Choose one of the prompts below to write a one full page essay. You must cite your sources using
Chicago/Turabian style (https://www.citationmachine.net/turabian (Links to an external site.)

and you will need to provide a bibliography or works cited page. Make sure you format your document
with one inch margins, 12pt Times New Roman, DO NOT double space your essay and use parenthetical
citations where needed. It will go through a plagiarism checker when you submit your work.

1. Should the civil rights movement in the twentieth century be considered a “Second Reconstruction”?
Compare and contrast the movement with Reconstruction and discuss the outcomes of both.

2. What allowed for the rise of McCarthyism? What explains its rapid fall?

3. America in the twentieth century—and especially after World War II—is often described as having a
“consumer culture.” What consumer good do you think best captures the century? Pick one consumable
object discussed this semester and explain the themes in twentieth century American history that it
embodies.

4. Compare and contrast the New Deal and the Great Society. What were their stated goals? What were
the different approaches the FDR and LBJ administrations took in attacking poverty?

5. How did suburbanization in the 1950s affect the social movements of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s?

Essay Rubric

Criteria Ratings Pts

Response to the Question
The essay question has been fully answered and all arguments are supported with
evidence.

50 pts
Full
Marks

0 pts
No
Marks

50 pts

Intro and Thesis
Essay has a well developed thesis statement that gives a roadmap to the essay and a
complete intro to the essay.

25 pts
Full
Marks

0 pts
No
Marks

25 pts

Formatting and Resources
Paper is formatted following the instructions and all information has been properly
cited and there is a works cited or bibliography page.

25 pts
Full
Marks

0 pts
No
Marks

25 pts

Total Points: 100