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Annie Trexler Comparison Essay (DRAFT) Sidor period 6 3/29/12

Paragraph 1: introduce the question, the criteria and the 3 1920’s and 1980’s topics.

The 1920’s and the 1980’s were both influential decades and produced many Hero’s. These Hero’s impacted society and accomplished things that had never been done before. What these men and women did, can be categorized on how influential they actually were by referring to the Great Man Theory. Examples of the Great Man Theory are historical figures that have risen to lead in a time of need, it’s the idea that leaders are born not made. The 1920’s were a historical decade because of the Great Flood of 1927, Charles Lindenbergh’s flight accomplishment, and the idea of free shipping worldwide. These events each impacted history in their own way. The 1980’s worked the same way. Out of them came; personal computers, television networks, and fashion fads that paved a new road for individualism. When contrasting the events that occurred in both the 1920’s and 1980’s, some were more influential than others while a few had longer-lasting legacies.

Paragraph 2: Analyze the 3 1920’s topics using the four Great Man Criteria.

The 1920’s produced many historical events, which changed society. Three of which include qualities listed under the Great Man Theory. They are; The Great Flood of 1927, Charles Lindenbergh’s famous flight, and Sears Roebuck’s new addition to retail stores. The Great Flood of 1927 was one of the worst natural disasters in United States History. It wiped out most the properties in the South and took a long time to clean up due to the amount and depth of the flooding (Ashley M. wiki). According to the Great Man Theory Continuum Criteria, the Great Flood would fall under “Social Determinism.” Americans were influenced be environmental conditions, not the actions of an individual. However, even though most of the damage was contained in the South, the whole country was involved because displaced families needed help with food and shelter (Ashley M. wiki). Another historical event that occurred in the 1920’s was Charles Lindenbergh’s nonstop flight between New York and Paris. He was the first person in the world to do so and would therefore be placed under “Event-Making Hero” on the Great Man Continuum. He created the fork in the road and did something that had never been done before. He influenced cultures worldwide and inspired others with his bravery and confidence (Ben C. wiki). Another example of “Event-Making Hero were Richard Sears and Avlah Roebuck. They created a retail business named "Sears Roebuck" and spread their business by offering free shipping to any part of the country through USPS (Taylor N. wiki). They were a revolutionary company because they created new payment methods for the poor; credit, and priced their products so that middle-class families could also purchase them. Soon, countries worldwide were offering similar retail items for sale through shipping. The idea of being able to buy a long-lasting product for an affordable price and have it delivered to your home was a popular idea and spread worldwide quickly.

Paragraph 3: Analyze the 3 1980's topics using the four Great Man Criteria.

The decade of 1980 included many revolutionary idea and tools that changed the way many people lived their lives. The three most influential include: personal computers, Ted Turner, and fashion fads. Each of these events/people fall under the Great Man Continuum just as the 1920's events. Personal computers were one of the biggest changes in society. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs created a product that made everyday citizens lives more efficient and granted them their desire for instant gratification, The market for personal computers was so competitive that the two lead companies [Apple and Microsoft] would label their projects with code names to keep their ideas from being stolen. For example, Mussing commented that "one of Gates's [head of Microsoft] most significant opportunities was in 1980, when IBM approached him to help with their personal computer project, code name Project Chess" (Drew S. Wiki). The two men behind personal computers would be labeled as "Great Men" according to the Continuum criteria. The products these men came up with were one-of-a-kind and had a huge impact on the everyday lives of society. Another Great Man in the technology field in the 1980's was Ted Turner. He was known as the pioneer in the cable industry, an influential philanthropist (Mitch N. Wiki). He is labeled a "Great Man" for how he was able to take something small and make it big. He did things that had never been done before and revolutionised television. Ted Turner is responsible for starting TBS; Turner Broadcasting System and using the profits to fund CNN; a 24hour live news network. He also founded TNT and according to American Business Leaders, took control of Atlanta's small UHF channel 17 and made it a prosperous station (Mitch N. Wiki). Finally, Ted Turner was not only a Great Man, he was a heartfelt man. He used his abundant profits to form five foundations which promised safety for future generations. Younger generations during the 1980's were easily influenced; they wanted a new way to state their individuality and looked to fashion role models for help. At the time, Ralph Lauren and Madonna were very popular. They each created new style fads such as; leggings, prints, neon colors, leg warmers, shoulder pads, etc (Ashley M. Wiki). They fall under "Event-Making Hero" on the Great Man continuum for the examples they set and how willingly people followed them.

Paragraph 4: Rank the 2 1920's and 1980's topics and describe the order.

Overall, the 1920's and 1980's included events that changed history. Hero's were produced in these time periods and accomplished things that have need been done before. The three most influential events that Ltered society (in order of importance) were the onvention of personal computers, the ideagot retail shipping, and fashion fads. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs' one-of-a-kind invention of the personal computer impacted how people live their lives. Everyday, time consuming tasks, could now be done in a matter of minutes. After the personal compiler was created, its legacy continued with constant improvements and software add-ons. To this day, most of the American population uses or owns a computer and there is no sign that this fad will ever cease. Another life-style changing event that occurred was when Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck teamed up and created a retail company called Sears Roebuck. This retail company was widely known for its idea of free shipping through USPS. They send you a catalogue, you send an order form with the payment back, and soon the items you ordered are delivered to you by the Postal Service. This revolutionary idea soon spread worldwide antoday stilI used today! The thir most influential event is from the 1980's when pop culture was booming. Music and fashion styles were rapidly changing to give a more individual twist. New genres of music were becoming popular and designers strived to create looks that accompanied the feelings provoked by the music. The main message was to findyahoo you are and embrace it. Show everyone around you who the true you is and don't let them convince you it's wrong. Madonna was an advocate for this concept and expressed herself in bold, out of the box looks that included prints, jewels, and bright neon colors. Designers such as Ralph Lauren took ideas like hers and added to them. Shoulder pads, leg warmers, etc. we're introduced and became a huge wit with the youth. The examples they set are still popular today, however music artists and fashion designers have added more modern twists. These three events have greatly impacted society and paved the way for future inventions and concepts to be created. The Great Men and Women of these decades will meet be forgotten for their accomplishments.

Works Cited:

Ashley M. "Great Flood of 1927." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. // Web. 29. March. 2011. Taylor N. "Sears Roebuck, Alvah C, Roebuck appliances & retail stores." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. //Web. 29. March. 2011. Ben C. "Charles Lindenbergh." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. //Web. 29. March. 2011. Drew S. "Personal Computers; Apple 2 & Microsoft." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. //Web. 29. March. 2011. Mitch N. "CNN; Ted Turner." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. //Web. 29. March. 2011. Ashley M. "Fashion Fads & Faux Pas Madonna and Ralph Lauren." //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies. //Web. 29. March. 2011.

RUBRIC

A quality comparison essay will

•Use the __four__ criteria of Great Man Continuum to analyze the significance of three 1920’s topics and three 1980s topics. general analysis of individual criteria

•Analyze of each of the 6 topics with evidence taken from the 1920s and 1980s wikis, supporting evidence for each topic--topics' importance described

•Develop thoughtful and thorough conclusions on all 6 topics, yes

•Rank the three topics for each decade and explain why one topic is more influential than the other two, yes,

•Answer the essay question with a clear, well reasoned argument, clear reasoning is not always supported with evidence

•Explain why the __second__ choice fell short compared to the __first__ choice but is more just than the __third__ choice, generally attempted

•Organize ideas in extended power paragraphs, with a few exceptions, consistently done

•Identify the source and establish its credibility with an appositive phrase, not always done

•Cite evidence with internal citations and in a Works Cited. Click links for exemplars.  Mostly Correct--alphabetize WC, IC entries