Essays and Research Papers on General U.S. History

This five-page-paper presents a comparison of the social and political changes that were prompted by emperor's actions in the mid nineteenth century to the end of World War II. Bibliography lists three sources.

A 5 page paper tracing US involvement in Asia during this 100-year period. By 1950, the US was wary of the new communist government on mainland China, but it maintained the position as a benevolent protector of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, which promised strategic positioning. The US represented a largely silent threat ...

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that anyone living in the states should never be considered an outsider, but Henry David Thoreau points out that the United States is not truly a society of people, but a country made up of individuals with only their own needs to consider, under the law. As such, their capitalist ...

A 6 page analysis of historic immigration and naturalization laws which were designed to ensure a white majority in the United States. The author of this paper contends that the shortcomings in our current laws and policies are, in reality, just a continuation of the same bias and discrimination which have been in place ...

A 24 page paper. Following a general introduction, this essay reports the immigration patterns of first Italians and then, Mexicans. The decades of significant immigration, the reasons for Italians and Mexicans leaving their homelands, the types of jobs they took in the U.S. and the locations of most immigrants of each nationality are reported. The ...

A 12 page discussion of several key historic perspectives on the Native Indians. Specifically examined are the disparate policies and different perspectives of Andrew Jackson, Captain John Smith, Frederick W. Turner, and others. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 6 page review of the book by Author Michael K. Honey. Honey outlines the societal conditions which were at play in 1930s Memphis Tennessee in comparison to the various laws which were on the books to protect black rights. The contention is made that custom can, and does, sometimes outweigh law. ...

3 pages in length. Amid ethnic intolerance, intense competition, logistical nightmares, exponential population growth and complete absence of law and order, California was ultimately transformed from a raucous collection of cultures hell-bent upon grabbing a quick fortune at the first hint of gold to a solid and progressive cultural Mecca whose statehood marked it ...

This 6 page paper discusses historian Thomas A. Bailey's statement that the "only feasible solution to the white-red problem seemed to be the removal of the Eastern Indians, in a body, to the Great Plains West." Using the example of the Cherokees and their experience of the Trail of Tears, the paper argues that removal ...

An 8 page paper that addresses these questions: How did the Italian immigrants of the late 1800s and early 1900s assimilate into the American culture and still retain their own culture? How did West Indian immigrants in the 1900s assimilate and retain their own culture? What challenges did they each face? The writer discusses the ...

This 5 page paper compares and contrasts two books on similar subjects. John Dower's War Without Mercy and Richard Drinnon's Facing West are discussed. The subject is racism by Americans and the books are about racism against the Japanese during World War II and racism against Indians, respectively. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which traces the evolution of federal Indian policy from Washington through Jackson. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 10 page paper begins with a brief historical overview of Native American Indians and some of the acts of oppression committed against them. Some statistical data are included in the descriptions and discussions of the culture. The types of Native American social issues a social worker might encounter when working with this population ...

This 5 page paper discuses the event that acted as a catalyst to end slavery in this state. As one writer commented, because the North was free during the Civil War era, people have forgotten that slavery was practiced in the North early in American history. It was common European practice to enslave those one ...

In 11 pages, the author discusses the fact that the United States needs a much stricter immigration policy in order to have a sustainable future. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 6 page paper on the Cuban and Haitian boat people. The writer focuses on the plight of the Marielitos -- Cuban refugees who braved the treacherous waters of the Gulf in an attempt to reach America, where, they hope, they will be able to seek asylum from the oppression of their native land. Detailing ...

This 3 page paper looks at the myth of the American Dream and how it drives consumerism. The paper concludes that things do seem to be changing. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 2 page essay showing how the American Dream has gone sour, specifically pointing out the areas of financial stability, and access to education and living wage jobs. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 4 page discussion of the proverbial 'American Dream,' what it meant.. and what it has come to mean today. The writer is particularly concerned with obstacles to achieving the dream and whether or not it still may constitute a definitive reality for all in this country. No bibliography.

In the fifties, the 'age of suburbia', the American dream was epitomized by the ability to own a home, live in safety and in a community of like minded souls. The great exodus from the cities to the suburbs defined the American idea of 'the good life'. This 5 page paper suggests that ...

A 5 page paper discussing just what the American Dream is. It has nearly always been measured in terms of wealth, but not necessarily in terms of dollars. The self-made man of Ben Franklin's time was not a success only in terms of money, but in terms of life. Money was the ...

A broadly-defined 5 page essay comparing Benjamin Franklin to Frederick Dogulass. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 6 page research paper on the tension between dependence and independence in Franklin's Autobiography and Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables. The writer details incidents from both works and relates them to interpersonal, political, and social relationships. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper discussing the gubernatorial race in California between Republican Dan Lungren (California's Attorney General) and Democrat Gray Davis (California's Lieutenant Governor). Davis, of course, emerged as the winner, but the entire campaign serves to highlight a number of volatile issues in California, from affirmative action to immigration policy. The ...

A 5 page paper that examines the political, cultural, and geographical differences that existed within the population of the United States following the Revolutionary War and how these differences contributed to the onset of the Civil War. Included is a discussion of America's massive expansion into the western territories following the Revolution and how ...