US+History+Extra+Credit+for+2nd+Quarter+Fall+2010



Source: http://www.internetvibes.net/gallery/old-ussr-posters-about-stalin-and-soviet-people-from-30th/

You can find the introduction to the book Cold War Civil Rights, by Mary L. Dudziak here: http://www.amazon.com/Cold-War-Civil-Rights-Democracy/dp/0691095132. Click on the "look inside" button and you should be able to read most of the introduction. It's possible that a couple of pages will be left out, but Amazon gives you enough to get a real good idea of the basic thesis of the book.

I would like you to read the introduction, take a look at the Soviet propaganda poster above, and respond to any or all of the following discussion questions. You should feel free to express your own opinion, and you should cite specific historical events/people/ideas/trends/patterns/data/statistics to make your opinions more persuasive.

I would like 1-2 pages (total) in response, no matter how many questions you choose. Responses should be emailed to me at BOTH dan_weiss@smanet.org, and weissdanny@hotmail.com by January 2nd, 2011. Grades are not due for the second quarter until the middle of the first week back for the spring semester, so if you want to work on this over break you are free to do so. I will make a substantial effort this week to catch up once again on grading so that you have a better idea of where your current grade stands. Late submissions for this assignment will not be accepted for any reason.

Discussion questions:

1) What is the thesis of Dudziak's book? 2) To what extent is her argument supported by the poster above? 3) Can you find other examples of Soviet propaganda - posters or other forms - that would support her argument? 3a) Can you find examples of American propaganda - posters or newsreels or movies or comics or other cultural artifacts - that would also support her argument...ie that the American government was trying to do something about Jim Crow segregation to demonstrate that it was NOT in fact trying to sell democracy abroad while ignoring it at home? 4) Do you agree with her argument? (You do NOT have to agree!!!! You know enough about American history at this point to begin to make a judgment about a historian's opinion.) 5) If you do agree, why? What historical evidence persuades you that her ideas are correct? 6) If you disagree, why? What alternative explanations for the rise of the Civil Rights movement can you offer that might have little or nothing to do with the Soviet-American conflict during the Cold War?

ENJOY!