History 110 Frederick Douglass Analytical Essay

This 4-5 page typed, double-spaced essay asks you to analyze what Frederick Douglass Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass teaches you about how slavery confined both slave and master in a system of violence and oppression. 

Historian Margaret Washington in the documentary Africans in America that I showed in class noted that when you enslave a person, in some ways you become a slave yourself because masters and slaves are natural enemies. 

In your analytical essay, Id like you to consider at least 2 of the following topics in connection with the question Ive asked.

-physical violence
-sexual violence
-work
-religion
-family
-education.

1)Present a clearly stated argument (thesis) on the first page that fully addresses the essay question.

2)Defend your argument against possible objections.

3)Develop your argument through the use of evidence presented in the body of your paper that fully addresses the essay question.  Each paragraph should have evidence.  Use specific examples from the readings to argue your point.

4) Write clear and effective topic sentences for each paragraph, and transitional sentences leading to the next paragraph.  Remember one topic sentence per paragraph with supporting evidence as a general rule.  Each paragraph needs evidence, analysis, relate to thesis and then a transition sentence.

5)Present a conclusion that clearly and concisely offers a summation of your argument.

6)Proofread your paper for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, transitional sentences.

7)Do not switch tenses in your paper.  History is written in the past tense.

8)Use Chicago style citation (footnotes not parenthetical citations). See website I have posted for further information.

9)Contextualize your quotations/introduce your quotations.  Explain to the reader who is speaking and the context and significance of the the quotation.

10) Write for the ignorant, but intelligent reader.  Do not assume the reader knows your topic.  Explain your references and your terminology.

11)Paginate your paper.

12)Use the passive voice as little as possible.  The passive voice removes human agency from sentences making it seem like events just happen without historical actors.  For example: Native Americans were moved off their land in the 1890s.  This is an example of passive voice and is not an effective sentence.  Who moved the Native Americans and why? Better sentence: Land hungry white settlers and federal land policy pressured Native Americans to move onto smaller reservations.

13)Proofread, edit and revise. 

Historiographical Review

Daniel Richters work, The Ordeal of the Longhouse, provides depth to the early contact between one of North Americas largest indigenous tribal confederations and European colonizers. Richters historiography centers on life within the five nations of the Iroquois League and provides the reader with a way to think about the evolving relationships between a powerful and culturally rich populace and three distinct foreign invading peoples. As we will be discussing in class, the conquest of the Americas was an historic period of transition and change, particularly for the people who called these continents home for centuries. Europeans (Dutch, French, British, and though theyre not part of this work, the Spanish) appeared on Turtle Island competing for power. Each brought with them colonial and/or imperial ideals albeit with varying interpretations, practices, and accommodations. While the colonial powers ranged from Dutch civilizers, French traders, and British soldiers, Enlightenment notions of superiority still provided the common narrative to assume territorial and political authority.

Richters window into the other side presents many individuals who populated this region espousing different understandings of civilization. They lived their lives and ran their affairs through means and vehicles natural to them, yet completely antithetical to the foreigners they ultimately were forced to accept as neighbors. Even the way Native Americans and Europeans thought about the world was completely oppositional (circular versus linear thought) and thus language barriers were not the only communicative issue. Richters interpretation of the Iroquois and their relationships with other tribes and colonizers is one of evolution. While considering the historical context (from readings, lectures, and discussions), I want you to write a paper on the following question.

In what ways do the relationships between the Iroquois and the three European colonial powers differ and evolve; and further how do they reflect a period of historical transformation in North America?

This paper should:

1.) Introduce: Set the table for the paper! You could start with an enigmatic quote, provide some background, or historically situate your analysis.

2.) State your claim and make an argument. Your introduction should close with your thesis statement. The transition must be seamless so make sure the introduction is always relatable to the point you are going to make.

3.) Back up your discourse. Argue for your thesis and solidify all theories and claims by implementing evidence from your sources (quality over quantity). This segment will compose the body of the paper. This section potentially contains many pitfalls; make sure your claims are cogent and defensible given your source work. All should relate back to your thesis.

4.) Conclude. Review your thesis statement (though not in the exact same words) and wrap up your arguments. You may also include a general connection to the larger American project.

Details:

*Four (4) pages.

*Punctuation, grammar, and spelling are of the utmost importance and will weigh heavily on your grade.

*You are to cite all quoted material and/or content that is not your own using the Chicago Manual of Style (instructions in Rampollas A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, online or in the Writing Center or here: Chicago Sample Paper.pdfPreview the document).

*You are to use twelve-point (12) font, double space, and one inch margins.

Students will write 6 comparative source analysis essays (approximately 4 pages each) on the required texts and corresponding films for the course.
Address the Following:

Write a thesis that explains the issue(s) you will analyze.
Use the book to provide historical context for the film.
If relevant to your topic, what issues did the film not address about the era in which it was made that you believe are important. Provide information from the book in your discussion of those issues.
If relevant to your topic, what symbolism, metaphors, etc. do you see in the film?
If relevant to your topic, how did the values of the time shape the making of the film? You need to be able to support your arguments about the values of the time with information from the book, not just state what you believe the values of the time were.
Do not limit yourself to the suggestions I have provided here.

These papers are not book reports/film summaries.  Avoid lengthy summarization I have read the books and watched the films; I do not need to be told what they are about.  Use summarization only as necessary for evaluating the books and films.

You must cite the books properly.  History majors must use Chicago Manual Style.  Students majoring in other disciplines may use the citation style appropriate to that discipline.

Will submit movie link and pdf documents for books and label which books and film go with each essay

Students will write a comparative source analysis essay (approximately 4 pages) on the required texts and corresponding films for the course.
Address the Following:

Write a thesis that explains the issue(s) you will analyze.
Use the book to provide historical context for the film.
If relevant to your topic, what issues did the film not address about the era in which it was made that you believe are important. Provide information from the book in your discussion of those issues.
If relevant to your topic, what symbolism, metaphors, etc. do you see in the film?
If relevant to your topic, how did the values of the time shape the making of the film? You need to be able to support your arguments about the values of the time with information from the book, not just state what you believe the values of the time were.
Do not limit yourself to the suggestions I have provided here.

These papers are not book reports/film summaries.  Avoid lengthy summarization I have read the books and watched the films; I do not need to be told what they are about.  Use summarization only as necessary for evaluating the books and films.

You must cite the books properly.  History majors must use Chicago Manual Style.  Students majoring in other disciplines may use the citation style appropriate to that discipline.

Will submit movie link and pdf documents for books

The paper has been typed and revisions have been made by my instructor, she claims I didnt use certain historical sources, I need these sources implemented into the paper and added to the footnotes and bib, I will add the pdf files for these sources. The paper goes in chronological order, I need Oshinsky, Worse than Slavery put in the part that speaks about incarceration after slavery, The New Jim Crow needs to be put in when the paper comes to that era and also David Musto American Disease when I speak on the war on drugs part. I need the proper information from these books added to my paper with footnotes and bib