The famous American civil rights movement leader

Directions: Select ONE of the following essay questions to answer. Remember that this one essay question will account for 30% of the final exam grade, so please follow the instructions carefully and don’t hesitate to contact the instructor to discuss this material if you need assistance. The essay should include a brief introduction that contains a clear thesis statement that directly answers the question, along with multiple main body paragraphs that provide evidence/examples to support the thesis, and a brief conclusion that re-states that essay’s thesis. In addition, a helpful general guide for writing history essays can be found at http://history.rutgers.edu/component/content/article?id=106:writing-historical-essays-a-guide-for-undergraduates. Any student who needs assistance preparing his/her essay should contact the instructor for help. This portion of the final exam will be “take-home,” meaning that students will complete the essay on their own time and submit it to the appropriate SafeAssign dropbox on the course website in Blackboard anytime before the deadline.

NOTE: This essay does NOT require source citations. Students should not use any sources other than material from the textbook, instructor commentaries, discussion boards, and Crash Course videos that have been assigned this semester.

QUESTION #1: The famous American civil rights movement leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once said “the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.” In other words, over the long run human societies typically evolve to become more fair and equal. In what ways does this principle apply to U.S. history from 1877 through 2005? Find examples/evidence from different eras of American history from 1877 through 2000 to support your argument, including at least the Progressive Era, the Great Depression and the New Deal, and the social movements of the 1960s. THE ESSAY SHOULD ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY A GENERAL PATTERN OR TREND DURING THE ASSIGNED WINDOW OF TIME AND THEN PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT THAT THESIS. (hint: after reviewing the content above, as well as the “instructor’s comments” links regarding those topics, you should be able to identify a general pattern)