American Revolution
Changes over Time (Essay 2)
Instructions:
Write an analytical essay based upon the prompt below and upload completed work into Blackboard through the link below. Worth up to 100 points.
Requirements:
Don’t forget about what you learned about evidence in Folder 1. Make sure that you provide specific and detailed evidence and explain how it supports your argument.
Keep in mind what you learned in Worksheet 3 and be sure to analyze not only what changed but also why it changed.
Use evidence from a minimum of two primary source documents (you may, of course, use evidence from secondary sources as well)
2-3 pages in length, 12 point type, double-spaced, 1 inch margins
Analytical, rule of three, style
You should have at least 9 footnotes (parenthetical cites are not allowed) in the modified Turabian style used in this course (see Guide to Citation Style). Anyone not footnoting will lose from one-half to a full letter grade and may end up plagiarizing (at which point you will earn a 0 for the assignment and your work sent to Student Conduct (we are serious about plagiarism).
Do not merely paraphrase other work (whether cited or not) as this is poor scholarship and does not reflect your thoughts and your analysis.
You must review your feedback on the Change over Time worksheet and edit your essay prior to turning it in. We require that you type the grade you earned on the worksheet into the comments section when you upload your essay for grading. Failure to do so will result in a 5 point penalty assessed to your essay grade.
Prompt
In this assignment I want you to take on the persona of an elite merchant who became a Patriot.
In the late 1760s and early 1770s (between the end of the Seven Years War and the beginning of the Revolution) you were upset with the imperial/colonial government. It is now a quarter-century down the road from your youth, you are well into your middle-aged years, with idealistic children, and a grandchild or two, of your own. You and your generation have sacrificed much to bring about the United States and its new government under the Constitution. President George Washington’s Administration is in place, Congress has been elected, and the form of the new government is taking shape. Are you satisfied with the new government under the recently ratified Constitution? Do you think your 20-something year old self (the protester from the 1760s) would be happy with the way things turned out? You have decided to write a treatise (a fancy word for an essay) upon this subject as a gift to your grandchildren. In it you will think about your main social, political, and economic grievances from the 1760s in relation to your current beliefs. Have things turned out well for you and other elite merchants? Have your grievances from the 1760s been redressed (or are no longer relevant)? Have new political, economic, or social issues replaced them for your socioeconomic group in the 1780s? Has your group met their social responsibilities to the new nation; have they compromised where needed for the greater good or selfishly looked after their own interests? What, if anything, is left to be done for your group? Most importantly, would your 1760s self believe that you held onto your ethics even as war raged around you; have you remained true to the ethical stands you took in the 1760s or have you grown more pragmatic with age and experience?
Grading Guidelines
The assignment is worth up to 100 points. The following factors are taken into account when we grade:
THESIS – Do you have a well thought out and clear thesis in your introduction? Does it provide a “roadmap” for your essay? Does each paragraph of the body have its own thesis?
EVIDENCE – You must have solid evidence for each point you raise in the thesis of the paragraph of the body. Evidence is not simply a statement, there must be an explanation of how that evidence supports the thesis statement. You must provide a MINIMUM of THREE pieces of evidence in support of your argument in each paragraph of the body.
Example: If you were writing a paragraph on the causes of the Cold War, you might use the Baruch Plan as an example. Simply writing “the Baruch Plan was a cause of the Cold War” in your paragraph would not adequately support an argument and would not earn a very high grade. However, the following sentences would be analytical and earn a higher grade:
“One cause of the Cold War was the failure of the United States and the Soviet Union to agree upon a plan for nuclear disarmament after World War II. The Baruch Plan, presented by the US, would maintain the American atomic weapon advantage for the foreseeable future. This played into Stalin’s suspicions of the Americans’ true motivations toward the USSR.”
You should have a minimum of three pieces of evidence in support of the thesis for each paragraph of the body.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY, CLARITY, AND LOGIC
Is your argument clear and does it make sense? Is it historically accurate? Does your evidence prove your point? Do you fully analyze change over time and explain why and how the change occured?
PROPER CITATION
Have you properly cited? Have you used the format required in this course (modified Turabian). You must also FOOTNOTE (see information about creating a footnote in Word given at the beginning of the course). Parenthetical cites are NOT allowed. No research allowed, so no outside sources.
Solution.
Changes over Time (Essay 2)
In the past half century, America has not only wrested herself from the yoke of the British government, but we have also created ourselves a government that is rooted in promoting prosperity for ordinary citizens. Our future looks bright if the optimism of the people is anything to go by. War taught the Americans that we could unite in hard times and rise above adversity – Robert J Allison, The American Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011)[1]. When I joined the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia, I had little idea that what started as a deep desire for fair treatment would evolve into a pursuit of building a nation. As we fought alongside Washington through the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown, I have realized that in this country lies the most valuable of honors we can confer upon children and the generations to come. The last 40 years have seen so much bloodshed, pain, and suffering as we strived to win liberty for ourselves. However, we realize liberty is not an end in itself, and one must choose ideals and principles to submit to and for guidance – Herbert Aptheker, A History of the American People (New York, NY: International Publ, 1977)[2].
The ratification of the new constitution in 1789 is an enormous step in the realization of the dream of a country we had always dream off Berkin, Carol. A Brilliant Solution. Orlando: Harcourt, 2003[3]. Washington now seems to have weathered the earlier lethargies that had characterized his first term. The new decrees by the Congress passed are slowly turning the government into an efficient force for the common interest. Each challenge to the government leads to debates on how best to deal Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books, 2002[4]. The resultants ideas are put forward as remedies but in the recent times, they have proved to be a source of discord. The two competing visions for the future of this country are fueling discontent amongst the people. Jefferson and Madison on one side are squaring off with the erudite Hamilton; agriculture pitted business, power to the people versus authority to the government, simplicity or the promise of unprecedented sophistication. These are some of the big questions on everyone’s mind, everyone has ideas on how they want America run, all Americans must have an input, yet only the best ideas be applied. The success of America depends on how successfully we navigate these increasing hostile standoffs. The logical and mutually satisfactory consensus on moving the capital south of the Potomac was a good example of how future debates should occur James H Read, Power Versus Liberty (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000)[5].
I believe both Hamilton and Jefferson/Madison have real plans for this country. However, some of Hamilton’s ideas are contrary to the principle of a government by the people. To confer so much power to a few individuals whether elected or not is dangerous water to tread in. What will stop these men from misusing their close association with the government to pass laws that favor their interest at the expense of the majority? How different is that from a monarchy? While it is true that stimulates commerce, and the northern states should at least make an effort be at par concerning war debt repayment History Channel, “AMERICAN REVOLUTION VIDEOS,” Blog, The History Channel, 2016, accessed September 22, 2016, http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution [6] Should the Hamiltonian faction have their way, the Constitution is at risk of being quickly mutilated often for the gain of an elite minority congregated in urban areas. Hamilton’s suggestion on reinvigorating commerce are commendable. The proliferation of our markets with European alternatives renders our ventures almost unprofitable as we have to compete with established entities that have an unfair advantage if not a monopoly over our economy.
Jefferson and Madison’s arguments are admirable. They speak for the common man whose interest lie in only their immediate environment. Since they form the bulk of our populations, their wishes cannot be ignored even in the face of a relentless onslaught of the progressive ideas of Hamiltonians. The argument that people do not know what is good for them and that the more sophisticated and educated people’s opinion matter more is somewhat folly. The foundation of America is simple, rural life. To urban dwelling Northerners, the Southerners desire to look dull and unambitious, while the Northerners may look like gamblers who do not know when to stop to the southerners Christopher J Olsen, The American Civil War (New York: Hill and Wang, 2007)[7]. Their reluctance to settle the outstanding war debt is a thorny issue. The situation made worse by the insinuation by Hamilton that the South should be a source of raw material for the North. How different would that be from being a colony prized only for the natural wealth?
Years in the Army have taught me that true bliss is found in the middle of polarizing ideas. The general election of 1800 has shown that the American constitution is not perfect. To fix these flaw we need to engage in constructive dialogue and put the interest of America over our personal ambition. Larson, Edward J. A Magnificent Catastrophe. New York: Free Press, 2007[8]. The selfless actions of Adams will reverberate for generations. For he now follows in the footsteps of the great Washington by setting an example to be followed by subsequent representatives of the people Jedidiah Morse, Annals Of The American Revolution ([Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Publishing, 2005)[9]. As the main reason for its existence, the people must also continue to innovate upon government so as to make it a useful tool in not only representing who they are locally but also internationally. Their sound choices reflected in liberty, peace, and prosperity.
Work Cited
Allison, Robert J. The American Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Berkin, Carol. A Brilliant Solution. Orlando: Harcourt, 2003.
Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books, 2002.
Read, James H. Power Versus Liberty. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000.
Channel, History. “AMERICAN REVOLUTION VIDEOS”. Blog. The History Channel, 2016. Accessed September 22, 2016. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution
Jedidiah
Morse, Annals Of The American Revolution ([Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger
Publishing, 2005).
[1] Robert J Allison, The American Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
[2] Herbert Aptheker, A History Of The American People (New York, NY: International Publ, 1977).
[3] Carol Berkin, A Brilliant Solution (Orlando: Harcourt, 2003).
[4] Joseph J Ellis, Founding Brothers (New York: Vintage Books, 2002).
[5] James H Read, Power Versus Liberty (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000).
[6] History Channel, “AMERICAN REVOLUTION VIDEOS”, Blog, The History Channel, 2016, accessed September 22, 2016, http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution.
[7] Christopher J Olsen, The American Civil War (New York: Hill and Wang, 2007).
[8] Edward J Larson, A Magnificent Catastrophe (New York: Free Press, 2007).
[9] Jedidiah Morse, Annals Of The American Revolution ([Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Publishing, 2005).
