In a 5-6 page double-spaced typed essay, please respond to the following question. Your essay should use Chicago style citation and should use evidence from All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family’s Keepsake, and you may also use evidence from Through Women’s Eyes: An American History With Documents as well as other course materials.
Historians of women, especially of enslaved women, have difficulty telling their story due to in large part to the fact that they lacked power in their society and were often not allowed to learn to read and write. How does historian Tiya Miles combat the lack of written historical evidence to construct a story of Black women from the 1850s-1920s?
Essay Rubric:
A:
The thesis is clearly stated and precise, with all terms well defined
The ideas are original and insightful beyond the material presented in the lecture and discussion
The analysis is persuasive, showing an excellent command of the assignment and the course materials and integrating the evidence in the primary sources with the information offered in the secondary sources
The examples are well-chosen and support the point being made
The quotations are logically and grammatically integrated into the text and are properly cited
The organization is logical, with smooth transitions from one topic to another
There are few or no errors in word choice and sentence structure
Meets page requirements and is handed in on time
B
The thesis is clearly stated and central to the essay, but some terms are not well-defined
The ideas presented go beyond the obvious and are linked together clearly
The analysis demonstrates a good understanding of the assignment and class material, but there are a few minor inconsistencies
The examples and quotations are appropriate to the argument and effectively presented
The organization is logical and the paragraphs are well-structured; but there are some problems with transitions, word choice, and sentence structure
Meets page requirements and is handed in on time
C
There is a general thesis but it is not specific and its terms are undefined
The ideas are not fully developed
The analysis shows a basic understanding of the assignment and course materials, but there are some factual and/or interpretative errors
Generalizations take the place of specific examples and quotations from the primary sources
Author uses quotations excessively, without explaining their significance or integrating them into the large argument
The organization is somewhat confusing or repetitious, with awkward transitions, brief and undeveloped paragraphs, poor word choice or wordiness, and/or excessive use of the passive voice and other awkward constructions
Meets page requirements and is handed in on time
D
The thesis is vague and undefined or a summary of events takes the place of a thesis
The ideas are arranged illogically and contain factual errors
The analysis shows an inadequate command of course materials and/or does not address the question in the assignment
A summary of events or issues replaces a logical progression or points supported by evidence
There is insufficient evidence from the primary sources and/or incorrect presentation of quoted material
Major grammatical, syntactical, and proof-reading errors that interfere with understanding; excessive use of clichés and casual language
Does not meet page requirements and/or is handed in late
F
No thesis
The information provided indicates that the writer has not understood lectures, readings, discussions, and/or the assignment
There are no quotations or examples from the readings
Plagiarism
The organization is incoherent, lacking transitions, indicating poor planning and no revision
There are numerous grammatical and syntactical errors that interfere with understanding
Does not meet page requirements or is handed in late
Here is my writing guide:
1)Present a clearly stated argument (thesis) on the first page that fully addresses the essay question.
2)Defend your argument against possible objections. You can do this in the body of your essay.
3)Develop your argument through the use of evidence presented in the body of your paper that fully addresses the essay question. Each paragraph should have evidence. Use specific examples from the readings to argue your point.
4) Write clear and effective topic sentences for each paragraph, and transitional sentences leading to the next paragraph. Remember one topic sentence per paragraph with supporting evidence as a general rule. Each paragraph needs evidence, analysis, relate to thesis and then a transition sentence.
5)Present a conclusion that clearly and concisely offers a summation of your argument.
6)Proofread your paper for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, transitional sentences.
7)Do not switch tenses in your paper. History is written in the past tense.
8)Use Chicago style citation (footnotes not parenthetical citations). See website I have posted for further information.
9)Contextualize your quotations/introduce your quotations. Explain to the reader who is speaking and the context and significance of the the quotation.
10) Write for the ignorant, but intelligent reader. Do not assume the reader knows your topic. Explain your references and your terminology.
11)Paginate your paper.
12)Use the passive voice as little as possible. The passive voice removes human agency from sentences making it seem like events just happen without historical actors. For example: Native Americans were moved off their land in the 1890s. This is an example of passive voice and is not an effective sentence. Who moved the Native Americans and why? Better sentence: Land hungry white settlers and federal land policy pressured Native Americans to move onto smaller reservations.
13)Proofread, edit and revise.
