Help on a topic for a History paper?

[Jack]

I have to write a paper about anything in history that happened from 1970-present, and involving the US. I need at least 5 pages, any idea?

[Prairie Fire]

"Nice" signature....

Anyways, It is difficult, because especially if you are in high school/Jr. High (I'm assuming that this is the case, right?), your teacher isn't looking for a stunning display of critical thinking and sharp historical debate. While a University prof may be more sympathetic to that kind of demonstration (sometimes), a high school "history" teacher simply wants you to demonstrate that you can regurgitate the official line on cue, and that you are absorbing their historical outlook and perspective.

If you are feeling bold, they actually gave you a pretty turbulent time frame to work with.

You could, for example, do a piece on CIA interventions and sabotage in countries abroad and domestically. You could start with the Pinochet coup in Chile, then touch upon Nicaragua, arming and training the Mujihideen in Afghanistan during the war against the soviets, and then maybe cap it off with the proliferation of CIA crack into American Ghettos.

If that doesn't suit your fancy, the Vietnam war was still in full swing during this period of time. That is always interesting.

Maybe you could cover stifling of domestic dissent and revolutionary uprisings in the US during that time period. Touch on the murder of Anna Mae aquash during the stand-off at pine ridge, a little bit about operation COINTELPRO , etc.

That is just a few concepts. I wouldn't highly recommend that you do any of them, but if you did, at least you could claim that you were taking an honest and principled stand.

[Marx22]

You can talk about the massive interventionalist policy that United States had around the world, Latin America mostly. As Prairie Fire pointed out, write about covert CIA operations, and how the US funded terrorists to fight against communism, their huge funding for the military etc.

The cold war is also a topic you can touch on.

[x359594]

Since CIA covert operations have been mentioned, you could get 5 good pages about the 1974 US House and Senate hearings on COINTELPRO. Under the Freedom of Information Act the CIA released "the family jewels" in 2007, and all 700 plus pages are downloadable for free at the National Security Archives website: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB222/index.htm .

[pastradamus]

The Iran-contra affair. Its engaging, easy to follow and an interesting story.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Contra_affair

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Pastradamus has a good one.

Maybe the US withdrawal from Vietnam?
Watergate?
Desert Storm?
Monica Lewinsky?

I'd say keep it simple because High School is really a big joke and you shouldn't really go exceptional after you can get an A


Or just go the extremely easy route and write about 9-11.

"Such and such flew such and such into such and such."

[Brother No. 1]

from 1970-present, and involving the US.

Hmm lets see.


Cold War
Involments with Afghanistan
The Iraq-Persian War
The Gulf War
The invasion of Afganistan
trades with China
The relation conflicts with China and Taiwan
The Trade embrago
When President Roland Regan and Gorbachve brought down the Berlin Wall.


And any other event of Imperialism or such that is in your mind.

[redSHARP]

US aid to the afghan rebels? and how it bit us in the ass?

[couch13]

The Iran-Iraq War, during which America sold Biological weapons to Iraq and conventional weapons to Iran.

[Jack]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.


I know this topic is supposed for a history class, but if economic history of the US counts as a valid topic, maybe something about the financialization of the economy since the '70's and how real wages have gone down for the working class while productivity has gone up? This would help in bringing context to the current recession.

I've never really dwelled on this too much, could you send me more information, or links to where I could find some?

[Vincent]

Economic history would be a good one. It would show your teacher that your smarter than many other students who would view history as a bunch of dates and names and things that happened. The thing with economic history is that it provides a way to understanding the cause of events - it mightn't always be the sole cause, but its a pretty interesting way of working.

[Hit The North]

Here's an idea: do your own thinking. This site exists in order to discuss revolutionary theory and practice, not to do your bloody homework for you.

Sheesh :rolleyes:

[ellipsis]

Rise/development of the environmental movement.
the erosion of civil liberties and human rights post 9-11
write about something which interests you or you already know about

some general advice from a former TA in university:
•start with a thesis, if your paper isn't making an arguement your are just regurgitating facts.
• writing a detailed outline, complete with citations BEFORE you write your paper will make the actual writing go much quicker.

[Il Medico]

One word, CONTRA, and all the other fucked up things that happened during the Regan administration.

[Black Dagger]

I liked PF's idea, the history of COINTELPRO is extremely interesting but seldom discussed. It exposes the shambolic nature of US democratic values and can be used in a broader discussion of political dissent in the US.