402 ChApTEr 17 | ChaLLenGes to the statUs QUo | period seven 1890 –1945Putting it All together
Revisiting the Main Point
•
Choose two examples of transportation technology that are described in
documents in this chapter. In what ways did each example shape American
society and economics?•
To what extent did African Americans find justice in American cities?•
What values expressed above might be seen as threatening by a social con-
servative from this time period?•
Compare the Sedition Act of 1918 (Doc. 17.8) to the Sedition Act of 1798
(Doc. 5.18). What are some similarities and differences between the two
acts? What accounts for the similarities and differences between them?•
Compare the above excerpts from Zora Neale Hurston (Doc. 17.6) and
F. Scott Fitzgerald (Doc. 17.5). In what ways do both express notions that are
at odds with the American status quo of this period?Evaluating Context and Multiple Perspectives
In the last chapter, you learned about ways to broaden your historical argument
by incorporating a wide range of contexts. Much like you saw in the Applying
AP® Historical Thinking Skills exercise on comparison, appropriate use of evi-
dence, and contextualization above, you may broaden these contexts by incor-
porating large themes that allow your argument to cover more historical content.
When you evaluate context or multiple perspectives, you make a judgment
about the following:•
Which context is more important?•
How are the contexts similar to each other?•
How do the contexts differ from each other?More sophisticated arguments will evaluate, or judge, these broad contexts.
When you evaluate, you must support your reasoning with carefully selected evi-
dence, clear comparisons, and logical organization. To say, for example, that the
economic context outweighs the social context is an arbitrary statement. Only by
providing support can you strengthen your argument.
This support comes from your ability to negotiate various contexts at the
same time. For example, in the above Applying AP® Historical Thinking SkillsB uilDing AP®
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