Unit 5 Essay:
The Abolitionist Movement
In the 1820s, 1830, and 1840s, the Second Great Awakening helped to inspire a reformist impulse across the nation. One of those movements centered on an effort to abolish slavery in the United States. In this activity, you will examine the views of abolitionists (those against slavery) and help you better understand the growing movement against slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War.
Required Readings
David Walker’s Appeal
Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
The American Anti-Slavery Society: Declaration of Sentiments
Focus Questions for Essay
Consider these questions as you read through the above sources (ALL of these questions need to be addressed in your essay):
1. Why does slavery need to be abolished, and what steps should be taken to abolish it?
2. What specific criticism do they have about American society?
3. How do these authors view African Americans, and what is their place in society?
Directions
Your essay should be a minimum of two pages (double-spaced) discussing the above three questions. Remember, two pages is the minimum, and minimum essays normally score a C. If you want a higher grade, plan to be comprehensive in your coverage of the readings (there is no maximum page limit). Your answer should reflect the main themes and key points from the documents, and ALL of the above readings should be addressed in your essay (not just one or two of the readings). Use examples from the readings to illustrate your main points.
Be sure to proof your essay before submitting it as errors in grammar and spelling will lead to a deduction in points. Use quotations when using the exact wording from the reading and cite the reading at the end of the sentence [ex: if you quoted from the Walker reading, simply put (Walker, 2) at the end of the reading – this lets me know which reading the quote is taken from].
As per the instructions in the syllabus, most of the essay should be in your own words and focus on your own analysis of the readings (which means you should have less than 20% quoted material in your paper). Be sure to include examples from the documents to illustrate your main themes. I would encourage you to re-read the section in the syllabus (“Guidelines for Essays) that addresses specific expectations for essays.
When you write your essay, don’t just discuss each reading individually; rather, see what common themes are found in all three readings and write paragraphs based on themes rather than examining each reading individually. This requires more thought to see connections between all three readings, but then your essay won’t read like an extended book report on each article. If you have any questions, just let me know and I’ll be more than happy to help.
Use only the above sources for this assignment: DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. If you do, you will receive a “0” for the assignment. Your essay should be uploaded as a Word document or PDF file.
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