The Semester's End - and Other Odds and Ends

It is that time of year once again...the end of a busy semester.  I don't know about for you, but this one seemed to fly by for me.

First, some humor for your week of exams.

Okay, now for a few hints of the final exam?  Remember that the Final Exam will follow the EXACT same format as the midterm exam.  If you are using the Course Outline that handed out on day two as your study guide (a wise move), you should start the page that begins "Washington's Presidency" and proceed from there to the end of the outline.

One student today approached me and said they were unsure of the dates we've covered and a bit confused of how we had traveled back and forth across time in the second half of this semester.  Here's a quick breakdown.

Big Themes: 
Politics:  1789-1830s - this took us from the ratification of the U. S. Constitution and formation of early government up through the presidency of Andrew Jackson.  The point was to show how our government was both extending its power and also opening greater opportunities for equality among some people of the time.

Market Revolution:  1810s-1840s - this examined primarily the growing forces of transportation improvements, commercialization and industrialization as they transpired within the Northern, free labor states. 

Antebellum South and Slavery 1830s-1860s - examined how the South developed a contrasting economy to the North, with the South remaining primarily agricultural with the growing influence of cotton production.  Cotton growth also fueled the demand for labor (slaves).

Regional Splits and Civil War 1850s-1860s - we examined major issues in this decade as the free states and slave states faced increased difficulty in finding resolutions to major problems.

More Later.....