Five short response history questions

I don’t understand this History question and need help to study.

#1 (Unit 1) Journal Entry

Why do you think it is important to study history? What do you hope to gain from this course?

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words. No references or citations are necessary.

#2 (Unit 1)

Discuss how or if post-Civil War America was truly a period of reform and justice for marginalized populations or if the population and economic landscapes provided for new forms of social and professional segregation. Use examples to support your answer.

Your response must be at least 200 words in length. Citations ARE necessary.

#3 (Unit 2) Journal Entry

Imagine that you were going through Ellis Island as an immigrant in the late 1800s/early 1900s. What do you think your experience would be like?

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words. No references or citations are necessary.

#4 (Unit 2)

The Progressive Era emerged in the early twentieth century as a sharp contrast to the Gilded Age with the push for reforms in all areas of government and business. Discuss some examples of the excesses of the Gilded Age and proposed Progressive Era remedies. Did the Progressives achieve their goals of reigning in the robber barons, creating improved urban development, curbing the power of corporations, protecting consumers and consumer safety, and eliminating the excesses of westward expansion?

Your response should be a minimum of 300 words. Citations ARE necessary.

#5 (Unit 2)

America felt growing pains in the late 1800s, many of which were negative experiences. What influenced urban blight (e.g., standardized housing, abandoned buildings, parts of cities falling into decrepitude due to crime) in the decades around the turn of the century, and was industrial expansion a positive or negative impact? In your response, make sure to address the experience of rising immigrant communities and living in tenement structures.

Your response should be a minimum of 300 words. Citations ARE necessary.