Assignment/Task: (Adapted from Michael O'Malley, Assoc. Professor of History and Art History, George Mason University)
-You will write a speech as if you were a Senator in 1870. (You may choose your geographical location and party, but don’t have to.)
-The Senate will be voting on a bill to confiscate plantation land owned by former Confederates and redistribute that land to former slaves who once worked on it.
-How would you vote? Would you oppose or support such a measure? Do you have an amendment to modify the existing bill in a way that might persuade more people to vote for it?
You will write a speech that explains your position - why you are voting the way you are - and persuades others to vote with you. To be effective, your speech must combine moral and philosophical arguments with solid factual evidence. Your speech should include a clear thesis, organized paragraphs, and the appropriate tone.
Requirements:
Length: 850-1000 words
Research: Based mostly on your reading of primary sources with some secondary research as well.
Citations: You must cite at least three of the primary sources provided. These do NOT have to be quotations, but you must cite the source which you’ve used.
Outside Information: You should provide at least ONE piece of evidence from your outside research that does NOT come from the sources provided.
Counterargument: You will need to consider an opponent’s argument and refute it.
Rhetoric: You should use at least TWO of the following rhetorical appeals in your argument to persuade. (ethos, logos, pathos)
Bibliography: Chicago Style, correctly formatted. (I was lenient on this in November, but not this time. Please get it right.)
Deadline: Final Draft due Monday, Feb. 13 on Google Classroom and Turnitin by 8:00 AM