Do all and no Plagiarism
1.Discussion: The Watergate Scandal
Since the mid-twentieth century, presidential libraries have been established as both a repository for presidential materials and also as places dedicated to teaching the public about the actions and legacies of each American president. Some of these libraries are forced to contend with history that paints their specific president in a less than flattering light. After reviewing the provided materials, consider the role and mission of the presidential libraries and their commitment to preserving our shared history.
In your opinion, what is the goal of the presidential libraries? Should the libraries showcase the incidents and policies that paint their namesake in the best light. In the specific case of Nixon and the Watergate scandal, how should the president be portrayed? Is it fair to tell the story from the perspective of the president themself or should it be told from the perspective of the general public? How should the library address the issue of Nixon’s resignation?
To receive full credit for this assignment your post must:
Address the questions asked in the paragraph above in at least a 300-word post and cite all outside sources appropriately
In your initial post, include at least one interesting question the readings raised for you
2.Interpreting the Vietnam War: The Vets Return Home or Presidential Blame
One of the main jobs of historians is to interpret the past by reviewing primary documents, scholarly secondary sources, and then creating an analysis (or interpretation) of this research. This assignment will allow you to create your own interpretation of the Vietnam War. Your response should be at least 300 words and contain your analysis, reaction, or connection to a specific issue within the historical narrative that you find compelling. For full credit, your paper must not simply sum up the reading or repeat points made there. Rather, I’m looking for you to create your own interpretation, explain the emotional content of the piece, or discuss some original insight. Include citations as needed. Historians of the same time period vary their research topics in order for us to gain a richer and fuller picture of the past and so that our understanding of the past will be as accurate and complete as possible. In the interest of allowing you, as young historians, to follow your own interests, please select one of the following topics to address.
Vets Return Home: After reading your text and reviewing the assigned materials, submit an analysis of the troops returning from Vietnam. You might want to consider the following questions, but you are not limited to them: How were they were treated upon returning from the war? Why do you believe they were treated this way and what role did the antiwar movement play? How has our treatment of soldiers returning home from war changed? Why?
Blame for the War: After reading your text and reviewing the assigned materials, submit an analysis of presidential influence in the Vietnam War. You might want to consider the following questions, but you are not limited to them: While all presidents involved muddied the waters in Vietnam, which do you feel has the most culpability for the war and the outcome? Why? What decisions were made that you feel made the war more difficult for the troops to either fight or win?
3.Discussion: Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan.
On March 30, 1981, an assassination attempt was made on President Ronald Reagan. Cameras were rolling during the shooting and the press immediately began to report, yet much of the information was inaccurate. After reviewing the assigned sources, please answer the following questions:
How was the reporting inaccurate and why? How did the American people respond to the assassination attempt? What can we learn from both the press coverage and the American response? Consider Guiteau’s assassination of James Garfield, which you learned about earlier in the class. How has our treatment of mental illness progressed?
To receive full credit for this assignment your post must:
Address the questions asked in the paragraph above in at least a 300-word post and cite all outside sources appropriately
In your initial post, include at least one interesting question the readings raised for you
4.Interpreting the 1980s: The Challenger OR the AIDS Crisis
One of the main jobs of historians is to interpret the past by reviewing primary documents, scholarly secondary sources, and then creating an analysis (or interpretation) of this research. This assignment will allow you to create your own interpretation of a crisis in the 1980s. Your response should be at least 300 words and contain your analysis, reaction, or connection to a specific issue within the historical narrative that you find compelling. For full credit, your paper must not simply sum up the reading or repeat points made there. Rather, I’m looking for you to create your own interpretation, explain the emotional content of the piece, or discuss some original insight. Include citations as needed. Historians of the same time period vary their research topics in order for us to gain a richer and fuller picture of the past and so that our understanding of the past will be as accurate and complete as possible. In the interest of allowing you, as young historians, to follow your own interests, please select one of the following topics to address.
The Challenger: After reading your text and reviewing the assigned materials, submit an analysis of the Challenger Disaster. You might want to consider the following questions, but you are not limited to them: How did the Challenger disaster change and shape NASA? What was the impact on school children & how did it shape their perceptions of space?
The AIDS Crisis: After reading your text and reviewing the assigned materials, submit an analysis of the AIDS Crisis. You might want to consider the following questions, but you are not limited to them: In what ways do you think the perception of AIDS as a “gay disease” helped or limited the efforts to combat the disease? What do you think the effect of the AIDS quilt was? Is AIDS still a crisis in America?
