Who knows about the history of vehicles?

I took a class called A Nation's Argument. In this class, we talked about how arguments are formed and what parts make them up. One argument we dove into is the Declaration of Independence and how it was laid out. We learned about the premises, conclusions, and inductive and deductive statements. I really have found this class interesting because I feel like I am a talented debater but have never really dived into the parts that create a good argument or the order they should be in and this class has really shown me that. Below is my project that is my argument for why I should do a certain independent study.

I am writing a declaration for an independent study that revolves around the history of vehicles and how they have shaped the planet. It is necessary to write this declaration because vehicles have shaped the space in which we live from things like highways to parking lots to the way entire cities are laid out. Without a good understanding of vehicles, how are we supposed to understand history as a whole?

In light of proposing an independent study, you have to consider the purpose of school and how your independent study lines up with your purpose.

I think the purpose of school and learning is to advance yourself and weed out the motivated from the unmotivated so that colleges can make good decisions as to who to accept. It is also there to create an educated general public so that everyone has the best opportunity to do good for themselves. Schools also give you the opportunity to become someone who is a functional member of society, which means you contribute to the economy rather than living off of other people’s taxes. Without schooling, you would not be able to do anything in society and that includes helping others. To help other you need to be stable yourself and that is a benefit of the school.

While thinking about this we also have to consider our unalienable rights and how they too, connect to what I am proposing.

These are your unalienable rights presented by The Declaration of Independence and GCE Lab School.

Life and Liberty

The pursuit of happiness

Exploring the real world

Connecting classroom the environment

This declaration is an expression of your unalienable rights because without the knowledge I seek to learn I feel that I won't be able to try and grasp the entire picture of what history looked like and how it has been shaped by some things more than others. For me to feel like I am fully living life and understanding it I think that I need to be able to understand where my history and heritage lay and how I can tap into them or at least understand where I fit in this day and age.

The guiding question I will be following is, Without a good understanding of vehicles, how are we supposed to understand history as a whole? I think it is your my right to learn about this because without it I am not able to understand society and history which denies me my right to life and liberty, and exploring the real world.

I hope to understand why our world has become the way it is specifically because of the way we transport ourselves and materials.

Learning about the history of vehicles is like learning about the history of religion; they both have played massive roles in history and have changed the world we live in.

P1: Animals as vehicles advanced many kingdoms and empires in the form of the silk road.

P2: The assembly line brought cars to the masses and in the span of twenty years, millions of Americans went from not owning to owning cars.

P3: Cars have changed entire whole continents.

P4: Vehicles have allowed people to travel further

P5: Vehicles allow for a more efficient transfer of goods

P6: Between 1900 and 1920 Americans went from owning 8,000 cars to 8,000,000

Conclusion: Vehicles have shaped the planet and to truly understand history and the course it has taken we need to understand vehicles.

I will be referring to these articles that talk about specific events that prove that vehicles have revolutionized the planet.

Caravans and Transportation

Assembly Line

Henry Ford

Military Vehicles

How cars changed the world

Citations:

“Motor Vehicle.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle.

Hays, Jeffrey. “CARAVANS AND TRANSPORTATION ALONG THE SILK ROAD.” Facts and Details, factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub90/item1103.html.

“Ford's Assembly Line Starts Rolling.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling.

Editors, History.com. “Henry Ford.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/inventions/henry-ford.

“Articles Tagged: Military Vehicles.” Military.com, Member 30298028, www.military.com/equipment/military-vehicles.

“How the Invention of the Car Changed the World.” Aceable, www.aceable.com/blog/how-the-invention-of-the-car-changed-the-world/.

“How Transportation Changed the World.” Spike Aerospace, 28 July 2017, www.spikeaerospace.com/how-transportation-changed-the-world/.