Midterm Exam Questions and Guidelines

Choose ONE of the following questions and compose a thoughtful, well written, and complete response to it. Be certain to support general statements with specific examples and evidence drawn from any and all of the course materials. Think expansively while remaining faithful to the materials at your command. Do not simply lift (plagiarize) passages from readings or lectures and slap them together; rather, you should skillfully and judiciously use secondary AND primary sources (i.e., the electronic readings documents) to form your own argument in your own words. When you do draw directly from such sources, be sure to identify the source in a brief, informal, parenthetical citation like this: (Adam Smith, “Of Colonies” Part 3) or (Marks, p. 110).
Because we will not be having an in-class keyword portion to the exam, your essay should meaningfully incorporate at least 4 of our keywords (the more the merrier). This does not mean list and define 4 terms at random. It means mentioning them appropriately and seamlessly within the context of the points you are making in your essay.
Your completed essay must be typed, double-spaced, and approximately 1000 words (about 3-4 pages in a standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins) and must be personally handed in to me at the end of the class session on Tuesday, March 25. Do not sell yourself short.

1. Empires are made, not born. Select two empires, one each from the following two sets, and compare and contrast the “tools of empire” with which they were built. “Tools of empire” can include science and technology, trade and commerce, religion, labor systems, brute force, and just plain dumb luck. Somewhere in your essay provide a reasoned assessment of what “tools of empire” you think were the most important for each.
Set 1: Spanish-American, British, or the Portuguese trading empire in Africa and Asia.
Set 2: Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Ming-Qing, or Russian

2. How was the New World incorporated into the world economy from around 1500 to around 1800? In your judgment, what were the most significant factors giving rise to the New World’s incorporation into the world economy? In your judgment, what were the most significant consequences?

3. Compare and contrast the Indian Ocean trade of the 15th and 16th centuries with the Atlantic Ocean trade of the 17th and 18th centuries. Consider such things as who traded what, where was trade conducted, how trade was conducted, and who were the winners and losers.

4. How and why did the Industrial Revolution occur? Why did it happen in England and not China? Be sure to consider any and all factors that played a role in creating the conditions that gave rise to the Industrial Revolution. In your judgment, can you single out certain factors as more crucial than others?