On 28 October 1886, at the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, President Grover Cleveland said, “We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home” (National Endowment for Humanities “Statue of Liberty”) Yes, Liberty had made her home here in the United States just twenty-three years after President Lincoln, speaking in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, called on his fellow Americans to join with him to ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth,” twenty years after the end of a civil war that nearly destroyed the country, and twenty years after the assassination of President Lincoln. The Statue of Liberty gave light and form to this illusive concept of liberty and freedom.
There were groups in her new home country still struggling to achieve liberty and equality when she arrived. Choose either People of Color, Native Americans or women and write an essay about the struggles of your chosen group in the country where “Liberty has made her home.” This is a research essay. You must use one scholarly source for each supporting paragraph.
The essay must be 750 to 1000 words.
The essay must have at least five paragraphs.
The essay must be written in third person. Avoid using I, we, us, our or ours. Avoid using you, your or yours.
The essay must have an introduction. The introduction must have a thesis statement. In the introduction, briefly discuss what you think liberty and equality are. Then consider whether your chosen group had liberty and equality. Your thesis statement should answer the question as to whether your group did have liberty and equality in 1886 and why or why not. The thesis statement should be one or two sentences in length. Avoid beginning your thesis statement with the words “I think” or “I will show” or “I will prove” or “This writer thinks” or “This writer will show” or “This writer will prove.” Make a statement.
In the first paragraph, discuss what living was like for your chosen group in the United States. Did your group have many or few choices about where to live? Could your group own property? Were any restrictions placed on your group?
In the second paragraph, discuss what type of work was available for your chosen group. Did your group have many or few choices about where to work? What type of work was available for your group? Were restrictions placed on your group?
In the third paragraph, discuss your group’s political voice. Did your group have the right to vote? If your group did have the right to vote, did they face any obstacles when trying to vote?
There must be a conclusion. In the conclusion, restate your thesis and summarize what you have stated in your supporting paragraphs.
Use MLA formatting and Times New Roman 12 pt. font
BE SURE TO CITE ALL SOURCES.
