The Essay Question:
The story of America’s founding that most Americans grow up with is told from the perspective of a rather ill-defined group of patriots. Notably, while many colonists did support separation from the British Empire, many other people living in and around the colonies had good reason to oppose independence. Supporters of the war were also divided over the goals of independence and nationhood. Compare and contrast the perspectives of colonists and other peoples living in British North America regarding the cause of independence and nationhood. With regards to each, were they for or against the quest for independence? Why or why not? After the war, who benefited most from the outcome of the American Revolution? Who lost out? Explain how and why. End your essay with an evaluation of what this history reveals about the foundations of this country.
Length: A minimum of four typed double-spaced pages in Times New Roman 12-point font with standard 1-inch margins. By four pages, I mean four pages of actual writing. Your essay can and should be longer, especially if you are aiming for a high grade. Your references page will be in addition to the length of the essay. Your essay should be left justified, with a ragged right margin. Number the pages in the upper right header. Center the title of your essay at the top of the first page. Place your full name, course title, instructor’s name, and date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.
Sources: In writing your essay, use and cite a minimum of four sources from this course. You can and should use more, but four is the minimum. Make sure to use a diverse range of materials. Fitting sources include our readings in Foner, course materials posted on websites or as PDFs, and course lectures. Do not use outside materials. This is not a research assignment. Your goal is to show me that you can synthesize course information in an essay.
Cite your sources in the text of your essay using in-text citations with the author-date system. In addition, you need to list all of your references in a references page at the end of your essay. Format all citations appropriately in Chicago Style.Links to an external site. Essays that do not include proper citations will not receive a passing grade.
Do not plagiarize or use AI! All essays will be screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content using Turnitin, the college screening service. Plagiarism and/or the use of AI can result in a “0” on this assignment.
