Description
The struggle for equal rights has been a dominant theme in this course. From the end of Reconstruction to recent Supreme Court decisions, Americans have struggled to balance the rights of women and minorities against concepts such as State’s Rights, privacy, and individual and religious freedom. Write an essay in which you trace the course of one of these: The African American Civil Rights Movement The Women’s Movement in the period from 1877 to the present. Make sure to present both the arguments of supporters and of those who opposed these movements and cite any evidence you use in the form of footnotes. Note: you do need to look at both sides of the issue you choose. That is, you can’t just say “racists resisted this” (or whatever). You have to explain what the opposition’s arguments were, and at least try to understand where they were coming from or why they thought what they did. I know these are issues where it may be very difficult to see both sides, but as historians, it is important that we try. If you don’t think you can, choose a different topic. Please note, you are not to write about all of these movements, you should pick one of them and write 2-3 pages about it. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, with 12-point Times News Roman font, normal (default margins). You essay should be 2-3 pages in length. Be sure you adhere to the Written Assignment Guidelines, and take care to cite all of your information, not just direct quotes. Also, just like the Mid-Term this is an examination of what you have learned in this course, not in what you can search for on the internet. The only sources that are allowed for this paper are the ones we have used in class, the textbook (and its primary sources) and the lecture notes. Do not include any outside sources, if you do this will result in a stiff penalty. Assessment: You will be assessed on the following: Written Communication Skills: This component includes your ability to write clearly and cogently in order to make a compelling, readable case. 50% Critical Thinking: This component includes your ability to present and weigh arguments, to consider historical evidence, and to engage critically with your sources. 30% Social and Personal Responsibility: This component involves your ability to incorporate the context of the development of and conflicts over concepts of freedom, liberty, and justice in American history. Your also must do your own work and where applicable cite the work and ideas of others. 20%
