Midterm Exam, History 412: Modern North America, 1847-Present Part 1 by Kyle Owenby

Entry for the DBWI Writing Contest. Go to Part 2.

MIDTERM EXAM, HISTORY 412: MODERN NORTH AMERICA, 1847-PRESENT Thomas J. Jackson IV, JD, PH.D; Instructor of American and Military History
Department of History and Moral Philosophy, VMI

Dear class,

We've covered modern North American history from the conclusion of the North American Wars (1844-1850) until the Caracas Dispute (1925). Now at the midpoint of our semester we pause to evaluate your grasp and comprehension of the facts and dates, as well as the implications of war, economics and politics for the people who lived in the times, and of course, the overall significance of these events. The big picture: Why did history turn out the way it did? Who, or what, is responsible for that?

This exam will test all of that knowledge. It is of course open book and open note, though the answers will not be easily found in your scribbles. I expect that you will analyze and interpret, not just parrot back facts to me. You will find in this packet your exam in three sections; do them in any order that pleases you, as long as they are completed and returned to the departmental secretary by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 1st.

SECTION ONE: TERMINOLOGY IDENTIFICATION (20 points)
Select five of the following ten terms to define, making note of the significance for North American history.

1. Comancheria
2. Port of Havana
3. Agrarian Federalism
4. Hanoverian Exiles
5. Mexican Dissolution
6. Deseret
7. Technocratic Efficiency
8. Popular Socialism
9. Haitian Insurrection
10. Presidency of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

SECTION TWO: MULTIPLE CHOICE (30 points)
Select the best answer(s) for the following ten questions.

1. The Treaty of Havana (1887) ended which war?

A. The Mexican-American War
B. The War of Texas Secession
C. The Comancheria War
D. The War of Southern Independence

2. The goal(s) of the Technocratic Efficiency movement were?

A. State planning of the production for critical industries
B. Organizing the population to prevent wasted life and energy
C. Establishing standards for citizenship and reproduction
D. Fulfilling the mathematical precepts for human life

3. The first economically successful cross country railroad was?

A. The Canadian Transcontinental
B. The Yucatan to Los Angeles
C. The Deseret Exclusive
D. The New Orleans to San Francisco

4. The last state to abolish slavery in North America was?

A. The Republic of Sonora
B. The Republic of the South
C. The Deseret Republic
D. The Empire of Haiti

5. The Caracas Dispute (1925) repudiated which international agreement?

A. The Geneva Conventions
B. The Treaty of Paris (1820)
C. The Monroe Doctrine
D. The Hanoverian Resolutions

6. Which states first successfully completed an Atlantic-Pacific canal?

A. The Republic of the South and France in Nicaragua
B. Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos and Austria through central Mexico
C. The United States of America and Great Britain in Nicaragua
D. The Republic of the South and Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos through central Mexico

7. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna served as President of which two nations?

A. Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos and the United States of America
B. The United States of America and the Republic of the South
C. Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos and the Republic of California
D. The Republic of the South and los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos

8. The largest naval battle in the Caribbean was between which two forces?

A. The British Navy and the US Navy
B. The Confederate Navy and the Brazilian Navy
C. The Californian Navy and the French Navy
D. The Gran Columbian Navy and the US Navy

9. As of 1925 which North American state(s) practiced Popular Socialism?

A. Oregon and Guatemala
B. The Republic of the South and Cuba
C. Oregon
D. Cuba and Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos

10. Which quote can be attributed to the Napoleon of the West, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna?

A. "The failure of democracy was my success."
B. "The Founding Fathers' vision for democracy was short sighted."
C. "Bolivar is welcome to the South, so long as he leaves Mexico and the North for me."
D. "Without fail, one nation cannot rule this land alone, its people to stubborn, its spirit to independent, its landscape too harsh to facility one continental government."

SECTION THREE: ESSAY (50 points)
Choose one of the following two topics and write a five paragraph essay.

1. Mexico was arguably on its way to becoming the most powerful state in North America due to its size and natural resources, as well as being a contentious neighbor with the USA after putting down the Texas Revolt. Why does Mexico's Dissolution into the numerous "little republics" represent the turning point for modern North America? Use three distinct examples when writing your five paragraph essay.

2. The Caracas Dispute (1925) brought the major nations of North America together with and against the leading powers of Europe, the French and Austrian Empires, in both a military and a political sense. How did the politics and national identities of the North American republics change in the aftermath of that meeting? Use three distinct examples when writing your five paragraph essay.

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Kyle Owenby is a former history educator and soon to be law student residing in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, a fellow history enthusiast. In his free time he reads and writes speculative fiction, especially alternate history and space opera.