Please answer ONE of the following question sets in a concise but well-developed essay (about 2-4 pages double-spaced should.) that incorporates evidence from the primary documents, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, and lectures. YOU
Must use the Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Failure to do so will result in an automatic c.
You will be graded on how well you engage with the question and how clearly you explain your argument. There is no set “correct” answer to these questions. You have to look at the materials I have provided you with and create your own answer.
YOU SHOULD USE ONLY THE SOURCES FROM THE CLASS.
For citations to written documents, please use the following format: (Author Name, Page #). There is no need to cite my lectures.
Choose ONE of the following sets of questions. In each question set, the first (in bold) question is the main one you must answer. The remaining questions are designed to help you answer the question in a logical manner. Failure to address them may result in lost points.
1. How did the Revolution transform American society, culture, and identity? Who did the Revolution empower? How did it encourage other groups of people to challenge their authority? Were those other groups of people successful? Why or why not?
2. Why did late 18th and early 19th century Americans embrace Benjamin Franklin as the “ideal” American? What did this embrace suggest about American culture and politics in the time period? Why was this embrace so strange given Franklin’s history? Do you think Franklin is still an example of the “ideal” American?
3. Is America a country built on the idea of “Freedom” or the reality slavery (or both)? How did those two elements co-exist in 18th and 19th century America? Was slavery just a contradiction of “American” ideals or did those ideals depend on slavery?
