In The Negros Civil War, James M. McPherson uses primary sources to narrate the experience of blacks before, during, and after the Civil War. He follows the lives of blacks from various different backgroundssoldiers, former slaves, doctors, intellectuals, the common people, and more.
The Civil War began as a war to preserve the nation. However, on January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This event changed the nature of the Civil War and made the Union army an agent of freedom. Lincoln has then often been referred to as the Great Emancipator.
Assignment:
For your final paper, answer the following question: How did blacks attitudes toward Abraham Lincoln change from before to after the Civil War?
Using your analytical and critical thinking skills, you are to analyze the book The Negros Civil War by James M. McPherson to take a stance and argue how blacks attitudes and views of Lincoln changed or evolved over the span of the Civil War.
Consider factors that may have played a role in their changing opinionssuch as social status, location (North/South), political influences, and more.
Requirements:
You must select quotes a minimum of 3 quotes from The Negros Civil War to use as evidence to support your thesis.
A successful essay will also turn to your textbook and class PowerPoints to provide background and context. You are required to cite the sources you use.
***This is NOT a book review/summary. Do not give me a play by play about what happened in the book. I read it. I know what happened.
You are to develop an argument (thesis) and support your interpretation using The Negros Civil War and historical evidence. There is no single right answer for this essay. I am asking you to develop an argument or point of view and to support your interpretation using the book and relevant historical facts from class material. You are to use your critical thinking skills and weigh historical evidence to reach your own reasoned conclusions.
Mechanics:
Length: 4-5 pages.
In order for it to count as a page, it must be full with no unnecessary spacing. Meaning 3 pages does not count as 4 full pages. There should be no additional spaces between your header, title, and introduction paragraph.
Your works cited page does not count as a page
Remember, reaching the page requirement does not essentially mean you will receive a passing grade. It is the quality of your paper (content, argument, analysis) that will determine the majority of the points.
Formatting: MLA format and citations.
Size 12 Font
Times New Roman Font
Double-spaced
1-inch Margin
Last Name and Page Number on Upper Right-Hand Corner
Heading on Top Left: Name, Professor, Class, Date
Title
Works Cited Page
Chicago style will also be accepted, and will be graded with the same expectations. Choose only one format and stay consistent.
Do not plagiarize. Plagiarism is stealing the words, ideas, or thoughts of another person and treating them as your own. Changing a word or two in a sentence is not enough to avoid plagiarism. When in doubt, cite the source. If you plagiarize, you will be reported. No exceptions.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Important things to remember for your paper:
Do not use Wikipedia as a source!
Write history in past tense.
Write in third person (he/him/she/her/it/they/them). Avoid using first person or second person.
Use the active voice and avoid passive as much as possible.
(Jody attacked the enemy, rather than, The enemy was attacked by Jody.)
Read your essay before you submit it!
Quotations:
Avoid using block quotes. (Quotes that take more than 4 lines)
Do not use quotes as replacements for your own analysis.
Do not stick quotes in your paragraph without an introduction or analysis after.
Introduce your quotes:
According to McPherson, Negro laborers were frequently expose to danger and death (147).
For Frederick Douglas, he believed that the President of the United States seems to possess an ever increasing passion for making himself appear silly and ridiculous (McPherson 94).
Choose your words carefully.
For example, the Holocaust was not unfortunate. Spilled coffee is unfortunate. The Holocaust was horrendous, devasting, and deeply disturbing.
Words like always and never are very definitive statement and is difficult to prove when writing about history.
Avoid clich phrases such as: Since the beginning of history/time.
