History essay
Response Assignment 1: Hector St. Jean de Crèvecoeur, “What is an American?”, 1782
Your response should be about one page – but do not let it exceed two pages. It should include a clear thesis and a set of arguments that responds to the questions below. Your essay must be submitted on Canvas by 2:00 on Monday -before the assignment closes and you are unable to submit.
Questions to be answered:
What is the significance of this document for understanding America at the beginning of the 19th Century?
How does this document add to our understanding of citizenship at the beginning of the 19th Century?
How does this primary source provide evidence for Annette Gordon-Reed’s research for her article “Creating ‘We the People’” (pages 119 – 122).
What is the relationship between Hector St. John Crevecoeur’s views on the definition of an American and John Adams views on slavery in “Slavery and Race in Jeffersonian America (1801)”?
Please answer the following question separately from the essay – include it at the end of the essay as a separate answer. There are no right or wrong answers to this question so do not worry about how it might affect your grade (we will discuss it in class after the essays are graded) The goal is to inspire you to think about the document beyond the questions asked in the essay prompt):
Please pose at least one discussion question about this reading. If you were leading a class discussion, what do you think would be important to talk about with regard to “What is an American,” John Adams statement on slavery, and/or Annette Gordon-Reed’s secondary source?
Responses will be graded according to the following criteria:
Is the response written in essay form, with a thesis, a set of paragraphs that each address a distinct argument in support of the thesis, and a conclusion? (3 points)
Does the response address all the questions posed? (2 points)
Does the response demonstrate that the student has done a close and careful reading of the text? (1 point)
Does the response demonstrate a concerted effort to think about the significance of the text and its relationship to course topics and other texts? (2 points)
Does the response make sense? Are the ideas within it clearly communicated? (2 points)
You will be asked to submit your essay as a file upload and will be required to use Turnitin, an app that detects plagiarism. Turnitin will generate a report that will help you to see where you might need to cite information in your essay. Please let me or your TA know if you have questions.