Instructions: Choose one of the three questions listed below and respond in essay format. Your essay ...
Instructions: Choose one of the three questions listed below and respond in essay format. Your essay should be 750 words, or three pages, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font. You will be expected to cite primary and secondary sources (such as those assigned throughout the course) to support your arguments. A strong essay will: Answer all components of the question Have a strong thesis statement Include multiple (relevant) primary source references Incorporate many secondary source references from lectures AND the readings Rely on specific and detailed evidence from your sources Demonstrate clear overarching knowledge of themes discussed throughout the course Questions: Compare and contrast the political structures of British and Spanish colonial America. How did the systems of governance in each region incorporate, or fail to incorporate, colonial subjects? How did the British and Spanish Crowns factor into colonial governance? How did differing approaches to colonial control and autonomy shape the path to independence for each region? Your essay should consider concepts and events related to colonial political systems, official (and unofficial) political groups, and then connections between colonial rule and attempts for independence. Evaluate racial dynamics in British and Spanish colonial societies. How did racial structures develop in Spanish and British colonies? How did they shape social, political, and economic dynamics? What were the long-term effects of these systems on independence movements? How did the experiences of nonwhite groups differ and how did these demographics push back against marginalization in each region? What impact did these dynamics have on the formation of new nations? Your essay should consider the overarching implications of racial dynamics in the Americas, considering diverse groups such as Indigenous populations, African communities, and castas. Compare and contrast the methods of colonization in British and Spanish America. How did the differing goals and methods such as economic strategies, settlement patterns, and religious objectives affect the development of colonial societies? How did these colonial legacies shape cultural, political, and racial dynamics in the regions after independence? What continuities can we still see today in contemporary society? Your essay should incorporate events and concepts such as conquest, Christianization, political structures, extraction of resources, and key issues faced after independence. Formatting Citations: Any time you are using specific evidence from primary or secondary sources, you must cite your source. We will be using informal in-text citations that list the author, source title, and page number (if relevant). See below examples. Primary Source: This sentence is using a specific paraphrased quote in this sentence (Author’s Last Name, Primary Source Title). This sentence is using a “directly quoted line” from the primary source (Author’s Last Name, Primary Source Title). Lectures (Don’t use specific quotes from lectures): This sentence is using a paraphrase from one of our lectures (Schroer, Title Given to the Day of Class on Our Syllabus). Assigned Readings: This sentence is using a paraphrase from one of the assigned readings (Author’s Last Name, “Chapter Title,” page number). This sentence is using a “directly quoted line” from one of the assigned readings (Author’s Last Name, “Chapter Title,” page number).
