[BLANK-1] was a huge economic depression that occurred during Martin Van Buren’s presidency, but which was largely caused by Andrew Jackson’s presidential policies (including the Bank War, his attack on the monetary system, his condemnation of Henry Clay’s American System, and his decision to veto national infrastructure legislation). The situation worsened when Jackson passed the Specie Circular a few months before the end of his second term, requiring all land to be purchased using hard specie (gold or silver). These further deprived banks of specie and, alongside an overinvestment of British capital and land speculation, led to an increase in American foreign indebtedness. This depression tanked Van Buren’s popularity and it took six years for the American economy to begin to recover.

Part 3 Essay Question [40%]: Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability.Choose ONE (1) of the following options:Identify the major myths of the “Wild West.” What characteristics, qualities, and traits typified these myths? Who, in the popular imagination, occupied the West? How did the reality of Western settlement differ from these myths? Be sure to provide specific examples.Who was Henry Clay and what were some of his major contributions to nineteenth-century America? Describe in detail some of the policies that Clay supported. Which politicians opposed these policies? How did Clay help the United States avoid (or perhaps only delay) major crises? What is his legacy in American history?Explain the outcome of the Civil War. What advantages did the North have? What were the major Southern disadvantages? What battles do you believe were the decisive engagements of the war and why? Why did the North win? Why did the South lose?

Explain why experimental studies are often better for determining causality than observational studies and why they are not always possible.

Part 2 [8% points each = 40% total] Short Identification Questions (IDs):A short answer ID should briefly address the basic journalistic questions: who or what, when, where, and why. Each term should be at least 4-5 sentences long. Be sure to discuss the significance. Write an answer for FIVE (5) of the following, even if you must guess somewhat (partial credit is better than none):The American Fur TradeThe California Gold RushThe Compromise of 1850Cotton DiplomacyDavid Rice AtchisonGrant’s Overland CampaignJohn BrownMajor Stephen LongThe Overland TrailsWestern Campaigns

Part 3 Essay Question [40%]:Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability.Choose ONE (1) of the following options: Identify three major economic revolutions that developed in the Northern portion of the United States during the early-nineteenth century. Describe each revolution in detail. What were some key components of each revolution? In what ways were these revolutions related to one another? How did they come to be central parts of the Northern economy? How did they further divide the Northern economic system from the South?How did Southerners come to think of slavery as a normal part of society? Why did so few Southerners raise a moral objection to slavery? How did Southerners come to justify the institution of slavery as moral, just, and natural? Identify several individuals who defended slavery and explain how they rationalized their defense of the institution.Describe the American culture of moral reform of the first-half of the nineteenth century, known as the Benevolent Empire. What motivated the rise of moral reform during this time? Who were the primary moral reformers and what types of reform did they enact? What social problems did reformers seek to address? In what ways did the movement offer prominent roles in society for certain reformers that would have been unthinkable in the previous decades? How successful were these reform movements? In what ways did reform efforts merge with political participation?

The early nineteenth century saw the rise of a new middle class in the United States and a shift in both middle-class values and family dynamics. A major change of this era was the trend that middle-class families preferred to postpone employment for family members until adulthood. This ideal, called [BLANK-1], was available only to families who could do without their offspring’s labor. The new middle class preferred a period in which boys and girls were sheltered within the home and nurtured through primary schooling. Those who were afforded these opportunities often entered respectable, well-paying positions when they matured and those who did not tended to become dependent workers with little prospects for social mobility.

The Growth of Democracy that occurred in the United States in the 1820s and 1830s was fueled by the [BLANK-1]. This included massive campaigns featuring the use of broadbills, rallies, parades, and candidates with nation-wide name recognition who would ply would-be supporters with free food and drink. Martin Van Buren was a master of this novel approach and used it effectively in order to get Andrew Jackson elected president.

A variable that lies on the causal pathway between exposure and outcome is called:

Part 2 [8% points each = 40% total] Short Identification Questions (IDs):A short answer ID should briefly address the basic journalistic questions: who or what, when, where, and why. Each term should be at least 4-5 sentences long. Be sure to discuss the significance. Write an answer for FIVE (5) of the following, even if you must guess somewhat (partial credit is better than none):Alexander HamiltonThe American SystemCatharine BeecherGeneral George WashingtonJames MadisonThe Newburgh ConspiracyThe Revolution of 1800Secretary of State John Q. AdamsShays’ RebelliionThe War of 1812

Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (which doubled the size of the relatively new United States), Thomas Jefferson selected [BLANK-1] to lead the very first expedition to chart and survey the newly purchased territory, chronicle the flora and fauna of the land, and reach the Pacific Ocean.