Who were the abolitionists and how did the abolitionist movement impact the debates over slavery before the Civil War?
I. Key Information
For this assignment, you will write a short paper (500-600 words) that answers the question: Who were the abolitionists and how did the abolitionist movement impact the debates over slavery before the Civil War?
NO outside research is needed for this assignment.
NO works cited page is needed for this assignment.
This assignment requires that you analyze the abolitionist movements from its inception in the 1830s to its most active and efficacious phase in the 1850s using the following sources:
1. Give Me Liberty!, Chap. 12 & Chap. 13. NOTE: Consult chapter 12 for information about the abolitionist movement and chapter 13 for the various issues related to the debate over slavery.
2. Lecture PowerPoint on abolitionism and John Brown.
II. Main Requirements
The purpose of this assignment is to answer the prompt question by doing the following:
1. Illustrate a clear understanding of the abolitionist movement as a whole.
2. Develop a clear argument (i.e. thesis statement) that makes a concrete connection between the abolitionist movement and its influence on the politics of slavery.
3. Incorporate relevant evidence by way of at least three direct quotations from Give Me Liberty!—one in the introduction, one in paragraph two, and one in paragraph three.
4. Describe the abolitionist movement and at least one key aspect of the movement, and then link that element of the movement to one major point of controversy regarding slavery during the 1840s and 1850s.
NOTE: You can also use the PowerPoint on the abolitionism and John Brown for background information, but you must also incorporate evidence from the textbook and documentary.
III. Structure of Paper
Your analytical paper should be FOUR paragraphs long.
Paragraph one is your introduction; it should be 150-200 words long and provide general information about the abolitionist movement and the problem of slavery before the Civil War. Towards that end, it should:
1. Briefly summarize key details about abolitionism and address some—but not all—of the ways it helped make slavery a matter of debate during the 1840s and 1850s.
2. Contain a clear thesis statement that directly answers the central question of the prompt.
3. Incorporate one direct quotation from Give Me Liberty! that provides context and/or illustrates the historical significance of abolitionism.
2
Paragraph two should be 100-150 words long and briefly describe the historical development of the abolitionist movement. This paragraph should:
1. Clearly describe the origins of abolitionism in the 1830 and explain how the movement evolved in the 1840s and 1850s;
2. Clearly identify two key issues the movement championed to end slavery in the US;
3. Incorporate one direct quotation from Give Me Liberty!
Paragraph three should be 100-150 and analyze—make concrete connections—the links between abolitionism and the various controversies over slavery during the 1840s and 1850s by doing each of the following:
1. Discuss the general tenor of the debates over slavery during the 1840s and 1850s;
2. Identify one key slavery-related controversy from that era;
3. Analyze how abolitionism played a role in the debate over that issue;
4. Incorporate one direct quotation from Give Me Liberty!
The fourth paragraph is your conclusion and should be 50-100 words long. This paragraph should briefly restate your thesis and the evidence you offered in support of your thesis.
IV. Grading
An A paper will not only be organized along the lines laid out above, but also include direct quotations with parenthetical citations in paragraphs one, two, and three.
NOTE: All quotations should include MLA-style parenthetical citations—the author’s last name and the page number from which the quotation is taken inside parentheses—at the end of the sentence where the quotation is given. Again, a works cited page is NOT needed for this assignment.
