HIS 245 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a research paper. The purpose of this assignment is to show your ability to take the material presented to you over the course and make a decision on the most important event of the Cold War era. You will show your ability to research your given topic, synthesize an argument about your topic, and substantiate your claims with evidence from your sources. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of primary sources, and an ability to contribute something new to the available scholarship on your given topic. Analysis of sources is extremely important, as you will have to show your ability to question the available literature within the context of your thesis.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final submission will occur in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Prompt
The Cold War lasted for roughly 46 years, from almost right after the end of World War II, until 1991. The ideals of Western capitalism were pitted against those of the Soviet-led communist bloc. During this time period, many events fueled the divide between these two schools of thought, and contributed to the proliferation of conflict. You have been exposed to these events throughout this course. The final project for this course is the creation of a historical narrative. The research for this paper should be centered on some aspect of American society during the Cold War. Choose one event that you consider important during the Cold War and discuss its impact on American society.
Your topic should relate to one of the following:
You are then to construct a fully researched, thesis-driven narrative containing both primary and secondary sources. You will use these sources to shed light on your chosen topic without propagating any historical fallacies. While you should address one of the issues listed above as you select your topic, your task is to narrow your focus to a manageable question that can be answered in a coherent, thesis-driven fashion (the impact of the Korean War on Cold War politics, or how nuclear weapons technology affected the nature of Cold War politics, etc.).
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Historical AnalysisFactors: What are the factors that influenced this event? Include the policies of the time period as well as any key confrontations and clashes.Individuals: Assess the role of the individual(s) involved in the event. This might be involve leaders or other nations. Who is the protagonist? The antagonist? What significant actions did the central figure(s) take? Why did they do so? What was the response to such actions taken?Trends: What trends did this event influence? Which new policies came about? What effect did these policies have? What themes originated—or were repeated—as such policies were enacted?Impact: What impact did this event, the individual(s), and resulting policies have on Cold War era history? Who significantly benefited from these events and moments? How? Who dramatically suffered from these events and moments, and how?
Milestones
Milestone One: ProposalIn Module Three, you will submit your final paper topic and proposed thesis for review and approval. Submissions should be roughly three paragraphs and outline your proposed topic with a clearly identified thesis statement that the paper will be based upon. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric.Milestone Two: Rough Draft and BibliographyIn Module Five, you will submit the rough draft and a bibliography of your final paper. In the accompanying bibliography, you will itemize your sources, listing your primary sources first, and then secondary sources. Sources should be broken up further by type. Please view the Sample Bibliography document in the Assignment Guidelines and Rubrics Section of the course for further guidance. In the accompanying bibliography, you will list your primary sources first, and then secondary sources. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric.Final Submission: Research PaperIn Module Seven, you will submit your 8–10 page research paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Product Rubric. 1
The Space Race During the Cold War
Cherelle Pratt
HIS 245- U.S. History Since 1945
June 7, 2024
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The Space Race During the Cold War
Background
The Cold War could be described as a period of intense confrontation between two world
powers, the USA and the Soviet Union, characterized by ideological, political, and technological
rivalry (Kallen, 2019). One of the most important features of this competition was the Space
Race, which defined the further development of both superpowers from the late 1950s until the
early 1970s. This period was marked by heightened competition for dominance in space
exploration, purportedly for scientific reasons but in reality, motivated by national pride and
ideological supremacy (Erickson, 2018).
Historical Argument
The main thesis of the paper is that the Space Race, which started with Sputnik in 1957
and ended with the Apollo missions in the 70s, was not as much of a scientific strive towards the
advancement of human knowledge as a propagandistic and nationalist attack. In the desire to
come out as superior in technology and ideologies, the United States and the Soviet Union were
convinced that space domination would influence the world to shift towards communism or
capitalism.
Historical Analysis
Factors
The Space Race was influenced by several factors, such as political and ideological
statements by the leaders, technological factors, and key contests between the superpowers. The
United States of America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created
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in 1958 following the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik in 1957, which has made the United
States very much concerned about the superiority of the Soviet’s technological advancement.
According to Muir-Harmony (2017), Laws like the National Defense Education Act of 1958
were designed to strengthen American scientific and technical education, pointing to the
government’s determination to win the Space Race.
Individuals
The Space Race involved leaders such as President John F. Kennedy of the USA and
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The Promise of Putting a Man on the Moon by the end of the
decade, as epitomized by Kennedy’s speech in 1962, was, therefore, the Package of National
Pride and Technological Aspiration. Khrushchev’s focus on space exploration, like Yuri
Gagarin’s orbital flight on Earth in early 1961, underlined the commendable ideological
diplomacy war between the two Superpowers. According to Muir-Harmony (2017), these leaders
employed space exploration as a means of demonstrating the supremacy of the respective
systems.
Trends
Concerning the impacts, the Space Race initiated several trends, which include increased
focus on technological and scientific education as well as increased rate of tackling aerospace
technology and science. New policies came to light, one of them being the U. S Apollo program,
which led to the powerful moon mission in 1969. While these efforts were instrumental in
driving the development of space technology, they had secondary cultural and economic value in
that they motivated a generation of scientists and engineers (Erickson, 2018).
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Impact
The influence of the Space Race can be considered to be one of the main significant
aspects of the Cold War history. It showed how far both superpowers would be willing to go to
maintain their preeminence, often at considerable expense to their economies and societies. The
outcomes of the Space Race, especially the Apollo moon landing, were very symbolic, affirming
the main perception that the USA wanted to express to the world, one of pioneer advancement
and technological supremacy. On the other hand, early successes in space exploration
programmed the Soviet Union to set the image of a competent play in the global arena
(Muszyński-Sulima, 2023).
Source Analysis
In an effort to develop the thesis, both primary and secondary sources have been
employed. The primary sources used include speeches by Kennedy and Khrushchev, documents
from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, and other documents from
the Soviet space agencies. Secondary sources offer interpretations of the Space Race and thus
help in providing a background to the event. Erickson’s (2018) comparison of the U.S. and
Soviet space programs, Kallen’s (2019) examination of nationalism in the Space Race, and MuirHarmony’s (2017) analysis of American foreign policy all contribute to a comprehensive
understanding of the era.
Cherelle – Thank you for submitting your draft! This draft is currently very underdeveloped. As
the paper needs to be 8-10 pages, not including the bibliopgraphy, and this draft only has 3
pages of content. It’s very general and high level and lacks specific details and expansion on
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key events, etc. I left you comments in the margins for areas to edit/address for the final paper,
which is due at the end of Module Seven on June 23rd, but I’m also allowing students to submit
at the end of Module Eight with no late penalty. Please reach out if I can assist you in any way!
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Kennedy, J. F. (1962, September 12). We choose to go to the moon [Speech]. Rice University.
Khrushchev, N. (1963, September 19). On the peaceful use of space [Speech]. United Nations.
NASA. (1969). Apollo 11 mission report. NASA Archives.
Secondary Sources
Erickson, A. S. (2018). Revisiting the U.S.-Soviet space race: Comparing two systems in their
competition to land a man on the moon. Acta Astronautica, 148(12), 376–384.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.04.053
Kallen, S. (2019). Nationalism, Ideology, and the Cold War Space Race. Constellations, 10(2).
https://doi.org/10.29173/cons29377
Muir-Harmony, T. (2017). American Foreign Policy and the Space Race. In Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of American History. Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.274
Muszyński-Sulima, W. (2023). Cold War in Space: Reconnaissance Satellites and US-Soviet
Security Competition. European Journal of American Studies, 18(2).
https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.20427
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1
HIS 245- Milestone One Proposal
Cherelle Pratt
HIS 245- U.S History Since 1945
May 23, 2024
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The Space Race During the Cold War
In the Cold War’s ideological and technological competition aspects, the Space Race,
which was between the Soviet Union and the US, played a key role. While it was ostensibly
outlined as a peaceful attempt to propagate scientific knowledge, the Space Race was steered by
nationalism as well as the wish to proclaim ideological superiority internationally (Erickson,
2018).
The central argument of this paper is that the Space Race traversing the 1957 Sputnik
launch all the way to the 1970s Apollo missions was driven by both propagandistic and
nationalistic intentions rather than pure scientific drives by the Cold War superpowers (Kallen,
2019). Achieving national pride and looking like a technologically powerful country was very
important because it was believed that whoever dominated space could impress the world by
choosing between communism and capitalism.
In support of this argument, this paper will seek to unravel the nature of the American and
Soviet leadership’s rhetoric, like those of Kennedy and Khrushchev, that associated space
achievements with national competitiveness (Muir-Harmony, 2017). It will also look at how each
superpower committed massive financial resources and mobilized its technological personnel to
space activities, even at the expense of basic needs. This will demonstrate the symbolic nature of
the Space Race. It will also evaluate the global response and perception regarding significant
space events such as Sputnik, Gagarin’s orbit, and the Apollo moon landing (Muir-Harmony,
2017).
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Sources
Erickson, A. S. (2018). Revisiting the U.S.-Soviet space race: Comparing two systems in their
competition to land a man on the moon. Acta Astronautica, 148(12), 376–384.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.04.053
Kallen, S. (2019). Nationalism, Ideology, and the Cold War Space Race. Constellations, 10(2).
https://doi.org/10.29173/cons29377
Muir-Harmony, T. (2017). American Foreign Policy and the Space Race. In Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of American History. Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.274
Muszyński-Sulima, W. (2023). Cold War in Space: Reconnaissance Satellites and US-Soviet
Security Competition. European Journal of American Studies, 18(2).
https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.20427