Suggested Research Projects in Modern American History

Reconstruction. The purpose of this first essay is for you to convey your sense of what life was like in America over 100 years ago. The documents tend to focus on the negative side of life in those times, but you can begin here to “read between the lines,” which is what good historians do. That is not to suggest that you ignore the negative—indeed, you are invited to explore it. The point is that these documents represent but a tiny fraction of the material that has defined the last quarter of the last century. Interesting comparisons have been made between the end of the last century and the end of this one.

The West. Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis suggests that the experience om the American frontier—homesteading, mining, railroad building, etc.,—transformed not only American culture but also the and culture life of the Indians. How did all those things interact? Why couldn’t they be resolved by traditional, peaceful means? Why were the Indian Wars fought? How was industrialism destructive to the Indians? What sense do you get of the West from these sources?

Capital and Labor. Industrial capitalism took off with a vengeance in late 19th century America. The system is predicated upon the expansion of wealth. Consider how the little guy—the worker, the immigrant, the laborer—fared at the time when millionaires were blooming like flowers on the prairie. Why was capitalism virtually out of control in the late 1800s? What did it do to various elements of American society? Why was the political system so inept in dealing with these problems? How did Americans deal with industrialism and the problems it created for workers? How did workers fare during this "Gilded Age"? How did "the other half" live?

Imperialism. The late 19th century, the age of neo-imperialism, saw developed nations scramble to assert their control over various lesser-developed areas of the world.  Although generally indifferent to international issues and contemptuous of European practices, as was first expressed in the Monroe Doctrine, the United States nevertheless got into the game of empire building, though somewhat reluctantly.  As Mahan put it, whether they wanted to or not, Americans were forced to look outward.  In both foreign and domestic affairs, the country entered a new phase as the 20th century arrived.  It is interesting that early in the new millenium, many of the same issues exist that were evident over 100 years ago.

Progressive Era. During the Progressive Era America began cleaning up its act, dealing with the problems created by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, exploitation of labor and political corruption.  Some say that if the Progressive Movement had not come along, the country might have exploded into violence or revolution.  Government had seemed incapable of dealing with the many challenges of the industrial revolution, and traditional means of dealing with social problems such as churches and other charitable organizations had become inadequate to meet the problems posed by millions of immigrants and a dispirited labor force.  Clearly massive action was needed to avert possible disaster, and the Progressives provided that.

World War I. The “Great War” was the most terrible ever fought for the soldier on the front lines. Western Europe was devastated, and for the first time large numbers of American soldiers fought in Europe. In some ways the world never recovered, for World War I was in many ways a prelude to World War II.