In this assignment, your task is to choose from one of two opening paragraphs (Option A and Option B) and write an additional four to five paragraphs to form a complete essay that explains the outcome of the 1940 presidential election. Paste the pre-written portion of the essay at the top of your document and then write additional paragraphs that will prove the thesis presented in the introduction and carry out the logical argument suggested in that opening paragraph. The evidence that you use to prove the thesis must come from the textbook, primary sources found in the course Primary Source Packages, and the Module 3 presentations. Your essay should make thoughtful use of at least three primary sources. The full essay, when completed, should be in the range of 750-1000 words. The essay must be formatted according to the standards set out in the “Standard Format for Written Assignments document here: HIST 1002 Standard Format for Written Assignments.doc. Download HIST 1002 Standard Format for Written Assignments.doc. Citations should take the form of: Author, Title of Source, Date Created, page number (if available).
If you wish to be bold and come up with your own thesis and argument that answers the question, you may do so.
Criteria for grading this assignment will include: quality of writing (paragraph structure, grammar, transitions, flow), quality of analysis, use of primary and secondary source evidence, and quality of citations.
For more assistance in writing historical essays see the video presentation “Writing Paragraphs.”
Option A
The 1940 presidential election returned Franklin Roosevelt to the White House for an unprecedented third term. This impressive feat, however, masked rising disenchantment with the expansion of governmental authority under the New Deal. In response to the Great Depression, the Roosevelt administration pushed beyond accepted norms of government activism by creating jobs, distributing direct relief, increasing the scope of public works, and funding pensions for the age. Initially, these programs proved popular because people appreciated the urgent need for aggressive action. After Roosevelt’s strong electoral showing in 1936, much of that appreciation melted away. The depression dragged on despite the government interventions and the president incited the wrath of many voters by attempting to pack the Supreme Court. His slim margin of victory in the 1940 election reflected less willingness on the part of the American public to tolerate an expansion of presidential power in the absence of economic improvement.
Option B
The 1940 presidential election returned Franklin Roosevelt to the White House for an unprecedented third term. This impressive feat reflected enduring public support for the New Deal and an endorsement of Roosevelt’s expansive view of government’s powers. A severe economic crisis enabled Roosevelt to push beyond the accepted norms of government activism in his first term by creating jobs, distributing direct relief, increasing the scope of public works, and funding pensions for the age. Certainly, Roosevelt’s revolutionary approach provoked some opposition, especially following his ill-advised scheme to pack the Supreme Court in his second term. Yet, millions of Americans continued to benefit from his programs and while the economy did not fully recover, it showed significant improvement from its sorry state when Roosevelt first took office in 1933. Indeed, Roosevelt’s philosophy of governance had become so widely accepted that that his opponent in the 1940 election, Wendell Wilke, ran in opposition on a platform that was barely distinguishable from New Deal liberalism. Roosevelt’s decisive victory in that election was a testament to the New Deal’s effectiveness and widespread agreement about the government’s responsibility to intervene in the nation’s economic affairs to promote general welfare.
Option C
In this option you may write your own introductory paragraph along with an additional four paragraphs.