USG U S History I Unit 3 Essay-The Debate over Independence

Unit 3 Essay:
The Debate over Independence
One of the key roles of a historian is to understand the differing perspectives of the past. Just like people today have differing political opinions, so too did people in the past. While we may not always agree with a particularly perspective, it is still important to understand all points of view.
 
This discussion will focus on the debate over independence in 1776. You will read two very different perspectives on whether or not Americans should declare their independence from Great Britain. While Thomas Paine supported American independence from Britain and explained these reasons in his famous document Common Sense, Charles Inglis insisted that Americans should remain loyal to Britain in the hopes of preventing further bloodshed. The goal of this assignment is to read both perspectives and understand the main arguments offered by each in favor of or against independence.
 
 
Assigned Readings
 
Common Sense (Thomas Paine)
Against Independence (Charles Inglis)
 
Focus Questions
Discuss the following questions in your essay for both perspectives:
 
Common Sense: Why are American justified in declaring independence from Great Britain? ? What are the benefits of declaring independence?
Against Independence: What will happen if Americans declare their independence? What are the benefits of remaining a part of the British Empire?
 
Directions
Your essay should be a minimum of 2 pages (double-spaced), and you should spend AT LEAST one page discussing each position (one page discussingCommon Sense and one page discussing Against Independence. Your answer should reflect the main points from each document. The above questions for each perspective should be addressed in your essay. Use examples from the readings to illustrate your main points. When you write your essay, don’t just go paragraph by paragraph; rather, see what common themes are found throughout the documents for both perspectives and write paragraphs based on themes rather than examining each paragraph in order they were written. Yes, this requires more thought, but then your essay won’t read like an extended book report on each document. If you have any questions, just let me know and I’ll be more than happy to help.
 
Be sure to proof your essay before submitting it as errors in grammar and spelling will lead to a deduction in points. Use quotations when writing the exact wording from the reading, and don’t forget to cite if using a quote from the sources (ex: Paine, 2). As per the instructions in the syllabus, most of the essay should be in your own words and reflect your own analysis of the readings. This means that your paper should include less than 20% of quoted material to ensure that most of the paper is in your own words. Do not use any outside sources — your paper should only use the documents assigned for this essay. Using outside sources will result in a “0” for this essay (I want you to be historians by analyzing these documents and not rely on the words of someone else on the internet).
 
Please re-read the syllabus for expectations regarding essays, including this important point: “Minimum essays (at 2 pages) are normally C answers, so you should plan on going beyond the minimum requirements to achieve a higher grade.”
 
Your essay should be uploaded as Word or PDF document. Your essay is due by 11:59pm on February 25.