The Civil Rights Movement
Your assignment is to write a paper (4-6 pages) examining the Civil Rights Movement in American history using a number of primary sources provided by the instructor. In four to six pages, the paper should attempt to address the struggles, problems, resistance to, and goals of the movement.
The entire purpose of the study of history is to learn from the past. Not to idolize it, not to romanticize it, not to tailor it to fit our world view, but to learn from it. History is messy – it is never as neat as a movie or even a classroom exam might make it seem. Our present is shaped by the past, and while it is useful to understand the past, one must never want to live there. 2020 has seen extraordinary times – a global pandemic, protests and upheaval in American life, and no doubt these events will be discussed in a future history class. Yet these events are not new, and comparisons with history could prove eye opening.
For the purposes of this assignment, and taking in to account the compressed nature of our course, I am going to provide the source material for you. Your task, using the sources available is to write a 4-6 page paper on any topic of your choice in the Civil Rights Movement. Individual people, protests, reactions, themes, whatever interests you. Beyond formatting, the stipulations for the paper are:
It must be over a topic relevant to the Civil Rights Movement.
It can ONLY use the sources available below. No other books, websites, interviews, etc will be allowed.
- It cannot be opinion based. Your paper needs to be drawn from facts and sources, not hearsay and personal opinion.
- You must cite heavily – you need to make use of any 10 documents/sources and need to cite from them numerous times. One of these collections could – and do – include numerous documents. A single image, or interview, or image counts as a document.
- Document collections:
- Library of Congress Civil Rights Era Primary Documents: https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart9.htmlLinks to an external site.
Library of Congress Resources on Jim Crow Laws and Segregation: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/civil-rights/Links to an external site.
Library of Congress Resources on the NAACP and Freedom Rides: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/naacp/Links to an external site.
The Crisis: https://books.google.com/books/serial/-EIEAAAAMBAJ?rview=1&lr=&sa=N&start=390Links to an external site.
Eyes on the Prize Documentary Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_VA9idx-8ty9iTGtgsRHNlzYXJgjtBy9Links to an external site. *UPDATED LINK* NOTE: This source may be unavailable.
FBI Records Civil Rights Activists and Events: https://vault.fbi.gov/civil-rightsLinks to an external site.
Primary Source Martin Luther King: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documentsLinks to an external site.
Rosa Parks Papers: https://www.loc.gov/collections/rosa-parks-papers/about-this-collectionLinks to an external site.
Travel Places of the Civil Rights Movement: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/travelweshallovercome/index.htmLinks to an external site.
Grading Criteria
The paper, beyond addressing the prompt and using citation, must be proofread, follow the rules of academic writing (see the Reading Yesterday, Writing Today handout), and avoid typographical errors, spelling errors, contractions, first person, run on sentences, and use correct grammar and punctuation. The paper must have a clear thesis statement (an argument, as in [for example] “the Civil War was an irrepressible conflict because…” or “the Civil War could have been avoided if…” Your essay must use paragraphs (three to five sentences) and evidence to support the thesis, and have a strong conclusion.
Your paper must be a minimum of four pages, and should not exceed six full pages (on the rare chance it does, it is perfectly fine).. The paper should be in Times New Roman font, 12 point, with 1” margins. You may need to adjust the margins manually by using the Page Layout Tab of Microsoft Word. The paper must include footnotes, and you must cite all of your information to avoid the appearance of plagiarism.
Please be sure to attach the enclosed rubric to your paper when you turn it (a five point deduction if you do not). The rubric lets you know how you will be graded, so before turning in your paper, please review the rubric to ensure that your paper successfully meets the criteria.
Grading Rubric for Term Paper Name:__________________________________
Automatic F Penalties
Does not meet minimum four full pages (Max grade 59%)
No citations (Max grade 59%)
Does not follow prompt (Max Grade 59%)
Point Deductions
Improper Margins or Font -5 points
Grade Items
____ Thesis (10 Points) – Does the student have a clear, concise thesis?
____ Uses at Least 10 Sources. (30 Points) – Do you cite from 10 different documents and use them multiple times throughout the paper?
____ Historical discussion (35 Points) – Does the student adequately discuss the historical background of the Civil Rights Movement? Do you critically analyze photographs, people, and events, and try to examine the realities behind the struggle for equality in the 1950s and 1960s?
____ Academic Writing, Organization, and Polish (25 Points) – Does the student follow the rules of academic writing? Avoid first person, contractions, grammatical errors, etc?
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