Assignment 3: Reconstruction: What is freedom?
Goal
The goal of this assignment is to allow you to learn more deeply about how the idea of freedom changed in the wake of the Civil War.
Context
When four years of war ended in 1865, the United States government was faced with two significant tasks. The first was how to unite a fractured nation; the second was how to incorporate millions of freed men, women, and children into the fabric of the country. Neither task proved to be easy. Following the assassination of President Lincoln, Andrew Johnson inherited what we now call Reconstruction. In the next several years, Johnson fought with Congress over the meanings of Reconstruction, especially in regard to black Americans. The election of 1876 put an end to the reconstruction of the former Confederate States, as a political compromise released the northern states from their responsibility to protect the freedom of black southerners.
Process
In an argumentativeessay of at least 3 double-spaced pages, please address the following question:
Was Reconstruction a success or a failure?
To obtain the maximum points for your assignment,you should:
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Rubric for Writing an Effective Historical Essay
Excellent (A+ to A-)
Good (B+ to B-)
Fair (C+ to C-)
Poor (D to F)
Thesis
Easily identifiable, crystal clear, and insightful.
Promising and clear, but lacks insight.
Somewhat vague and unoriginal.
Cannot be identified.
Structure
Very well organized and clearly connects with thesis. Excellent transitions between points. Solid topic sentences with excellent support.
Good overall organization. A few unclear transitions and unfocused topic sentences.
Unclear because of weak or non-existent thesis. Transitions and topic sentences unclear.
No evident structure or organization.
Evidence
Strong evidence in the form of specific examples used to support each point. Authoritative use of source(s) in paraphrasing and direct quotes. Uses good historical context and is historically accurate.
Evidence used to support most points. Some examples may not support points convincingly or be vague. Good understanding of historical context.
Few or weak examples and factual information. Evidence does not support any particular point.
No interpretation, analysis, or contextual information.
Mechanics
Language is clear and easy to follow. Correct word usage, as well as minimal spelling and punctuation errors. Correct style used for quotations.
Language mostly clear. Sentence structure, grammar, and style mostly strong with occasional lapses. Some spelling errors.
Some problems in sentence structure, grammar, and style. Multiple errors in punctuation and spelling.
Significant problems in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling that make understanding difficult.
Citations
All paraphrasing and quotes appropriately cited. Correct citation format used throughout.
Mostly correct citation format; examples and quotes appropriately cited.
Some problems in citation format; some citations overlooked or omitted.
No citations or incorrect format for citations.
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