An example of paper is attached Mid-Term Examination Essay: “The Death of Slave

An example of paper is attached Mid-Term Examination Essay: “The Death of Slavery – A Creative Obituary”
“Slavery’s Obituary” must be between 750-1000 words and double-spaced.
An obituary can be more than an official notice written to inform the public about a death. Historians also use obituaries and death certificates to develop individual and composite portraits of a community – who lived there, what kind of jobs these people did, what fatal illnesses residents may have suffered from, whose lives and lifestyles seemed to be valued and considered worthy of public notice when they died and which individuals rarely received public notice for anything other than criminal behavior. For example, the New York Times recently undertook the regular development and publication of individuals who had been “Overlooked” for decades in the newspaper’s obituaries. (See a few examples in this Module). But obituaries in the New York Times (unless I’ve missed some) are for human beings. For your Mid-Term examination, you will create an obituary or “notice of death” for the institution of “Slavery.”
As an institution, American slavery (hereditary, racialized, chattel bondage for life) officially “died” in 1865, with the passage and ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Your task with this Mid-Term Examination is to compose Slavery’s “obituary.” Like most well-developed obituaries for a person (beloved, famous, infamous, etc.) this obituary for the “Slavery” must take the following into consideration:
This is a creative writing activity, but take it seriously because the topic is serious – it is your Mid-Term exam grade. You are writing about the end, or what people in 1865 thought was the end, of an institution that had a profound impact on American life for over 2 ½ centuries. This obituary assignment, like all obituaries, must contain information about –
a) “Slavery’s” “birth”; its “origins” or “ancestors” (perhaps, indentured servitude) – and not just names but reasons we should consider “slavery” a descendant of these “ancestors”
b) the time and place of “Slavery’s” death and the causes or circumstances that led to “Slavery’s” death
c) surviving aspects of the institution (in other words, in 1865-1866, what was left to be done to completely erase – if possible – all traces of “Slavery” from the United States)
d) surviving “kinfolk, friends, and supporters” – like similar “slaveries” in other parts of the Western Hemisphere (for example, in Brazil or Cuba) and those that have already ended (for example, in Haiti) or sympathetic supporters (former Confederates, maybe) who were unwilling to accept the “death” of Slavery.
Overall, your essay must include significant developments, events, or characteristics in “Slavery’s life” in North America. For example, the transition from indentured servitude to slavery, the determination of who could be enslaved, the migration (movement) of slavery across the country, “employment” patterns, resistance among the enslaved, reform activities that sought to end slavery’s life before 1865, and the sequence of events that you think caused the death of “Slavery.” This section of your essay can include anything you think it would be important for your audience (the public) to know about “Slavery.”
Your essay must describe “funerary services.” Consider which historical figures might be honorary “pallbearers” but in this case they should be individuals who actually helped end slavery (maybe Frederick Douglass) as well as those who mourned the death of Slavery (Nathan Bedford Forrest, Jefferson Davis, former Confederates). The “services” might also include commemorations or parades, etc.) that took place to mark the end of slavery.
This “Obituary for Slavery” is a work of historical fiction so you can be creative but you must be specific and stay in what we will call “historical character.” Be creative but be historically accurate.
Examples: You could say that “On June 19, 1866, Union General ____ arrived at a farm/plantation in ____. All of the formerly enslaved people gathered on the front lawn and General _____ told them they were no longer the property of _____. In stunned silence and perhaps a little fearful or their owner’s response, the enslaved people exchanged glances, then burst into cheers and songs.” Or: “On December 25, 1865, a “mixed” audience of men and women, Black and White people, young and old gathered outside the President’s house to somberly commemorate the ratification of the 13th Amendment and reflect on the death of Abraham Lincoln eight months earlier.”
Be factual with your chronology and content.
Review the Rubric for this assignment and keep in mind that this is your Mid-Term Examination.
“Slavery’s Obituary” must be written in essay format. ­Do not number the paragraphs to show that you have covered all the above points. Your essay must have an introduction in which you might describe the “Slavery’s” impact on American life or importance to the African American history and culture. Your introduction must be followed by about three paragraphs of content and a concluding paragraph in which you might look ahead to 2020 and reflect on whether “Slavery” really “died” in 1865.
“Slavery’s Obituary” must be between 750-1000 words and double-spaced.
You must proofread your work before you submit it. You will lose points for poorly written responses. See the information below about the tutor in the HERC (History Educational Resource Center) who can help you with this assignment. I will send her the assignment and the rubric just in case you decide to contact her. I will also set up some ZOOM office hours in case you want to meet with me about this assignment.
Your essay (see the Course Schedule, the Summary of Availability of Assignments, the Quick Summary of the Availability of Assignments, and the calendar on the Course Home Page) must be in the appropriate Dropbox folder.