Reference no: EM133710640

Topic 1. On page 315, Lepore states that "The Civil war raised fundamental questions not only about the relationship between the states and the federal government, but also about citizenship itself and about the very notion of a nation-state." She follows with these questions:

1. " What is a citizen?"
2. "What powers can a state exert over its citizens?"
3. "Is suffrage a right of citizenship, or a special right, available only to certain citizens?"
4. Are women citizens? And if women are citizens, why aren't they voters?" (Until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1919)
5. "What about Chinese immigrants, pouring into the West? They were free. Were they, under American law, 'free white persons' or free persons of color' or some other sort of persons?"

This forum asks you to consider these questions in the context of Part Three's time period (1866-1945) and apply these questions to today's relationship between the states and the federal government and consider today's issues surrounding citizenship. To make it more fun, you can stay in character--how did the topic impact "your" life? Remember, you may give an opinion, but you can only earn points if you support it with information you have gleaned from the text and lectures.

The text by Lepore titled "These Truths".