Due Date:

Sunday, May 3^rd, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

Topic:  Freedom:

→ Research Question: Over the course of early American history (and other comparative histories we’ve studied), how has the definition of freedom of changed over time? How has freedom been defined/won/lost/challenged?

→ Considerations: Focus on either political, social, or economic history. 

 Political: Consider the nation’s founding fathers, their documents, policies, laws, practices, systems they created in order to help guide your thinking. Also, consider the juxtapositions surrounding these: States Rights vs Federal Power; landmark court cases; political campaigns; political propaganda; and early debates around freedom. 

 Social: Examine the factors that have pushed racial/ethnic groups, citizens, immigrants and new American citizens, genders, classes, and the powerful and the powerless towards and away from one another. Then, examine how social occurrences have influenced those interactions. You may lean on ideas/events/interactions that showcase how freedom has been defined through cultural movements and other everyday efforts to be or become American. 

 Economic: Consider the ways that American Business leaders have historically sought to define freedom along the lines of them being allowed/encouraged by the federal government to increase/change trade, banking, agriculture, industries, investments, and labor policies – to ensure profits. Then, juxtapose these ideologies with attempts from the federal government and the American people to leverage their power against industries, to keep them from gaining a large amount of control of society.

Examine the push and pull between these two factors. 

Word Count: 1,000 Word minimum; 4 pages; 12-point font; double spaced.

Submission Info: Submit under the link in the “Final Materials” Module in Canvas. 

Reminder: Read your requirements thoroughly. Remember to answer all questions. 

Guidelines:

→ 1) State a thesis statement: Between the years of 1590 – 1985 in US (and other comparative) History, how has freedom been defined, challenged, won, or lost?

 Remember to focus your selections thematically: choose to focus on political, economic, or social history. 

 Remember to include brief outlines of what you will argue about the events/people/polices/etc. you will discuss in your thesis statement. 

→  2) Provide 4 specific examples in the body section to support your thesis.   You may choose 4-5 KA posts to help you achieve this. However, you will need to reconfigure the KA’s to support your overall argument/thesis. 

 In each paragraph, examine how each example supports your thesis statement. 

 Do not just provide a summary of what the example is; analyze how freedom was contested, won, lost, and/or defined. 

 At least one of your examples needs to include a comparison of US history to another nation (think back to our comparison on revolutions, etc.). 

→ 3) Provide a strong conclusionary paragraph. 

 Consider how you have examined freedom. 

 Consider how the ways that freedom has been defined, won, lost, or challenged have influenced freedom today. Then, restate your argument.

→ 4) Include a bibliography page. Cite utilizing the Chicago Manual style. See the link below.

 Sources you may use: Textbook; digital archives from Canvas; Film Reviews (cite the film); and any other scholarly articles. Lean on the sources I have given to you in each KA – you do not need to reinvent the wheel here. You’ve got this. 

 You should have at least 10 sources. 2 - 3 sources per example. 

 Citation guide :

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide1.html