1. Some scholars have argued that America was undergoing a “crisis in America manhood” during the late 1800s while in the early 20th century masculinity and femininity will be redefined. Discuss both. What caused them? How did Americans respond to them? What were the consequences for America? As the United States expanded during the late 1800’s the roles of men changed dramatically. Men went from working outside on a farm to inside business or a factory. Another change that occurred was the house had undergone some fundamental changes. Lastly there was also a change in the role of women during this time period too. In the 1800s many Americans began to fear that the treasure of American manhood might be in danger. The first major change for most men was that more men moved their work inside. For centuries, manhood meant a hard days work outside with ones hands. After these changes houses had become feminized, because the women ran the household, they were able to decorate the houses with overstuffed chairs and feminine colors. Basically, the house had gone from being practically decorated with only necessities to being ornate and frivolous structures. During this time people began to do more things simply for pleasure rather than out of necessity. But as time progressed men tried to get the home back, to make it more functional and manly. One response to this crisis of manhood was a change in the architecture of homes. The goal was to strip the house of all feminine features and return it to a more natural and raw state. This was because the biggest change that the home underwent was a move from an economical unit to an emotional one. This meant that the propose of the home changed, before this time homes were used for many purposes. Earlier in the 19th century the home was used for business and the family became an extended part of many family businesses. Then later in the century business began to move out of the home because they got bigger and bigger and it was impractical to run businesses out of the home. This change made the houses more feminine and throughout the century they got larger. So the crisis came in changing the house back to a more raw and natural state; basically, a change back to the functional and away from the frivolous. This is because men were seen as rougher, natural and more functional, where as women were seen as delicate, and frivolous. The goal of this was to change the style of the home back from Victorian to a more Mission inspired or a Craftsmen home. Both styles consist of simple lines and wooden furniture. These changes in the home were to help the men feel that they still had some control over the home environment even though their job had moved out of the home. Americans reacted in many ways this included more activities for leisure including summer activities and sports. Many upper class families began to do more things for leisure. This was because their jobs were not as physically demanding and did the workday became much shorter. Families began to go outdoors and attempt to return to nature. These were lavish summer retreats that got the wealthy away from the city. One that comes to mind is Mackinac Island in the Straits of Mackinac. The Grand Hotel opened on 1887 and has been seen as summer retreat and now a step back into the past. Another reaction to this change was the great emphasis put on sports for middle class men. Since there were no longer wars to fight, many men attempted to prove their masculinity though sports. The initial emphasis was on sports like tennis, golf, and boating. Then middle class Americans would add an emphasis to sports like cycling and football. I think that the goal of these sports was to prove the masculinity that was once proved on a battlefield. Since there were no longer wars to be fought and the workdays were considerably shorter, this meant that men needed another outlet for their energy. There were many changes that occurred during the late 19th century many of which changed how men worked and viewed themselves. These changes include how men worked, labor began to move inside and less demanding. Another change was how the family unit functioned and changed from a more economical unit to a more emotional one; then the entrance of leisure activities and sports. The crisis of manhood caused many changes to the role of men in the United States. 2. While the United States only entered the First World War in 1917, the war had a dramatic effect on the United States. Discuss how the First World War affected the American economy, American politics, American society and American standing in the world. Be sure to explain your answer. There were many dramatic changes that took place in the United States as a result of World War I these changes include, dramatic changes in the economy, unrest in politics and society, and this war changed how the United States was viewed as a world power. This war, The Great War, would change t