A more conventional paper interpreting sources on American Slavery
A 2 page paper that interprets primary source documents that articulate anti-slavery and proslavery points of view.
Your paper will interpret ALL SIX of the assigned primary source documents about slavery.
- Analyze each of the documents separately. Use specific evidence, including quotations, from each of the sources to discuss the main points each of the authors is making against or in defense of slavery. Identify the words and phrases in each of the documents that communicate the point of view most powerfully. (Even if you disagree with the point of view, it’s important to understand the role that rhetoric can play in communicating a point of view.)
- Next, reflect on your interpretations – What was each side’s strongest argument? Why? What was each side’s weakest argument? Why? (Use specific evidence – quotations – as usual.) In in this case, discuss the specific evidence from anti-slavery documents that directly challenged or contradicted arguments made by proslavery writers.
Documents include 1)George Fitzhugh, 2) Solomon Northup, 3) Nat Turner, 4)Thomas Dew, 5)Frederick Douglass’ Narrative, and 6)Harriet Jacobs documents on Blackboard in the Read Folder and in The American Yawp.
Yawp, Chap. 11 Parts I-VI, and Primary Sources: 1. “Nat Turner…”; 2. “Harriet Jacobs”; 3. “Solomon Northup…”; 4. “George Fitzhugh…” (in Yawp Primary Source Reader) and 5. Thomas Dew and 6. Narrative of Frederick Douglass (shared in files).
