Freedom plays a central role in the development of America. Over time, freedom has meant different things for different groups. During the American Revolution, for instance, freedom for some colonist meant maintaining a relationship with Parliament. While for others, freedom meant separation from the mother country and independence.
During the mid-19th century the definition of freedom continued to be debated. In particular, freedom’s definition increasingly held different interpretations across geographic regions and political parties. The institution of slavery was at the core of disagreement. Whether it manifested in western expansion, national morality, or domestic policy, slavery played a central role in national dialogue concerning freedom.
Write an essay in which you address freedom’s meaning in 19th century America. The essay must focus on the content from Part III of the course: Slavery, Freedom and the Crisis of Union, chapters 11-14.
Naturally, the scope of the assignment is robust. Students will need to asses freedom through a narrowly defined lends. In other words, you might emphasize the debate of freedom via politicians and their interpretations of freedom (William Seward, Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, etc). You might choose to emphasize the abolitionist role(Angelina Grimke, William Lloyd Garrison, and Frederick Douglass) in prohibiting the peculiar institution. You can focus on the topic through the lens of soldiers that participated in the Civil War and their various interpretations. There is plenty of opportunity to be creative and thematic.
MECHANICS: Essays are to be between 3-4 pages in length. Your essay must incorporate a minimum of 3 primary sources. Primary sources can come from the book, publisher website or other scholarly online sources such as the Library of Congress, Slave Narratives Project.
Source material must be cited appropriately. The paper must also include a comprehensive bibliography at the end. While Chicago/Turabian is the designated format for the historical discipline, students are welcome to adhere to other formats (i.e. MLA, APA, etc.).