essay

1. Read Chapters 6-10 and pay particular attention to the section called “VOICES: Maria W. Stewart on the Condition of Black Workers” in Chapter 7. Once all reading is complete,respond to the following:

• Is Stewart correct in assuming that conditions for black northerners were little better than those for slaves?
• According to Steward, what was the impact of northern white prejudice on black workers?

You are required to submit an initial posting that addresses the items above. You are also expected to respond to the posting of at least one other student. Your response should address why you agree/disagree with their posting.  

2.Read Chapters 11-13 and pay particular attention to the section called “VOICES: Black Leaders Support Passage of a Civil Rights Act” in Chapter 13. Once all reading is complete, respond to the following:

• If black men had the right to vote and serve in Congress, why was a civil rights law needed?
• Who would benefit most from the passage of this bill?
• What distinction does the congressman draw between social discrimination and political rights?

You are required to submit an initial posting that addresses the items above. You are also expected to respond to the posting of at least one other student. Your response should address why you agree/disagree with their posting.

3. Read Chapters 14-17 and pay particular attention to the section called “VOICES: Black Men in BattleCuba” in Chapter 15. Once all reading is complete, respond to the following:

• Why is the author of this letter bitter?
• Why did black men fight in the Spanish-American War?
• Does any of this account seem exaggerated or unreliable? Why or why not?

You are required to submit an initial posting that addresses the items above. You are also expected to respond to the posting of at least one other student. Your response should address why you agree/disagree with their posting.  

4. Read Chapters 18-20 and pay particular attention to the section called “VOICES: A Tuskegee Airman Remembers” in Chapter 20. Once all reading is complete, respond to the following:

5. Purpose: To examine and discuss major developments in the movement to abolish slavery from the founding of the nation in the late 18th century through emancipation during the Civil War. Use the textbook as a resource for this essay (Chapters 8-11). The primary objective is to be able to explain various strands of abolition and relate them to the larger historical context in which they were relevant.

Process: Reread/study Chapters 8-11 in the textbook and compose a chronologically driven essay that traces opposition to slavery from the late 1700s through the Civil War. Your essay should state a clear thesis in the introductory paragraph, followed by distinct paragraphs that address the following questions (not necessarily in this order):

What forms did opposition to slavery take?
What individuals and groups were involved in opposing slavery?
What was black nationalism?
What various aims were proposed by those involved in opposing slavery?
What major events fueled opposition to slavery?
How was the nature of slavery a catalyst to the abolition movement?
What forms of resistance to slavery developed?
What various tactics were employed by abolitionists?
How did the Civil War shift from a war to preserve the Union to a war to abolish slavery?

Product: A 1000 – 1500 word essay that traces the development of abolition to slavery. Remember to tie your essay together with a clear thesis in the beginning–an assessment of the movement as a whole. You only need use the textbook as a resource for this essay. Do not quote verbatim from the text unless you are quoting from one of the many primary sources in the text–these are located in the Voices sections in the text. Every quote must be accompanied by a citation, which includes name of author and page number where the quote appears in the text. For example: “anti-slavery friends were not very abundant in Indiana” (Douglas, 215).

• What emotions did combat evoke in Patterson?
• What do his comments about German treatment of black POWs imply about racism in the U.S. military?
• Do you think Patterson and the other Tuskegee Airmen wanted to be treated as officers or as black officers?

You are required to submit an initial posting that addresses the items above. You are also expected to respond to the posting of at least one other student. Your response should address why you agree/disagree with their posting.

6. Read Chapters 21-24 and pay particular attention to the section called “VOICES: They Called Each Other ‘Bloods'” in Chapter 22. Once all reading is complete, respond to the following:

• How do the experiences of this Vietnam veteran compare with those of black soldiers in World War II?
• Why were African American men attracted to military service during this era?
• What benefits did they derive from the military, and what does their disproportionate representation in it suggest about conditions in the black community?

You are required to submit an initial posting that addresses the items above. You are also expected to respond to the posting of at least one other student. Your response should address why you agree/disagree with their posting.

7. Looking back over the course, what single specific individual or event had the most effect on African-American history, and how so?

Be sure to write a minimum of three paragraphs for your main discussion post, and then reply to at least one other student with a minimum of two paragraphs.

8.Each chapter in the textbook contains several articles titled “Profile.” These are short biographical sketches of important individuals. Choose any one profile from the list below:

• • “Profile:  Aaron A. Bradley” (page 305)
  • “Profile:  The Gibbs Brothers” (page 319)
  • “Profile:  The Rollin Sisters” (page 321)
  • “Profile:  Ida Wells Barnett” (page 355)
  • “Profile:  Johnson C. Whittaker” (page 364)
• Read the profile carefully.
• Write a brief review of the profile. Include the following elements:
  • A brief summary of the profile [1 paragraph]
  • A brief discussion addressing the following question: What does the individual’s life story teach us about the time period in which he or she lived? [1 to 2 paragraphs]
  • A brief discussion addressing the following questions: What aspects of the individual’s life story speak to you? Is there a moral to the story that might be relevant to modern society? [1 paragraph]
• Your review should be approximately 225 words long (225 words=approximately 1 page, double spaced).
• Include your name and the title of the profile. Cite all quotes.