World History Final Exam

For this take-home exam you will write a long-answer response to one prompt from each of the sections below (four responses total). Responses must be focused, specific, well-written, and demonstrate a complex command of the relevant historical issues.

Some ground rules for the responses:

1. Each response should be at least 250 words, with the total length being 4-8 pages.

2. Exams not turned in by the time listed will not be accepted. There are no exceptions to this rule. If the dropbox closes and you have not submitted anything then you will receive a zero.

3. I want to know where your information is coming from so please provide at least informal citations in your answers. These citations should let me know if the source of your information was from Globalyceum (and which reading from there), lecture, or film. A simple parenthetical citation will be fine

4. Submissions must be in the proper file format. That means that your final must be in Word, .rtf, or PDF formats or it will not be accepted.

5. Plagiarism is unacceptable. These need to be in your own words and if I determine that any of the material you submit is not your own and is not properly cited I will give you a zero. Your submission will be compared to an online database through a service called Vericite that will give you an originality score. Make sure that your originality score is below 20%.

6. Related to (5), I am not testing you on your ability to use Wikipedia. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES. The prompts are based on material covered throughout this semester so the materials you have will be sufficient in helping you craft your responses.

7. This is not a group project. These should be worked on individually.

8. Do not over-generalize. Use strong historical examples to back up your arguments. Responses that only offer generalizations without reference to historical situations will not receive good grades. Make strong statements that can be backed up with solid historical evidence. If you have no evidence to back up one of your statements then you should not make that statement.

Unit 1 Questions (Choose One):

1. While slavery wasn’t new in 1500, the Atlantic slave trade established one of the most enduring and disturbing legacies of the early modern era. What factors drove this trade? Who benefited from it? What social costs did it entail? Your response to each question should acknowledge that the trade impacted West Africa, the Western Hemisphere, and Europe.

2. Why was the Columbian Exchange so transformative? Use three of the following regions to demonstrate the transformations brought on by the Exchange: the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Be specific.

Unit 2 Questions (Choose One):

3. By 1800 a few Western European societies had emerged as among the most powerful in the world. What were some of the most significant changes that Western Europe had experienced between 1500 and 1800? To what extent were those changes the basis for the rise in power?

4. What were the most significant economic, social, political, and demographic effects of the industrial revolution on the world? This response must acknowledge that these effects played out globally and not just in Europe.

Unit 3 Questions (Choose One):

5. Describe the economic, political, and ideological forces that drove Western imperialism from the latter half of the 19th century? In discussing these forces be sure to use real historical examples.

6. Compare and contrast the responses of Japan, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire to the reality of Western power in the 19th century.

Unit 4 Questions (Choose One):

7. The 20th century was the bloodiest period in human history. Technology certainly played a part in this, but ideology was also significant. How does understanding the rise of imperialism, nationalism, and racism in the 19thcentury help explain the disasters of the 20th century? Think not just of the World Wars, but of some of the other major crises of the century.

8. The contemporary world is defined by interconnectedness. Ideas, capital, culture, and people have an unprecedented ability to spread around the world at incredible speed. With specific reference to the readings and film from Week 16, make the case for why the incredible power of globalization has both positive and negative impacts on our world.