Essay Exam 3 Instructions
Instructions
The Essay Exams are designed to get you to think analytically and critically about the
material and present your assessment in an organized and coherent manner. It is also
important to incorporate information from as many of the assigned reading assignments
and video lectures as possible so as to exhibit a depth and
eadth of knowledge on the
topic.
Click HERE (Links to an external site.) to watch a useful video on how to organize your
essay before you get started.
Below are two questions. Prepare essays for each question and upload them into
Canvas as a Microsoft Word or PDF document. Only one of your essays will be
chosen and assigned a grade. Because you do not know in advance which essay
will be chosen, it is important to prepare high quality essays for both questions.
Please submit both essays as one document.
Questions
1. What were the fundamental differences between southern society and
northern society in the decades leading up to the Civil War? (See textbook for
contextual information, any relevant assigned primary documents,
the Antebellum South Video Lecture and the Northern Society Video Lecture).
2. What were the main arguments pro-slavery southerners used to defend the
institution of slavery against accusations that slavery was ba
aric and
ackward? What were the limits of these arguments (in other words, how
were these arguments less than convincing)? (See the textbook for
contextual information, Three Pro-Slavery Arguments primary documents,
and the Pro-Slavery Arguments Video Lecture).
Expectations
You will find ample information to address these questions in video lectures, the
textbook and primary documents. Essay responses should show a thorough
understanding of the readings and be college level (clear, organized, without
typographical e
ors, logical, etc.)
Your essay should have an introduction with a clear argument, a well-developed body
with ample supporting evidence, a conclusion that provides some final analysis, and
e between five and seven paragraphs (paragraphs should be at least five sentences in
length but often longer). Your argument is your
ief answer to the question while the
ody of the essay is used to provide detailed historical examples to support your
argument. Although analysis of the material should be woven into the body of your
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X5WoCHhtCM
https:
yccd.instructure.com/courses/27142/pages/antebellum-south-video-lecture
https:
yccd.instructure.com/courses/27142/pages/northern-society-video-lecture
https:
yccd.instructure.com/courses/27142/pages/three-pro-slavery-arguments
https:
yccd.instructure.com/courses/27142/pages/pro-slavery-arguments-video-lecture
essay, the conclusion is where you will be able to show that you have thought about the
material in a critical and analytical way (rather than simply regurgitating information).
Also, remember that any information included in your essay should be pertinent to
answering the question asked of you.
Citations
For the purposes of this essay, you can use parenthetical citation. Please only use
information from within the confines of this class, such as video lectures, the textbook,
primary documents, and any other assigned readings.
• Example for Video Lecture citation: (Chesapeake 2 Video Lect.) or (Slave
Trade Video Lect.).
• Example for Textbook citation: (Foner, 45).
• Example for Primary Document citation: (Frethorne, 2).
• Example for A People's History of the United States citation: (Zinn, 55).
Important Tips
• Remember, only one of your essays will be chosen and assigned a grade.
Because you do not know in advance which essay will be chosen, it is
important to prepare high quality essays for both questions.
• Because you have the questions in advance, your essays should not have
any grammatical e
ors or typos, should be written in fluid prose and indicate
a clear command of the material.
• Turnitin, a plagiarism detection software, is used for this assignment. Please
see the Course Syllabus for details regarding academic dishonesty.
• If you have any questions, please contact me through CANVAS.
Ru
ic
Criteria Ratings
Thesis Statement
Introduction contains relevant contextual information and a clear thesis statement?
Body of Essay
Quality and quantity of evidence is sound; sequence logical.
Historical Analysis
Thorough and perceptive recognition of historical significance.
Conclusion
Conclusion effectively summarizes the main points of the essay and provides a final
summation of the significance of the topic.
Instructions Followed
All instructions were followed.
https:
yccd.instructure.com/courses/27142/assignments/syllabus
Three Pro-Slavery Arguments
George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! or Slaves
Without Masters, Ch. 1: The Universal Trade
We are, all, North and South, engaged in the White Slave Trade, and he who succeeds
est, is esteemed most respectable. It is far more cruel than the Black Slave Trade,
ecause it exacts more of its slaves, and neither protects nor governs them. We boast,
that it exacts more, when we say, "that the profits made from employing free labor are
greater than those from slave labor." The profits, made from free labor, are the amount
of the products of such labor, which the employer, by means of the command which
capital or skill gives him, takes away, exacts or "exploitates" from the free laborer. The
profits of slave labor are that portion of the products of such labor which the power of
the master enables him to appropriate. These profits are less, because the master
allows the slave to retain a larger share of the results of his own labor, than do the
employers of free labor. But we not only boast that the White Slave Trade is more
exacting and fraudulent (in fact, though not in intention,) than Black Slavery; but we also
oast, that it is more cruel, in leaving the laborer to take care of himself and family out of
the pittance which skill or capital have allowed him to retain. When the day's labor is
ended, he is free, but is ove
urdened with the cares of family and household, which
make his freedom an empty and delusive mockery. But his employer is really free, and
may enjoy the profits made by others' labor, without a care, or a trouble, as to their well-
eing. The negro slave is free, too, when the labors of the day are over, and free in
mind as well as body; for the master provides food, raiment, house, fuel, and everything
else necessary to the physical well-being of himself and family. The master's labors
commence just when the slave's end. No wonder men should prefer white slavery to
capital, to negro slavery, since it is more profitable, and is free from all the cares and
labors of black slave-holding.
Now, reader, if you wish to know yourself — to "descant on your own deformity" — read
on. But if you would cherish self-conceit, self-esteem, or self-appreciation, throw down
our book; for we will dispel illusions which have promoted your happiness, and shew
you that what you have considered and practiced as virtue, is little better than moral
Cannibalism. But you will find yourself in numerous and respectable company; for all
good and respectable people are "Cannibals all," who do not labor, or who are
successfully trying to live without labor, on the unrequited labor of other
people: — Whilst low, bad, and disreputable people, are those who labor to support
themselves, and to support said respectable people besides. Throwing the negro slaves
out of the account, and society is divided in Christendom into four classes: The rich, or
independent respectable people, who live well and labor not at all; the professional and
skillful respectable people, who do a little light work, for enormous wages; the poor
hard-working people, who support every body, and starve themselves; and the poor
thieves, swindlers and sturdy beggars, who live like gentlemen, without labor, on the
labor of other people. The gentlemen exploitate, which being done on a large scale, and
equiring a great many victims, is highly respectable — whilst the rogues and beggars
take so little from others, that they fare little better than those who labor.
But, reader, we do not wish to fire into the flock. "Thou art the man!" You are a
Cannibal! and if a successful one, pride yourself on the number of your victims, quite as
much as any Feejee chieftain, who
eakfasts, dines and sups on human flesh. — And
your conscience smites you, if you have failed to succeed, quite as much as his, when
he returns from an unsuccessful foray.
Probably, you are a lawyer, or a merchant, or a doctor, who have made by your
usiness fifty thousand dollars, and retired to live on your capital. But, mark! not to
spend your capital. That would be vulgar, disreputable, criminal. That would be, to live
y your own labor; for your capital is your amassed labor. That would be, to do as
common working men do; for they take the pittance which their employers leave them,
to live on. They live by labor; for they exchange the results of their own labor for the
products of other people's labor. It is, no doubt, an honest, vulgar way of living; but not
at all a respectable way. The respectable way of living is, to make other people work for
you, and to pay them nothing for so doing — and to have no concern about them after
their work is done. Hence, white slave-holding is much more respectable than negro
slavery — for the master works nearly as hard for the negro, as he for the master. But
you, my virtuous, respectable reader, exact three thousand dollars per annum from
white labor, (for your income is the product of white labor,) and make not one cent of
eturn in any form. You retain your capital, and never labor, and yet live in luxury on the
labor of others. Capital commands labor, as the master does the slave. Neither pays for
labor; but the master permits the slave to retain a larger allowance from the proceeds of
his own labor, and hence "free labor is cheaper than slave labor." You, with the
command over labor which your capital gives you, are a slave owner — a master,
without the obligations of a master. They who work for you, who