US History Regents Essay Set I

• Describe the historical context surrounding these documents

• Identify and explain the relationship between the events and/or ideas found in these documents (Cause and Effect, or Similarity/Difference, or Turning Point)

Types of Relationships:

Cause refers to “something that contributes to the occurrence of an event, the rise of an idea, or the bringing about of a development.”

Effect refers to “what happens as a consequence (result, impact, outcome) of an event, an idea, or a development.”

Similarity tells how “something is alike or the same as something else.”

Difference tells how “something is not alike or not the same as something else.”

Turning Point is “a major event, idea, or historical development that brings about significant change. It can be local, regional, national, or global.”

RUBRIC	LEVEL 5	LEVEL 4	LEVEL 3	LEVEL 2	LEVEL 1
Addresses Task	Thoroughly develops both aspects of the task in depth	Develops both aspects of the task in depth or may do so somewhat unevenly by thoroughly developing one aspect of the task in depth while developing the other aspect of the task in some depth	Develops both aspects of the task in some depth Level	Minimally develops both aspects of the task or develops one aspect of the task in some depth	Minimally addresses the task
Provides Analysis	Is more analytical than descriptive	Is both descriptive and analytical	Is primarily descriptive	May include faulty analysis	Is descriptive; may lack understanding or application
Uses accurate outside information	Integrates relevant outside information	Includes relevant outside information	Includes some relevant outside	Includes little relevant outside information	Includes minimal or no relevant outside information
Uses documents to support theme	Supports the theme with many relevant facts and/or examples from the documents	Supports the theme with relevant facts and/or examples from the documents	Includes some relevant facts and/or examples from the documents; may include some minor inaccuracies	Includes a few relevant facts and/or examples from the documents; may include some inaccuracies	Includes a few relevant facts and/or examples from the documents; may make only vague, unclear references to the documents; may include inaccuracies

Task: Based on your reading and analysis of these documents, apply your social studies knowledge and skills to write a short essay of two or three paragraphs in which you:

Guidelines: 

• Describe the historical context surrounding these documents

• Identify and explain the relationship between the events and/or ideas found in these documents (Cause and Effect, or Similarity/Difference, or Turning Point

In your short essay, be sure to

• Develop all aspects of the task

• Incorporate relevant outside information

• Support the task with relevant facts and examples

SEQ Set 1 Directions (Question 29): Read and analyze the following documents before writing your short essay in the separate essay booklet.

Document 1

. . . The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.

Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes [shifts] of her politics or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.

Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people, under an efficient government, the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously [completely] respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel. . . .

“President George Washington’s Farewell Address”, (September 19, 1796)

Document 2

. . . The citizens of the United States cherish sentiments the most friendly in favor of the liberty and happiness of their fellow-men on that side [the European side] of the Atlantic. In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport [accord] with our policy so to do.

 It is only when our rights are invaded or seriously menaced that we resent injuries or make preparation for our defense. With the movements in this hemisphere we are of necessity more immediately connected, and by causes which must be obvious to all enlightened and impartial observers. . . . 

We owe it, therefore, to candor [honesty] and to the amicable [friendly] relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere. But with the Governments who have declared their independence and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any interposition [interference] for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States. . . .

 James Monroe, message to Congress outlining what became known as the Monroe Doctrine, (December 2, 1823)

Paragraph 1: Describing the Historical Context (4-6 sentences)

1) Begin by introducing the time period and location relevant to the documents. (Example: These documents were created during the American Civil War, a conflict that took place from 1861 to 1865 in the United States.)

2) Describe the major events or developments happening during that time period. (Example: During this time, the country was divided between the northern states, known as the Union, and the southern states, known as the Confederacy. The war was primarily fought over the issues of slavery and states' rights.)

3) Explain any key concepts or terms related to the historical context that students need to know. (Example: Slavery was a system in which African Americans were enslaved and treated as property, while states' rights referred to the idea that individual states had the right to make their own decisions separate from the federal government.)

4) Provide specific details from the documents that illustrate the historical context. (Example: Document A, a political cartoon, depicts the tensions between the North and the South through its use of symbols and imagery. Document B, a newspaper article, discusses the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on the war effort.)

5) Summarize the historical context and its significance in relation to the documents. (Example: By understanding the historical context of the Civil War, we can better interpret and analyze the messages conveyed in these documents.)

Paragraph 2: Identifying and Explaining the Relationship between Events/Ideas (6-9 sentences)

1) Start by briefly summarizing the main events or ideas presented in each document. (Example: Document A discusses the hardships faced by soldiers in the Union Army, while Document B highlights the economic impact of the war on southern plantations.)

2) Identify and describe the relationship between the events or ideas presented in the documents. This could be cause and effect, similarity and difference, or a turning point. (Example: The relationship between these documents is one of cause and effect. Document A shows the harsh conditions experienced by soldiers, which ultimately led to low morale and decreased military effectiveness. Document B demonstrates how the war's impact on the southern economy, particularly its reliance on enslaved labor, contributed to the Confederacy's eventual defeat.)

3) Cite specific evidence from the passages to support your analysis of the relationship. (Example: In Document A, the cartoonist depicts soldiers shivering in the cold and lacking proper supplies, suggesting the negative effects of the war on the Union Army. In Document B, the article mentions the decline in cotton production due to the disruption of labor caused by the war.)

4) Analyze the meaning of the evidence and its relevance to the larger point you are trying to convey. (Example: The evidence in both documents emphasizes the hardships faced by different groups during the Civil War and highlights the interdependence between the military and economic aspects of the conflict.)

5) Provide your own personal analysis and interpretation of the relationship between the events or ideas in the documents. (Example: Overall, these documents reveal the devastating impact of the Civil War on various aspects of society and underscore the complex and interconnected nature of historical events.)