History of the Representations of Technology in Art, Literature, and Film

You may write an essay about virtually any aspect of the history of American technology. The goal of this essay is to understand some of the many
ways that Americans have responded to technology, whether enthusiastically or skeptically, over the past two centuries. That is, because this is a
history course, you should endeavor to place your topic in its historical context, and should explain what it can tell us about larger issues concerning
technology and American history, rather than merely recount the invention of, say, the telegraph. That is, rather than write The Complete History of the
Automobile from the Horseless Carriage to the Driverless Car, you should focus more closely on a particular aspect of automotive history—a
particular automobile, an innovation in automotive design, aspects of assembly-line production, labor issues, automobile advertising, safety, driver’s
education, service stations, racing, model cars, etc.—and then use your particular topic to illuminate bigger issues concerning the history of
technology or American history