free speech during World War I?

The point of limiting free speech was to keep people from being discouraged out of buying war bonds--the effect was good, but the means were off. No one should be denied free speech. (Christina F.)

H3. Write on any debate topic or issue in the lecture.

H4. Please provide your analysis of the midterm exam, in any way. Were the questions challenging? Did it cover the periods and subject matter appropriately? Did you learn from it overall?

H5. What is your opinion of Lochner doctrine?

The Lochner Doctrine decided that state laws regulating working hours for men (and later, laws regulating working hours for women) were unconstitutional. Since it involved federal government invalidating state law, it was a use of the Fletcher v. Peck decision. I think it was a bad decision. Federal government probably shouldn’t be deciding specific working times and forcing them on the states, but the government shouldn’t ban states from having their own working hours laws either. (Addison DM)