US History Review

At various times in United States history, actions taken by the federal government have had effects beyond their original intent. These effects have been both positive and negative.

Task:

Identify two actions taken by the federal government and for each

• Describe the historical circumstances that led to the action

• Discuss the positive and/or negative effects of the action

You may use any action taken by the federal government from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include passage of the whiskey excise tax (1791), purchase of the Louisiana Territory (1803), passage of the Indian Removal Act (1830), passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), adoption of the 14th amendment (1868), ratifi cation of the Prohibition amendment (1919), passage of the Social Security Act (1935), dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945), invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs (1961), and intervention in South Vietnam (1965–1975).

You are not limited to these suggestions.

Guidelines:

In your essay, be sure to:

• Develop all aspects of the task

• Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details

• Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction and a conclusion that are beyond a restatement of the theme