Choose one of the prompts and write a four to five page essay on the topic you have chosen. 4-5 pages, printed, double spaced, normal margins, citations where necessary. You will be scored based on: content, knowledge of the subject, style, grammar, spelling, and fulfillment of the requirements. Must include citations to at least three different sources.
Construct an argument encouraging people to either revolt against England, or remain loyal. Discuss various reasons for whichever side of the argument you advocate. Be sure to include issues related to governance, philosophy, unrest and the economy. Use only arguments that could have been made prior to the outbreak of war.
Write a letter to someone describing your experiences as an early settler in the colonies. Be sure to include the push and pull factors of your decision to immigrate. The colony you end up in will have significant bearing on your experience. Include specific experiences which are unique to that region.
A few tips on writing the essays
1. Make a couple of decisions early on. For the first topic, choose which side of the argument you want to make. For the second topic, choose the colony that you will be writing about.
2. Do some research. For prompt one, look at the arguments people made at the time. For the second prompt, do some research about early settlement in whichever colony you have decided to write about.
3. Don’t over complicate things. There are a few mistakes the frequently occur, remember that both of these topics are separate and you should not try to combine them, avoid anachronisms do not argue that colonists should rebel because the US will eventually win World War II (there was no way of knowing that at the time). Don’t pull a Moses, have an unnaturally long life, don’t land in Jamestown in 1607 and witness the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
4. Don’t lose sight of what you are doing, writing a paper for a history class. Both topics have plenty of room for creativity, but make sure it is rooted in actual events.
5. Don’t forget to use citations. It is easiest to cite actual events if you are arguing for or against rebellion, when you mention an event that you found in your research make sure you cite it. The same is true for the second topic. Both of the topics are narrative, so it is usually best to paraphrase rather than quote directly.