Major Essay Assignment 25% Of Total Grade For This Course

Major Essay Assignment25of The Total Grade For This Coursestudents

Students will choose one of the following options for their Major Essay Assignment, which constitutes 25% of the total course grade. The assignment must be typed, double-spaced, formatted as a Word document, and completed within the specified length. It must be submitted by 8AM on Monday, April 11. Failure to submit on time will make students ineligible to revise or resubmit for a higher grade. Plagiarism in any form will result in an automatic failing grade, and points will be deducted for copying from dictionaries, encyclopedias, or websites. Only the required textbook and primary sources provided or approved by the instructor may be used for citations.

Paper For Above instruction

The Major Essay Assignment provides students with a choice among four distinct topics, each focused on a significant historical theme relevant to the course content. Students must select one topic and thoroughly analyze it, integrating information from the required textbook and primary sources provided via the course platform. The essay should be well-organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, demonstrating critical understanding and engagement with the subject matter.

Option 1: The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Describe what the Transatlantic Slave Trade was, including its origins and development over time. Focus on identifying the key players and economic factors that drove its growth. Additionally, analyze the human costs involved, particularly in relation to the experiences of Africans subjected to slavery. Emphasize the broader economic and social contexts that enabled the trade to flourish and the profound human impact resulting from this brutal system.

Option 2: Causes of the American Revolution

Examine the economic, political, and cultural factors during the colonial period that led American colonists to declare independence from Britain. Discuss how issues such as taxation, representation, and sovereignty contributed to tensions. Highlight the influence of Enlightenment ideas, colonial identity, and economic interests that fueled revolutionary sentiments and actions.

Option 3: The United States Constitution

Explain what the U.S. Constitution is and how it was established as a binding legal document. Describe the process through which it was drafted, debated, and ratified. Analyze the differences among the ‘Founding Fathers’ in developing the federal system, including their varying visions for government. Discuss the significance of the addition of the Bill of Rights in addressing concerns about individual liberties and securing ratification.

Option 4: North vs. South in Antebellum America

Compare and contrast the economic, cultural, and political characteristics of the North and South during the period leading up to the Civil War. Identify the key issues, such as economic interests and societal values, that contributed to tensions. Focus particularly on how slavery and states’ rights debates influenced the secession of Southern states and the formation of the Confederacy. Analyze the role slavery played before and during the Civil War, both as a moral issue and as a political catalyst.

References

• Berlin, I. (1998). Generations of Captivity: A History of African-American Slaves. Harvard University Press.
• Wood, G. S. (1992). The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage Books.
• Rakove, J. N. (1996). Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution. Vintage Books.
• Foner, E. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Miller, R. (2012). The American Revolution: A History. Modern Library.
• Taylor, A. (2013). The Inner History of the Civil War. Modern Library.
• Scheiber, L. (2010). The Founding of the American Republic. Oxford University Press.
• Wilentz, S. (2005). The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Finkelman, P. (2012). Slavery and the Founders: Race and Liberty in the Age of Jefferson. Routledge.
• McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.