Instructions Purpose As we have seen in this unit, the origins of the American Revolution were complicated. While the Declaration of Independence has long been viewed as the beginning of the Revolution, the storm had been brewing for decades by the time Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration n 1776. In this essay, you will be analyzing and evaluating the causes of the American Revolution using both primary and secondary sources. In the process, you will be practicing one of the key skills in the historical thinking: evidence-based argumentation. Learning to make a clear argument supported by specific evidence is essential to the kind of critical thinking that your time in college should help you develop. Ideas and Theories on American Independence: American (Pro-Revolutionary) Perspective James Otis, “The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved” John Dickinson, “Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer” British (Anti-Revolutionary) Perspective Soame Jenyns, “The Objections to the Taxation of our American Colonies” Samuel Johnson, “Taxation No Tyranny” Events Contributing to the Rise of an Independence Movement in the Colonies: images attached in additional instructions Task After reviewing the above sources, you should write an essay in which you do the following: Identify the main arguments used by supporters and opponents of American independence and why each side thought their viewpoint was correct. Identify the events portrayed in each of the three images and explain why they occurred, and combined with what happened after each event, show how the support for independence grew. You should not limit yourself to discussing only these arguments and events; rather you should use them to help shape an analysis of various cause and effect relationships between the British and colonist actions. As you explore the cause-and-effect relationship, reflect on what you think is more important to the deteriorating relationship between the British government and the colonists—the evolution of ideas about liberty and equality or changes in British imperial policy. Develop your thesis statement based on which factor you think was more important the coming of the Revolution. In your introduction, provide background information on the deteriorating relationship between the British government and the colonists and state your thesis (i.e., state your view on the most important factor in the coming of the Revolution). In your body paragraphs tackle the bullet points. Though there are only two bullet points you will likely need three to five body paragraphs depending on how you organize your thoughts; a good paragraph contains one main idea and supporting evidence from the documents. In your conclusion, reiterate your thesis linking your conclusion to the primary sources discussed in your essay. Expectations and Criteria for Success Your essay should be at least 1,000 words and contain more than one paragraph using the information under Tasks as a guide for your structure. It should be typed in 11-point or 12-point simple, clean font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Font type and size is less important than font consistency throughout the paper. Use 1-inch margins on all sides and double-space the body of your paper. Place your name, date, and assignment name (i.e., Unit 3 Essay) in the top left-hand corner of your paper. Center the title of your paper before the introduction. Your title should be unique to you and represent the content of your essay. In other words, Unit 3 Essay should not be the title. A successful essay should be carefully organized, with a strong thesis statement and specific evidentiary support. Your first paragraph should include a clear statement of what you will argue (or seek to prove) in the essay. The body paragraphs of the essay should contain specific examples from the course material not generalizations or broad impressions that help you analyze the causes. The last paragraph should address your key conclusion you reached about the causes and why. Be sure to revise and edit carefully. Remember do not to use the first person in formal academic essays, and you should write for a general audience meaning assume your reader is not familiar with the nature of the assignment or the sources. I.e., do not say in Image #1 but rather say in William Bradford’s image. You can reference the Guidelines for Essays from the Start Here Module of the course for more writing pointers.
