Here is a rather strong interpretation (below) of how the United States initially became a world power. Johnny Harris is a filmmaker, journalist and has a degree in international relations. This is a master class in presentation design, so think about how you could incorporate some of his explanatory techniques into your 4th Quarter Project. Feel free to visit Johnny Harris' YouTube page to see other work he has done and scroll down for his presentation design tips.
The Importance of Sea Power
Read carefully, distinguishing between the primary and secondary sources included in the following packet and answer the questions:
Is the United States an Empire?
What is the author's opinion on whether or not America is an empire? How does he demonstrate/communicate his viewpoint?
How did the "United States" become "America"? This 33-minute podcast features historian Daniel Immerwahr:
American Visions: the Wilderness and the West
How do historical and artistic depictions of the American landscape connect to the idea of an American empire? Pay special attention to "manifest destiny" and the Turner Thesis.
Miss the video? See it HERE.
To help you better understand what the Turner Thesis is, the video below provides a novel approach at explanation:
An Introduction to Frederick Jackson Turner's The Significance Of The Frontier In American History from Macat on Vimeo.
And a more critical interpretation provided below from Prof. Naoko Shibusawa of Brown University: