Final Exam Term 2 vol 2

What is America? By Grace Novascone From 1840-1924 America is like an old crumbling building in the Valley of Ashes or the “fantastic farm where ashes grow” from Great Gatsby. Even though America has been through the Civil War and World War 1, the building still stands. However, it is Read more…

“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”

“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman When I heard the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them, When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with Read more…

Billy Budd by Herman Melville

This month we start with Mike Burns’ choice for the high school book he hated, the not subtly homoerotic Billy Budd by Herman Melville.  “Billy Budd, Sailor has been called the best short novel ever written. In his brilliantly condensed prose, Herman Melville fashions a legal parable in which reason Read more…

Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Story of an Hour by Haddon Buschmann “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a short story about a female protagonist named Louise Mallard who feels the joy of freedom after hearing of her husband’s death. Chopin was one of Read more…

Atlanta Compromise by Booker T. Washington

The Atlanta Compromise Atlanta Compromise by Faiza Khaled The “Atlanta Compromise,” speech was addressed by Booker T. Washington in 1895 at the Atlanta Exposition. The Atlanta Exposition was a world’s fair intended to showcase the Southern economy, agriculture and also expand industrially. The goal of the fair was to attract Read more…

Final Exam Term 2 Part 1

Final Exam Essay by Thea Sargent Table of Contents Thanks for reading The American Experiment! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Part One: Exposition Part Two: Rising Action Part Three: Climax Part Four: Falling Action Part Five: Resolution Cast of Characters Protagonist: America, the working Read more…

Observations from a Trip to Washington DC

The Arlington National Cemetery The Arlington National Cemetery exists as one of the two national cemeteries operated by the American army. It holds almost 400,000 graves with the addition of the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” In Washington D.C. I got to witness many different museums, government buildings, and historical Read more…

“Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford

“Sixteen Tons” by Kate Hunsberger In 1947, Merle Travis composed and recorded a popular Folk song called “Sixteen Tons.” A few years later, Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded that same song himself. The song began to skyrocket through the charts as it became exceedingly popular in Ford’s version. The song tells Read more…