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Final Portfolio Paper
Making of the Modern World
Hist 141
Elizabeth City State University
Fall 2025
Due Date: December 10th, 2025, at 11:59pm CST
Topic: Freedom:
→ Research Question: Over the course of early American history (and other
comparative histories we’ve studied), how has the definition of freedom of changed
over time? How has freedom been defined/won/lost/challenged?
→ Considerations: Focus on either political, social, or economic history.
Political: Consider the nation’s founding fathers, their documents, policies,
laws, practices, systems they created in order to help guide your thinking.
Also, consider the juxtapositions surrounding these: States Rights vs Federal
Power; landmark court cases; political campaigns; political propaganda; and
early debates around freedom.
Social: Examine the factors that have pushed racial/ethnic groups, citizens,
immigrants and new American citizens, genders, classes, and the powerful
and the powerless towards and away from one another. Then, examine how
social occurrences have influenced those interactions. You may lean on
ideas/events/interactions that showcase how freedom has been defined
through cultural movements and other everyday efforts to be or become
American.
Economic: Consider the ways that American Business leaders have
historically sought to define freedom along the lines of them being
allowed/encouraged by the federal government to increase/change trade,
banking, agriculture, industries, investments, and labor policies – to ensure
profits. Then, juxtapose these ideologies with attempts from the federal
government and the American people to leverage their power against
industries, to keep them from gaining a large amount of control of society.
Examine the push and pull between these two factors.
Word Count: 1,000 Word minimum; 4 pages; 12-point font; double spaced.
Submission Info: Submit under the link in the “Final Materials” Module in Canvas.
Reminder: Read your requirements thoroughly. Remember to answer all questions.
Guidelines:
→ 1) State a thesis statement: Between the years of 1590 – 1985 in US (and other
comparative) History, how has freedom been defined, challenged, won, or lost?
Remember to focus your selections thematically: choose to focus on
political, economic, or social history.
Remember to include brief outlines of what you will argue about the
events/people/polices/etc. you will discuss in your thesis statement.
→ 2) Provide 4 specific examples in the body section to support your thesis.
You may choose 4-5 KA posts to help you achieve this. However, you will
need to reconfigure the KA’s to support your overall argument/thesis.
In each paragraph, examine how each example supports your thesis
statement.
Do not just provide a summary of what the example is; analyze how
freedom was contested, won, lost, and/or defined.
At least one of your examples needs to include a comparison of US history to
another nation (think back to our comparison on revolutions, etc.).
→ 3) Provide a strong conclusionary paragraph.
Consider how you have examined freedom.
Consider how the ways that freedom has been defined, won, lost, or
challenged have influenced freedom today. Then, restate your argument.
→ 4) Include a bibliography page. Cite utilizing the Chicago Manual style. See the link
below.
Sources you may use: Textbook; digital archives from Canvas; Film Reviews
(cite the film); and any other scholarly articles. Lean on the sources I have
given to you in each KA – you do not need to reinvent the wheel here. You’ve
got this.
You should have at least 8 sources. Two sources per example.
Citation guide :
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