Purpose of the Assignment This final essay asks you to reflect on what you have learned about history over the course of the semester. Throughout this class You have analyzed multiple primary sources that presented conflicting

2026SP-HIST-1301-121 – United States…
Table of Contents › Lessons – Assignments › Week 15 – 4/27 – 5/3 › Historical Analysis Assignment #5
Historical Analysis Assignment #5 v
Instructions
Assignment #5: Synthesis, Reflection, and Historical
Responsibility
slavery, Multiple voices, and the study or history
Purpose of the Assignment
This final essay asks you to reflect on what you have learned about history over the course of the semester. Throughout this class
You have analyzed multiple primary sources that presented conflicting perspectives on the same events using the first and accounts of slavery. a bro-savery political cartoon, and a written defense of saverv along with himamanda Ngd
Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story," you will evaluate how encountering multiple perspectives has shaped your understanding
nistorv-ano wnerner tar creates an emical responsibility to learn lu
Review Historical Analysis Instructions as they apply to this assignment.
Required Sources
You must use all or the tollowing:
Primary Sources:
a.HareJacoos. accoun o saverv oo0
2. Solomon Northup, description of a slave market (1841)
3. George Fitzhugh Argues that Slavery is Better than Liberty and Equality, 1854
4. Pro-saver Dottca cartoon aiscussed in cass!
Conceptual Framework:
5. The Danger of a Single Stor
Cumulative Course Material:
6. Primarv sources trom earlier assignments in the semester
Central Question
How has studying multiple, often conflicting, primary sources throughout the semester challenged a "single story" of history, and
what responsibility-if any-does that create for understanding the past?
Essay Task (2 pages minimum)
Your essav should develon a clear evicence-basec areument that incorporates the tollowing elements.
1. Brief Context: Slavery and Competing Narratives
• Briefly explain the existence of slavery in the United States and the debates surrounding it
• What kinds of narratives existed about slavery at the time?
• Why might different groups have presented slavery in different ways?
(Keep this section concise.)
2. Comparing Primary Sources
• How does Harriet Jacobs describe the experience of enslaved women:
• How does Solomon Northup describe the slave market?
• What do these firsthand accounts reveal about the realities of slaverv?
• How does George Fitzhugh defend slavery?
• What arguments does he make about liberty and equality?
• How does he iustify slavery as a system?
• Compare these written sources to the pro-slavery political cartoon:
• How does the cartoon portray slavery?
• What message is it trving to convey?
• What realities are missing or distorted:
• What would your understanding of slavery look like if you only had:
• Fitzhugh's areument?
• The cartoon
• Jacobs or Northup alone?
3. Connecting to the Semester: Multiple Stories in History
• Think back to earlier assignments in the course
• How did those primary sources also present conflicting or competing perspectives?
• What patterns have vou noticed across the semester?
• How has working with multiple perspectives changed how you understand history?
4. Apply Adichie's Argument
• What does Adichie mean by the "danger of a single story"?
• How do the slavery sources demonstrate this idea?
• How does comparine firsthand accounts with pro-slavery arguments reinforce her point?
• Why is relying on a single perspective dangerous when studying the past?
• Be specific using assigned primary sources to support your argument.
5. Ethics and the Study of History
• At the beginning of class we discussed "What is history?" One value of historical study is it helps a person understand how
decisions are made
• Does learning about these sources create an ethical responsibility to study historv?
• Why or why not?
• How has this course (including this week's readings) shaped your thinking about that responsibility?
• What checitic examnles trom this assionment-or earlier ones-sunnort vollr view?
6. Thinking Like a Historian
• Over the semester vou have been asked to:
• Identify bias
• Consider what is missing
• How do you critically analyze a text now?
• Is your approach different from the beginning of the semester?
• Have vou applied these skills outside of class? If so. how?
•Re checific
7. Make a Final, Reflective Argument
Your thesis should exnlain'
• How multiple perspectives challenge simplified narratives of history
• How your understanding of history has changed over the semester
What This Essay Is NOT
• Not a summary of the readines
• Not a description of slavery without analysis
• Not a list of previous assignments
• Not a personal reflection without historical evidence
• Not an acceptance of any single perspective without critique
This is a synthesis and reflection eccav grounded in historical evidence
Skills You Are Practicing
• Synthesis across multiple assignments
• Reflective historical thinking
• Comnaring conflictine nersnectives
• Critical source analysis (including evaluating harmful or biased arguments)
• Abbiving a concentual tramework (Adichiel
• Ethical reasoning grounded in history
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Activity Details
• Task: Submit to complete this assignment
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