American History

US History Essay:    “The issue that brought about the Civil War was slavery” Your assignment is to ANALYZE the various events leading up to the Civil War (e.g., geography, economics, political compromises, and laws, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the election of 1860, etc.) and to develop an argument regarding how these forces coalesced around the issue of slavery to cause the war. You will be graded on your argument and your utilization of available evidence in support of your argument. You do not necessarily have to treat all possible causes equally, but be prepared to explain why you dismiss or de-emphasize any particular events. Naturally, grammar, style, and mechanics will also play a significant role in your grade. Essays should be two to three-page sides.

assignment is to analyze the various events leading up to the Civil War (e.g., geography, economics, political compromises and laws, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, election of 1860, etc.) and to develop an argument regarding how these forces coalesced around the issue of slavery to cause the war. You will be graded on your argument and your utilization of available evidence in support of your argument. You do not necessarily have to treat all possible causes equally, but be prepared to explain why you dismiss or de-emphasize any particular events. Naturally, grammar, style, and mechanics will also play a significant role in your grade. Essays should be two to three page sides

How and why did the 13 British colonies along the eastern seaboard of North America gradually conclude in the second half of the 18th century that they should declare their independence from Great Britain? In the struggle that followed, what were the advantages and disadvantages of each side?

For this assignment you will: 1. Choose a decade of American history from pre-Columbian to the Civil War Era.  2. Choose three events, in that decade, that helped to mold American ideals in that time period, and possibly still affect the present-day ideas and culture.  3. Once you have chosen the three events (they can be large or small), write a thesis statement using the following prompt: “Because of (event 1, event 2, and event 3, America during the decade of (place the years here) was changed for the (better or worse depending on the point you will make), influencing our current political and social condition. ”  4. Once the thesis statement is chosen, use academic sources, including, but not limited to, the databases on NCTC’s library site, primary sources (first-hand accounts such as diary entries, legislation, letters, etc), secondary academic sources (newspaper articles, books, academic journals, etc), documentaries or speeches. For this assignment, you will need at least 5 sources, but are not limited to just 5.  5. Write the paper, taking each of the events that you have chosen, using evidence from the academic sources you have chosen to prove your thesis.  6. Make sure to write this research paper using Chicago style. In your tools for the course in the Modules, you will find a sample paper, and other writing tools to help you do this. The paper should be 3-5 pages in length, double -spaced, with no larger than a 12 pt, Times Roman Numeral font.  7. Make sure to avoid first-person language and subjective (based on opinion and not fact) arguments. Phrases like “I think”, “I feel”, and “I believe” should not be used, but the evidence that you provide will show what you believe.   The grade will be given based on the following:                      Thesis:  Is it clear, timely and relating to American history? 40 points                     Chicago Style:  Formatting, in paper citation, Notes, Title Page, Bibliography 45 points                      Sources:   Academic, primary, secondary. 30 points                       Analysis: Does the information used match the thesis? Prove the thesis statement? Are you                                               clearly making a case using historical evidence before you?  35 points

You are an American Patriot involved in the Boston Tea Party. What factors drove you to your involvement in such a rebellious action against the Crown? Explain your motivations in a letter to your parents back home in London. Your letter shoud be approximately 175-200 words in length. Be sure to use proper formatting for a letter (date, heading, salutation, body, & closing) as well as correct spelling and grammar.

Should the United States policies against the Native Americans be considered “acts of genocide”? Task: In at least 2 paragraphs, please answer the above question using evidence from the past few days’ lessons on U.S. policies toward Native Americans.  Be sure to: Include at least 2 specific examples from this week’s lessons on Native Americans in your answer (1 per paragraph). Use the PowerPoint and/or the Edpuzzle video. Click here for the Youtube link to the video Explain how each example is or is not an example of a genocide.  Use the characteristics of a genocide reviewed in class as your guide. Reminder: The list of characteristics is located in the PowerPoint. You have to open the slides to do the assignment.

This writing assignment centers on the topic of race relations from the settling of the Americas in 1492 up to the Civil War. Its goal is to challenge you to examine the historical documents from the period that relate to that topic (e.g. the primary sources) and to place those documents in the context of the secondary sources and lecture material from the course. In short, your task is to demonstrate the ability to think like a historian by critically analyzing the types of evidence that historians utilize to make sense of the past and to answer the questions that interest us. To begin this assignment, select at least three primary sources from the course that offer three different perspectives on the nature and experience of equality and/or inequality in the United States. You need not pick a single category, such as slavery, but may choose to look at race relations from three different episodes and perspectives in different time periods that intrigue you. Your paper should focus on the primary source documents but also draw on the unit lectures and textbook readings to contextualize those documents. “Anglo or African American perspectives on slavery” is my chosen topic

Reading: John McDowell Burrows, Fifty Years in Iowa (Davenport, Iowa, 1888), Chapters 1, 2, 9, 14, 23-26, 33-34 (corresponding to pages 1-11, 33-36, 52-57, 92-105, 125-132) In chapter 26 of his memoir, John Barrows mentions that he traveled with his wife to Steubenville, Ohio and then on to Albany and New York, New York.  The first leg of his voyage (Davenport, Iowa, to Steubenville, Ohio) occurred by steamboat.   The second leg (Steubenville to Albany, New York) involved railroads.  Your task is to re-construct his voyage using contemporary maps and a travel guide.  Part I. Write a letter or series of diary entries recounting Burrows's journey by water.  (You can write as Burrows, his wife, or another traveler taking the same trip).  Burrows and his wife traveled down the Mississippi River from Davenport, Iowa to Ohio City in a steamboat; then switched to another steamboat at Ohio City to travel up the Ohio River to Steubenville.  Describe two things (settlements or natural features) that they/you saw on the Mississippi River and two more that they/you saw on the Ohio River.  Consult the contemporary travel guide listed below for maps of the rivers and descriptions of all the cities and towns that travelers passed.  Suggested sites: Nauvoo (page 17), Devil’s Bake Oven (p. 28) on the Mississippi River; Louisville (page 116, map 111) and Steubenville (page 94) on the Ohio River. Travel guide: U. P. James, James’; River Guide Containing Descriptions of all  the Cities, Towns, and Principal Objects of Interests on the Navigable Waters of the Mississippi Valley (Cincinnati, 1857) https://archive.org/details/jamesriverguidec00jame/page/n5/mode/2up )   Part II. Burrows and his family traveled from Steubenville, Ohio to Albany, New York by railroad.  What route did they take?  Consult the railroad maps listed below to re-construct this part of their trip.

Book under review: Frederick Douglass The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.   Chapters to read and use: First Part—Chapters 1—21 and Second Part—Chapters 1—12. (Total of 33 chapters) Look for First Part and Second Part in the Table of Contents   INSTRUCTIONS. 1. The paper should be typed. 2. Double-space it; 10 or 12 font size. 3. Use one inch margin space on all four sides. 4. The length of the paper should have a minimum of 7 complete pages. Maximum 9 pages. 5. You have to upload your paper on to Canvas. The file should be a pdf or WORD file. Title of file is “Paper”. No Google or Apple file. No zip folders. 6. DO NOT USE QUOTES FROM THE BOOK. WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED IF YOU DIRECTLY QUOTE FROM THE BOOK. 7. Answer the question completely in an essay format. Write in paragraphs. Do not number your paragraphs. 8. Organize your paper in your own style. Answer the questions in any order you like. 9. Use a spell-checker to check spellings. Points will be deducted for spelling errors. 10. I will grade your paper on your understanding of the book, demonstration of your reading through the use of multiple details and examples from the book, and your discussion. 11. The details and examples you write about should cover details from all the assigned chapters. 13. Do not hesitate to consult me while you are writing the paper. 14. I will NOT accept late submission of paper. 15. Do not email me the paper, submit it in CDs, or post it on your web site. 16.  I WILL REGARD COPYING FROM CLIFF OR SPARKS NOTES AND INTERNET AS CHEATING (PLAGIARISM). DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE (Books or internet) TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. IT WILL RESULT IN A F GRADE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.   QUESTION: (Part 1 and Part 2) You should write both Parts as ONE PAPER in ONE pdf or WORD File.   Part 1 (5 pages minimum) You would have read that Frederick Douglass was born a slave in an isolated Maryland plantation and then escaped. He traveled extensively in the North and abroad and became a prominent abolitionist. He counseled President Lincoln during the Civil War and influenced some of his decisions.   What enabled Frederick Douglass to escape from slavery? In answering this, you should include all the significant people, experiences, incidents and books that created a desire in him to escape and gave him the ability to do so. You should also explain HOW these factors influenced him. Once Douglass escaped he joined up with abolitionists in the North and became a prominent abolitionist. What role did he play in the abolitionist movement in the U.S. and abroad? You should also discuss his introduction to the world of abolitionists, his extensive work as an abolitionist at home and abroad, and his views on the purchase of his freedom. You should discuss his views on the Constitution. You should further include in your answer his views on the Civil War, on Abraham Lincoln, and his work in the Civil War. Part 2: (2 pages minimum) Listen or read the transcript of historian Eric Foner’s interview in the NPR program. What similarities do you see between Douglass’ experiences and the experiences that Professor Foner discussed. According to Foner what reasons did slaves give for wanting to escape? What estimate did Foner give for the number of slaves who escaped through New York city? What is Foner’s opinion on the importance of the Fugitive Slave Act? What is the source of the information in Foner’s book “Gateway to Freedom” and who found it?

Write an editorial for Harper’s Weekly that responds to two of questions listed below.  Editorials published in Harper’s Weekly were written exclusively by white men living in the North; however, you can exercise creative license and assume any identity (black or white, northern or southern, man or woman, historical or fictional).    If you want to refer to the 13th, 14th, and/or 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, you will find them here: National Constitution Center https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/the-constitution   Questions for Editorial (Choose 2 questions, but write just one editorial): On what conditions should Confederate states be allowed back into the Union? What should happen to people who served in the Confederate army or held political offices in the Confederacy? Should they be deprived of any political rights? Should the federal government provide formerly enslaved people with assistance or protection? If so, what type of assistance?  In answering this question, you may use examples from the testimony of freedmen and freedwomen in the reading (see attachment).