Did Lincoln Free The Slaves?

Order Description
ASSIGNMENT: Historians are like detectives: they ask questions, gather evidence, and then analyze that evidence to draw conclusions. For your essay you should identify a question relevant to the subject matter of the course, have that topic approved by the instructor before beginning work, and prepare a formal written paper following the guidelines listed below. Topics should be focused enough to allow for a serious treatment in about fourteen weeks, lend themselves to the use of primary sources, and contain your own analysis as a main focus of the paper’s conclusions. Your original analysis may involve judgment, comparison, evaluation, and the framing of an argument/conclusion, but not unsubstantiated opinion or a lengthy string of quotations. All research findings should be presented in correct, standard English, with source citations in the text as appropriate (for citations and documentation, see below).
Once you have your question, list the kind of evidence you want to find, do the research to find that evidence, and then draft your paper accordingly. The purpose of the essays is not to develop a chronological descriptive narrative of what happened. The purpose is to identify a topic which you will research and draw conclusions based on your research. Your conclusions must be based on the evidence you present (not unsubstantiated opinion). A weak essay is simply descriptive with no attempt at comparison or analysis. The point is to convince the reader that you have analyzed the differing materials and your own conclusion is solid because you can justify your points with evidence.
The most important part of a research paper is your evaluation of the information you use. Much like the work of an attorney in a courtroom is to provide evidence that will support arguments on behalf of the client, the responsibility of the historian is to offer interpretations based on solid evidence. To do this, researchers need to evaluate the sources they use to determine any preconception or bias of the author, compare information from multiple sources to determine validity, investigate instances where conflicting information exists, then present the strongest case possible for the historian’s interpretation. The evaluation of sources and presentation of evidence to support claims made in a research paper is the most important part of the paper.
If you have general questions, ask them in class so that everyone can benefit from your question and the answer. If you have specific questions about your own essay, contact the instructor.
5
2. REQUIREMENTS:
a. Have your topic and sources approved by instructor.
b. Prepare a formal written essay in correct, standard English.
c. The essay must include documentation (that is, specific source references/citations in the text) and a bibliography of all sources used (see reading on “Academic Honesty”). Essays that lack documentation or acceptable sources will receive a grade of “F.”
d. Sources must be either primary sources (these are materials created by people who were participants or witnesses to an event or original photographs, artifacts, or documents such as government reports, statistical data, and other material gathered by groups of people) or secondary academic sources (sources authored by scholars about a topic). Sources that will not be accepted are general encyclopedias, the course readings, textbooks, or general online web sites such as Wikipedia.

3. FORMAT:
a. The essay must be typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins and 11-point or 12-point font.
b. The minimum length that is acceptable is 2,500 words (not including any title page or bibliography). Actual length will vary depending on the topic and sources.
7. GRADING CRITERIA: The essay will be graded based on the following criteria:
Segment
Criteria
Maximum Points
Introduction
Does the introduction clearly define the topic and set the context for the question to be examined?
5
Sources
Are the sources legitimate primary or secondary academic sources as required (see “Essay Requirements”)?
10
Analysis
Has the student clearly explained the topic, provided supporting evidence for conclusions that are drawn, and done original analysis of the sources and information used to draw the student’s conclusions? Are the conclusions based on the research? A good grade shows mastery of the question, arguments, and evidence synthesized and presented in the student’s words. A poor grade reflects merely a recitation of what happened without any analysis.
20
Organization
Is the essay organized so that it flows well and the information and arguments are easily followed? A poor grade shows signs of obvious cutting and pasting.
5
Documentation
Are the sources of the information used in the essay clearly identified in acceptable academic format (see “documentation Formats)? NOTE: Failure to identify sources within the text of an essay will result in an automatic grade of “F.”
5
English Usage
Is the essay written in clear, standard English? Has it been proofread so that it is free of obvious misspellings, typographical errors, and grammatical problems?
5

use the source TAKING SIDES: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American History, Volume 1, The Colonial Period to Reconstruction. Tenth Edition. Section “Who Freed the Slaves?” McPherson vs Harding