the complex social structure of african society prior to european arrival

HISTORICAL ESSAY PERSPECTIVE
Choose one essay question below. Write an essay answering all parts of the question. This essay should be at least 7 pages long of content (excluding cover page and bibliography page), double-spaced with a 12-point font. This essay will be evaluated on historical significance and examples to support the essay question. You must use additional resources besides your textbook to fully complete this essay. Please do not use ALL internet sources to complete this assignment. LIMIT THE USE OF INTERNET SOURCES FOR THIS PAPER. YOU MUST USE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES TO COMPLETE THIS ESSAY. Please save a copy of your essay on a disk or cd. Finally, please complete the historical essay in a Microsoft Word Document and send as an attachment to the professor’s email address.
❖ Compare and contrast the distinctive African states of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Make sure to discuss the social, economic and political aspect of each regime. Who were some of the powerful leaders of each state? For example, who is Mansa Musa and what role did he have in the development of Mali. (BE VERY THROUGH IN THIS ESSAY)
❖ Discuss the complex social structure of African society prior to European arrival. Make sure to discuss the importance of family, class distinctiveness, slavery, the role of women and land ownership in African society. (BE VERY THROUGH IN THIS ESSAY).
❖ Discuss the role of Muslims in the slave trade prior to European arrival. Make sure to discuss why large number of women was involved in the Muslim slave trade. If a slave converted to Islam, would it change their status as a slave? Explain. Finally, compare and contrast Muslim slavery with slavery in the New World?
❖ Many slaves were transported to Europe before the trans-Atlantic slave trade began. Thus, what was the European justification for owning slaves? Was African slavery widespread in Europe? Explain. Also, what was the African participation in the slave trade? Could the slave trade been successful without the help of Africans? Why did Europeans prefer to purchase slaves from African traders than capture them? Explain. Did the invention of guns influence the slave trade? Explain.
❖ Compare and contrast colonial slavery in the New England, Middle and Southern colonies. Make sure to discuss the important issues including population figures, the difference in slave codes, punishment, economies and climate in each region. (BE VERY THROUGH IN THIS ESSAY)
❖ Many blacks played an important role on this road to the American Revolution such as Crispus Attucks, a fugitive slave that supported the colonists not the British, and was willing to die for them. Thus, explain why any black (free or enslaved) would support the colonialists when they were not guaranteed any freedom at home. Furthermore, explain the role of blacks (free and enslaved) during the American Revolution. Make sure to discuss the role of African Americans that fought with the British and those that fought with the colonialists. Did they face any discrimination from both sides? Explain.
❖ Compare and contrast the institution of slavery that emerged in Virginia, South Carolina, and the Caribbean. Even though each of these colonial regions was British, the institutions of slavery that developed in each were distinctive. What factors contributed to these distinctions? What impact did South Carolina’s central location between Virginia and the Caribbean have on the nature of its plantation economy and its institution of slavery?
❖ Discuss the increase of slave revolts in Latin America especially in the Caribbean in the 18th Century. Make sure to discuss how slavery is in Latin America and the harsh conditions that were persistent in this region. Was the constant uprising of slave revolts necessary? Explain. Who was Toussaint L’Ouverture and was he successful in Haiti? Explain. Why did the uprising in the Latin American frighten Southern planters and not the Northerners? Explain.
❖ The United States Constitution abolished international slave trade in January 1808. Yet, the international slave trade continued illegally in the United States, Cuba, Brazil, and other countries. Explain why the continuation of the illegal international slave trade led to Amistad insurrection in 1839. What were the key events of the Amistad insurrection and how did it end? Make sure to discuss the key events of the insurrection, what happen once the Amistad docked in the United States, the court case(s) brought before the courts in the United States and the final decision of the court case(s). Finally, did this event have a positive or negative effect on slavery in the Americas? Explain.
❖ One of the most controversial figures in American History is Sally Hemings. Who is Sally Hemings? Discuss her ancestry and family lineage. What was her relationship with Thomas Jefferson? What was her life like in France and why did she return back to United States when she could remain free in Europe? Once she returned to the United States, what happen? Was local Virginians or anyone else aware of this “relationship” between Sally and Thomas Jefferson? How did this truth emerge? Explain. Finally, why do you think that historians in the past and present refuse to discuss this controversial issue? Explain.
❖ Discuss Thomas Jefferson “Notes on Virginia” in particular in reference to the slavery and the inferiority of blacks. Despite his views, which were common at the time, discuss how Jupiter Hammon, Phillis Wheatley, Gustavus Vassa, James Derham, Paul Cuffe and Benjamin Banneker proved his theory wrong. (BE VERY THOROUGH IN THIS ESSAY AND DISCUSS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF EACH PERSON COMPLETELY).
❖ Explain how the doctrine of Manifest Destiny led to the extension and strengthening of slavery. Make sure to explain how the frontier influences assisted in the westward march of slavery during the 19th Century. Also, analyze the struggle between the forces of freedom and democracy, and slavery in the West. Would this movement be successful or would it further divide the Union. Explain.
❖ Fully outline the major points of the pro-slavery argument. How does the pro-slavery argument shape religion and politics in the South? In addition, discuss the connection between religion and politics in the slave community in the 19th Century Old South. What roles were played by the African-American preacher in the slave community? What role did spirituals and folklore have in the slave community in the Old South? (Make sure to fully explain the impact of religion on the institution of slavery and the impact of slavery on religious institutions).
❖ What is the abolition movement and who were the key players? For example, who was William Lloyd Garrison and explain his anti-slavery philosophy? What was Garrison unique contribution to the organizations of a national abolition movement? Who is Federal Douglas and what was his relationship with William Lloyd Garrison? What roles and accomplishments did Douglas achieve in the abolition movement? Discuss the types of anti-slavery reform that emerged during the 19th Century. (Remember there were several anti-slavery movements by different group of peoples including women, blacks and whites). What were the motives of each group? Did all white abolitionists want freedom of blacks based on equality or did they have other reasons to end slavery? Did the women’s abolition movement allow black women to participate in their groups? Explain.
Hence, is it possible for a person to be an abolitionist and a racist? Explain.
❖ Completely discuss the role of African Americans (men and women) during the Civil War. Make sure to discuss the role of blacks (free and enslaved) that fought with the Union and those that supported the Confederate States of America. (BE VERY THOROUGH IN THIS ESSAY).
❖ Who won the Civil War? Review and explain the years from 1865 to 1900. If the Civil War was intended to resolve issues connected to emancipation and the preeminence of the federal government, to what extent was it successful? Explain and define the Compromise of 1877, sharecropping, racial segregation, African American disenfranchisement, and the lack of Northern resistance to these trends? Also, analyze the Supreme Court of Plessey v. Ferguson and the Civil Rights cases. What did these trends in the South say about the supposed victory over slavery and states’ rights?
❖ Explain the issue of racial segregation in the United States at the turn of the 20th Century. Was racial segregation unique to American South? Had it been a characteristic of antebellum southern culture? Why did the southerners embrace segregation after the Civil War? What institution of racial order did it replace? How did segregation guarantee the preservation of white supremacy? What role did Nativism and the Ku Klux Klan play during the turn of the century?
FORMAT OF ESSAY:
I. INTRODUCTION (WITH THESIS STATEMENT)
II. FIRST THEME
A.
B.
C.
III. SECOND THEME
A.
B.
C.
IV. THIRD THEME
A.
B.
C.
V. CONCLUSION
**A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WORKS CITED PAGE IS NEEDED WITH THIS PAPER AS WELL. REMEMBER TO USE FOOTNOTES OR ENDNOTES TO REFER TO ADDITIONAL SOURCES USED IN PAPER.**
Here are the complete instructions for writing the Historical Essay:
1. This historical essay must be at least SEVEN pageslong of content (excluding the cover page, bibliography and/or work-cited page.
2. This essay should be double-spaced in regular 12 point font.
3. The students must use the standard essay/research paper format, which includes an introduction with a thesis, the body of the paper (main themes and arguments) and a conclusion.
4. The essay must answer the question analytically and with a thesis statement that focus on the student’s position. (Introduction)
5. Student must answer each prompt of the question thoroughly and provide supporting data for each point. (Body of the paper: main themes and arguments)
6. The essay should be written as if the reader is not the professor and is not familiar with the topic chosen.
7. The student must have a work cited page or bibliography and a cover page. If there is no cover page and work cited page, the paper will be deducted 10 points each.
8. Also, the student must use outside sources beside the textbook to complete this essay. In fact, the textbook should only be used as a guide for this essay, not the primary source for the paper.
9. Do not use all internet sources to write this paper. You must use secondary and / or primary sources to write this paper. If you use all or mostly internet sources, the student will automatically be deducted 10 points from the paper.
10. This paper must be emailed to me by the due date. I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE PAPERS. You have plenty of time to prepare for the essay. In case of an emergency, I will accept the late paper with documentation. But each day you are late, you grade will drop one letter grade.
11. PLAGIARISM: BE CAREFUL: When you write this essay and any other assignments, remember to cite your sources. If you have summarized thoughts, themes and copied information from any source, please cite your source using Chicago, MLA style, Turabian style, etc. You can use parenthetical citation, endnotes and /or footnotes (in any format) to prove where you got the documented information. If not, this would be considered plagiarism and that would have severe consequences. (Also, refer to TCC guidelines on plagiarism)
12. Please keep a copy of your essay on a disk or cd.
HINT: If you write a SEVEN page paper or less, the highest grade you will probably receive is a C, depending on the content of the paper. Hence, if you want or expect a higher grade, your paper should be longer than 7 pages long and follow all the instructions listed above.

Last Completed Projects