The Peculiar Institution

1. [READ CHAPTER 12 and 13]: Before you start this assignment, you need to review and complete reading chapter 12 “The New West and The Free North” and chapter 13 “The Slave South” in the class textbook and understand the historical context of the expansion of slavery during the antebellum period
2.A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Content from the textbook should only be used as a supplement rather than an alternative to your analysis of the assigned sources below. In short, the goal of this module assignment is to test your assessment and reading of primary sources so be sure to incorporate, use, and analyze assigned sources below as part of your submission. Also, outside research is prohibited and anything you quote from the sources will not count toward your word count.**
3. Once you have read chapter 12 “The New West and The Free North” and chapter 13 “The Slave South,” please review the following primary resources and cross-examine the southern arguments to defend slavery as an institution and a way of life and slaves narratives to understand slavery from the perspectives of slaves.
Primary Source #1:
John C. Calhoun, Speech before the U.S. Senate, 1837 (Links to an external site.)
Primary Source #2
John Fitzhugh, “Cannibals All! or Slaves without Masters” (1857) (Links to an external site.)
Primary Source #3:
James Henry Thornwell, “A Southern Christian View of Slavery” (1857) (Links to an external site.)
Primary Source #4
Solomon Northup, “Twelve Years a Slave,” (1853) (Links to an external site.)
Primary Source #5:
Frederick Douglass, “Autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” 1845 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
Secondary Source #6:
Matthew Desmond, “In Order for You to Understand the Brutality of American Capitalism, You have to Start on the Plantation,” New York Times; 2019. (Links to an external site.) (word document version of Desmond’s article)
write an essay (minimum of 600 words) that utilizes ALL of the primary and secondary sources to answer all of the following questions:
What were the various arguments Southerners use to defend slavery as a “positive good?”
How did Solomon Northup and Frederick Douglass’s experiences as slaves contradict Southerners’ defense of slavery as “positive good?”
Did only Southerners benefit from the expansion of slavery and the Cotton Kingdom?
According to Matthew Desmond’s analysis, how did the cotton southern plantation represent the origins and a reflection of American industries today?
[Double Check Your Submission] double-check your submission to make sure that it meets all of the criteria for the assignment.
[Proofread and Double-Check Your Work] Please proofread your response to make sure you have answered the question in a clear, organized, detailed, and cohesive manner (short essay response includes a short introduction including a thesis statement, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and conclusion statement)
[At least 600 words]Your submission must be at least 600 words* and include specific details, key terms, and contents from assigned sources. Any submission with fewer than 600 words will automatically receive a zero
[Include citations of sources] When quoting or citing an assigned source, a simple in writing MLA citation (source #) at the end of the sentence is sufficient. Any essay that does not include a citation and discussion of keywords/terms from the sources and written vaguely and broadly will not receive partial credit.
[NO outside research] Any usage of content beyond the assigned primary and secondary sources in this module will not receive credit for the assignment. Your analysis and response to the critical thinking questions must be based on assigned primary and secondary sources in this module assignment only. Do not base your answers primarily on the textbook or outside materials.

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