Final Paper Preparation Essay Example for Free

Final Paper Preparation Essay This assignment will prepare you for the Final Paper by initiating the research process and helping you map out specific events and developments which you will explore in depth in your paper. Review the instructions for the Final Paper laid out in Week Five of the online course or the Components of Course Evaluation section of the Course Guide before beginning this project. Note, that for the Final Paper you will need to discuss at least six specific events or developments related to your chosen topic For this assignment, you will choose your topic and the six (or more) related events and developments that span the years 1865 to the present. You will then find one scholarly source related to each event or development plus two additional scholarly sources for a total of 8 scholarly sources in addition to your textbook. At least four of your scholarly sources must come from the Ashford Library and at least two of your sources must be primary sources. Primary sources are documents or artifacts that were created at the time of a historical event or by someone who personally experienced a historical event. Primary sources can be newspaper or magazine articles, books, letters, speeches, photographs, oral histories, paintings or any other record of a historical event. The best place to find scholarly sources is the Ashford Library’s research databases and ebook collection. In a paragraph or two at the beginning of the paper, state your thesis and identify the events and developments you will discuss in your final paper and explain why you believe they are significant. Your thesis should be a one or two sentence summary of the main conclusions that you drew while researching your topic and that you will support in your paper by constructing a logical argument based on evidence (sources). You will then create an annotated bibliography. To create an annotated bibliography, list each source in full APA reference format. Then, beneath each source write a brief (one or two paragraph) explanation of the important information in the source and how you plan to use it in your paper. The annotations must be in your own words. It is not acceptable to copy and paste the abstract or any other text. You must have annotations for all 8 sources. Please notice that you have been provided with many wonderful primary and secondary sources in the required reading and recommended reading sections for each week. Feel free to use these sources when constructing your assignment. Please visit the Academic Research section on your Course Home page (accessible through the Student Responsibilities and Policies tab on the left navigation toolbar) to review what types of materials are not acceptable for academic, university level research. This assignment must meet the following minimum requirements: †¢The paper must be three pages in length and formatted according to APA style. †¢You must use at least eight scholarly resources other than the textbook to support your claims. †¢You must use at least one scholarly source for each event or development plus two more scholarly sources for a total of 8 scholarly sources. †¢You must use at least two primary sources and at least four scholarly secondary sources from the Ashford Online Library. †¢You must provide a concise thesis statement. †¢You must provide a short (1-2 paragraphs) annotation for each source. †¢You must cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar. Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment. The American Society changed drastically in the first two decades after the First World War. The 1920s seems to have been more flourishing whereas the 1930s were more of a struggle. The â€Å"1920s represented a transitioning point between traditional and modern America† (Bowles, 2011). Scandals and corruption were more publicized as with the Teapot Dome Scandal and the allegation of Harding’s affair. But even with the negative things there were plenty of positive changes occurring. City  populations were increasing, President Harding â€Å"was responsible for establishing the important Veteran’s Bureau which worked to give war veterans and their families a variety of social benefits such as health care, education, loans, insurance, and job training (Bowles, 2011), and after Harding’s death Calvin Coolidge made some positive transformations as well. Cooli dge â€Å"won acclaim for lowering taxes four times and he was careful with government spending† (Bowles, 2011). It was under Coolidge’s policies that â€Å"the standard living in the United States improved for all but most dramatically for the wealthiest Americans† (Bowles, 2011). American’s now had money to spend on material things and businesses developed the technique of buying on credit to ensure that people had a way to buy their products. Also in the 1920s â€Å"new morality swept across the country fueled by modern expressions of sexuality and the emergence of redefined gender roles for what came to be called the New Woman† (Bowles, 2011). Music also flourished in the 1920s and â€Å"jazz was the soundtrack of the decade† (Bowles, 2011). Along with music came improved entertainment. â€Å"Entrepreneurs began building ‘popular amusements’ such as mechanical rides, penny arcades, and concert halls† (Bowles, 2011). Racism was still very much an issue in the 1920s and proof of this was the continued expansion of the Ku Klux Klan which had millions of members in all 48 states (Bowles, 2011). This issue led to the Great Migration where â€Å"southern African Americans, tired of racial segregation, left the South to find work and a better life, primarily in industrial cities in the North† (Bowles, 2011). However African Americans still faced discrimination in the North. The 1930s were almost opposite from the 1920s. The 1930’s started off at a very bad time with the Stock Market crashing and launching The Great Depression. The Great Depression left millions without jobs, broke up families, and caused the most intense economic strains (Bowles, 2011). Along with The Great Depression in the 1930s the country also suffered the â€Å"worst drought in the nation’s history† (Bowles, 2011). What was positive for this decade was Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor. These two individuals brought great changes to the 1930s. Franklin D. Roosevelt brought the New Deal to the people. The New Deal â€Å"was an undefined hope for change, but it eventually became a series of programs  that fundamentally reshaped America and included the beginnings of the modern welfare system and increasing powers of regulation for the federal government† (Bowles, 2011). These â€Å"programs reinterpreted the relationship between the people and their government† (Bowles, 2011). The New Deal soon faced criticism as many people did not agree with the government having so much control over their person al matters. This criticism led Roosevelt to create the Second New Deal which still brought more positive change for the 1930s. Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor, was also an â€Å"extreme influence in the history of the 20th Century† (Bowles, 2011). Eleanor was definitely a great influence especially for women at this time. She represented women during this time period in a way that no woman had done before. â€Å"She became the first woman to serve as delegate to the United Nations, she also broke down many other gender barriers by becoming the first woman to testify before Congress, offer her commentary on the radio, speak before a party convention, write a syndicated column in the newspaper, and she went on tour earning money as a lecturer† (Bowles, 2011). This was a great influence and remarkable experience for women of this century as women previously did not have such rights to do these things. While both decades brought many different changes, the 1920s seem to be the more positive of the two. The 1930s faced many struggles and hardships compared to the 1920s when people were somewhat relaxed and living life taking advantage of the flourishing economy.