The midterm will take place in the second half of class on October 22nd. The midterm will be composed of two parts. The first part is a set of short answer identification questions and the second part is an essay. Please bring a large blue book for the exam.

Part 1: Short Answer Identification (30pts total)

On the day of the exam you will be asked to define three (3) historical terms and three (3) digital terms in paragraph form. It is to your advantage to be familiar with all of the following terms. Your answers should be four to five sentences in length.

For historical terms your task is to identify the term - who?, what?, where?, when? and then explain the historical significance – why is this important in early United States history? Only answers that identify and describe the historical significance of the term in addition to explaining what happened and when, will merit full credit.

For digital terms you should identify the meaning of the term and then discuss why it is important or useful for Digital Historians. Only answers that address both components will merit full credit.

Historical Terms (3 x 5pts each = 15pts)

• Carrie Nation
• Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
• The Jungle
• Rose Schneiderman
• The Women’s Trade Union League
• National Women’s Party

Digital Terms (3 x 5pts each = 15pts)

• Metadata
• Digital Native
• Digital Identity
• Hypertextuality
• Accessibility
• Fair Use

Part 2: Essay questions (20pts)

Of these four (4) essay questions two (2) will appear on the exam and you will write on one (1). You essay should include an introduction and conclusion as well as supporting body paragraphs and be written in a formal scholarly format.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of digital media for doing history online? Be as specific as possible and use examples where applicable.

2. What is Digital History? Be specific about the methodologies and types of Digital History. Reference specific examples where applicable.

3. How did gender influence the dynamics of the labor movement and the investigations that took place in the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?

4. By the turn of the century women had begun to expand their presence in the public sphere. Both working-class and middle-class women began to occupy public space, albeit in different ways. How did women occupy public spaces as a way to assert their legitimacy as political actors and open up new spaces for women in society? Be sure to address how strategies differed for working-class and middle-class women and use examples to support your argument.

Tips for Writing and Studying for the In-Class Essay

An in-class essay requires that you be clear and concise in your answer. Since you don’t have a lot of time, it is tempting to start writing immediately and rush through. However, this strategy leads to essays that are written in a confusing way, they wander and don’t refer back to main points, and often neglect key information.

Instead of beginning immediately, take a few minutes to outline your answer. While you are not allowed to use notes on the exam, if you’ve prepared an outline before-hand and you’ve thought through your answer you will be better prepared to write a good essay.

Your first paragraph should lay out your overall claim and the points you plan to use to support that. Your entire paper should revolve around this organization. If you’ve laid out the organization to your essay in your intro not only will it make writing each paragraph easier because you will know what it is supposed to be about, but if you runout of time the intro paragraph indicates what else you wanted to say before class ended.

Finally, an essay such as this is time constrained and closed note. It will be less detailed than what would be expected in a take home essay and you won’t have time or room to write about everything related to the topic. Instead, choose a few points or events that are most relevant to the question. You should still include details related to your point and be through in your answer but its ok to constrain your and pick only a few relevant examples.