Exhibit on the history of the United States before 1877

Imagine that the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC has asked you to assemble a small exhibit on the history of the United States before 1877. Even though the museum can only give you enough space to display twelve primary sources, the staff give you the freedom to select the theme and content. You say “Yes!” because you want the work and you want to showcase what you know about US history. First, choose a theme that encapsulates what you think is most important about US history up to 1877. Avoid broad, one-word themes, like “Discrimination” or “Slavery.” Instead, devise a theme that is more nuanced, like “The African-American Experience in the United States up to 1877” or “American Political Life: From the Colonial Period through the Civil War.” Your selection of primary sources will revolve around your theme. You should also be mindful of temporal coverage: if eleven of your twelve sources are from the colonial period, then your exhibit will not be very representative of the period up through 1877. Second, write an informative, introductory statement that will introduce visitors to your exhibit. Tell your audience why you think that this theme is important, what these works collectively say about US history through 1877, and how the primary sources are organized. Then select a minimum of twelve primary sources in chronological order to include in the exhibit. Prepare a brief description (one paragraph) to accompany each source. For each item, tell us something about the author(s), the time period in which the document was created, and how the document relates to your chosen theme. Be sure to also tell visitors why the document is so important that it should be featured in the exhibit. In other words, what is the greater significance of the document? What does it tell us about American history through 1877 and why should we care? Your final should contain the following the elements: A minimum of twelve (12) primary sources: these sources should reflect your theme and the content in the introductory essay Citations from the secondary source readings (these are the works by Oakes, Calloway, Foner, Mahoney, Morgan, Lepore, Perdue, McPherson, and Mauro). Cite all quotes from the readings by putting the author’s surname and page number in parentheses at the end of the passage, like so: (Foner, 421). If you cite an outside source, then include a Works Cited page At least six pages in length, typed, double-spaced, and with numbered pages. There is no maximum page limit The first part of the project should be an evidence-based argument that is well written and carried through the entire project