Your essay should be three to five typewritten pages in length, double-spaced with 12 point font. Some to a significant amount of outside research is required but you must utilize the assigned readings and lectures in developing your essay. Your research should be well and consistently cited. NO WIKIPEDIA, OTHER ENCYCLOPEDIA, OR ONLINE DICTIONARIES.
Review the discussion of plagiarism in the green sheet. Please consult the following websites for examples of paraphrasing and quotation and how to avoid plagiarism: http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/overview.html (Links to an external site.); http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/examples.html (Links to an external site.) ; http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/plagiarism/index.htm (Links to an external site.)
The essay will be evaluated on the basis of the following:
Responds to the problem.
The problems have no single correct answer, but the better responses utilize the major historical/political development(s) referenced in the problem and appropriate rhetorical strategies, i.e., definition, explanation, comparison-contrast, etc.
Makes good use of the readings.
Avoid direct quotation from the texts, paraphrase and summarize using your own words, but give a parenthetical reference using the author’s last name and the page where you have found the information. For example, (Jones, 234) placed just before the period at the end of the appropriate sentence(s). Use more than one of the texts.
Has a clear and complete thesis.
This is a sentence that contains the purpose of your essay. It names your subject and makes a statement about the subject. It briefly presents what you will develop in the following paragraphs that constitute the essay.
Exhibits organization and coherence.
The purpose is accomplished with a clear, logical sequence of supporting points, and each part of the essay supports the purpose.
Utilizes well-crafted sentences and paragraphs.
Make the effort to proof read and revise for spelling, grammar and syntax. Verify that each paragraph has one idea expressed in a topic sentence with appropriate supporting sentences.
Late papers will be docked 3 points for every day missed, including week-ends. After a week, a student will have to do another assignment.
Rubric:
12 points effort-turned in on time, on-topic
12 points content–Analytical skills, accuracy, balance, etc.
6 points writing–spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraph development
Write on the following:
One of the big dilemmas facing historians of American society is how to explain how a society that values freedom so much could support slavery and other forms of coercion such as Indian removal, the denial of women property rights, the forced takeover of Mexican land, and the denial of workers of their right to strike. In this writing assignment, you need to address the interaction of liberty and coercion in American history from roughly the time of the American Revolution until the end of the Civil War. Please explain the strength of slavery in the U.S. at this time, but also address at least two other forms of coercion existing in the U.S. from 1776 to 1865. You will need to use Jones, as well as the lectures, but you can use outside, scholarly sources as you consistently site them. No Wikipedia or similar sources will be welcomed.
the book you are going to need is: Jones, Jacqueline, et. al., Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, 4th Edition, Pearson Publishers, 2014 (Combined 33A and 33B edition) ISBN-13: 978-0205901302 ISBN-10: 0205901301