World History since 1500

Final Reflection Essay – Guidelines

For this assignment you will select one of the topics below and explain—in a 500- to 750-word essay—

why it is the most important historical development since 1500. In order to explain your selection, you

should consider both the impact at the time of the event and its lasting historical consequences. Your

essay must be submitted through CougarView by December 2nd.

Here are the options for the topic you will explore in your essay:

* European colonialism/imperialism

* the Atlantic Revolutions

* Industrialization

* the World Wars (One and Two)

* The Cold War

Note that there is no one “correct” selection; it is up to you to make the argument for why the topic you

select is most important.

These are large topics that may be interpreted broadly, so your explanation should identify the specific

events or elements that deserve emphasis. For example: European colonialism can be linked to many

important world historical developments (including the slave trade, the spread of Christianity,

globalization, and/or other topics). You should not attempt to list or discuss all of them in this short (2

to 3 double-spaced pages) paper; rather, you should focus on explaining the particular elements that best

support your argument, while still keeping an eye on “the big picture.”

In your essay you must refer to evidence from the course (lectures, primary sources, documentary

videos) that supports your argument. It should not be necessary for you to conduct additional research

to complete this assignment; however, any outside sources you use must be cited, along with relevant

materials from the course.

Like your other historical essays, you should construct this not as a statement of your opinion (“I

believe,” “seems to me,” etc.), but rather as an objective interpretation of the facts available.

As with most essay writing, organization is important. A typical format for an essay of this length

would consist of three “body” paragraphs, each focusing on one of your main points; with an

introductory paragraph and a conclusion to frame your interpretation. You will probably find it is best

to write your introduction and conclusion after writing the body paragraphs, when your interpretation

begins to take on a clearer shape.

Contact Dr. Tompson ([email protected]) if you have any questions about this

assignment.