Equiano and The Industrial Revolution

Framework & Concepts: The very idea of the modern world is complex; in fact, it is
impossible to describe and fully comprehend the multitude of people, ideas, and events
that defined modern world history. But, by channeling this multitude into broad
categories and identifying themes or issues that different people, ideas, and events shared
in common, we can make sense of an otherwise chaotic mass of information.
Two of the main categories that historians use to describe and understand the actions and
ideas of people around the world and across time are conservatism and liberalism.
We, of course, recognize these terms from social and political debates today. But
historians have noticed that they have meant different things to people during different
periods of time over the last five-hundred years. On the other hand, conservatism and
liberalism do have basic definitions, which can help us recognize them in the ideas of
people in the past. Think about the following definitions and how the material from HIS
10 might relate to each one:
Conservatism: a belief system that insists on eternal truths, that considers social
change to be dangerous, and that often supports traditional institutions such as
monarchies, aristocracies or oligarchies (wealthy ruling classes), and established
religions
Liberalism: a belief system that sees individual liberty as fundamental to
societyincluding economic, political, and religious freedom established by laws
and constitutionswhich sometimes requires change in order to bring about
progress
Project Assignment: Your project this semester is to put conservatism or liberalism
on trial! You will act as either the prosecutor or the defense attorney, making the case for
why one belief system is guilty (made the modern world a worse place) or why it is
not guilty (made the modern world a better place). Your evidence will be the ways in
which these two ideologies developed, changed, and affected the lives of people and/or
the structures of societies over the span of the modern era.
During the semester, you will write a series of essays (including a Response Paper and
the Midterm Exam), which will help you develop your ideas about conservatism and
liberalism by relating them to different historical examples. The last essay will be an 8-10
page paper due by 11:59 PM on Sunday, May 3, 2020. All essays except the Midterm
should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, and turned in
through Blackboard.
Your semester project paper must contain the following elements:
A clear and concise thesis statement
Three primary source documents and historical examples that support your thesis
Your thesis will come from the following process:
1. Select three primary sources from the documents listed on the HIS 10 Syllabus
that you think relate to conservatism or liberalism. Each document should come
from a different one of the units listed on the syllabus. In other words, each
example should cover a different place and/or time. Do not draw all of your
documents from a single historical period or location. Think about how each
source can be used as evidence supporting your argument about these terms.
2. Be sure to think about the context of each document, including major events,
subjects, or historical figures covered in the course materials this semester which
relate to them. In other words, be prepared to discuss three historical examples
that relate to your documents and support your argument about conservatism or
liberalism.
3. For your conclusion, select a current news story that shows how conservatism or
liberalism works in the world today.
4. Your thesis should then address the following questions:
Given the roles that conservative or liberal ideas have played in various
modern societies, which one had the greatest impacteither positive or
negative? In other words, did conservatism and liberalism make life for
people in the modern world better (not guilty) or worse (guilty)? Why?
Guidelines: When selecting your three primary sources and historical examples use the
following guidelines to help you:
1. Primary Sources: Select a primary source from the documents listed on the HIS 10
Syllabus. (You may use one of the documents that you previously discussed in the
Response Paper and/or Midterm, but you are not required to do so.) Analyze the
document in relation to both your thesis and a historical example. Use the following
questions to help you:
What is the documents historical context? (time, place, recent relevant social,
economic, or political events)
How does the document relate to the issue of conservatism or liberalism? What
kind of words did the author use that showed his or her views?
Helpful Hint: Use the Response Paper instructions to guide your analysis of your
primary sources.
2. Historical Examples: Select an event, individual, or group that we covered in the
course this semester. Briefly describe your example (5 Ws) and relate it to your
document and thesis. For this summary, your sources of information should include the
textbook and class lessons. Use the following questions to guide you as you relate your
chosen example to your thesis:
Significance: Why is your example a significant part of history and still
remembered today?
Analysis: Did the participant(s) talk about conservative or liberal ideas? What
were their views on how society should function? Were they critical of others
views? Did they agree or disagree with the notion of conservatism or liberalism
found in your document? (Please note that this does not mean that a participant
had to have written the document. It does mean that they are from the same
historical period and/or dealt with overlapping social, cultural, political, or
economic issuesso be specific!)
Outcomes: Did your examples make the world a better place? What effects did
participants actions have on other people? Were those effects positive or
negative?
3. News Story: Watch/read/listen to the news and select a story that you find
interesting. (Be sure that it is an important enough story that it is covered by at least
two different media outlets.) As part of your conclusion paragraph, in approximately
2-3 sentences, briefly summarize the story (5 Ws) and explain how or why it shows
the role of conservatism or liberalism in the world today.

Here is a rubric, with points designated for each major aspect of the paper (100 points):

Introduction & Thesis (25 points) Introduction clearly relates to the main topic and offers an arguable
thesis statement related to all three examples. (21-25 points)
Introduction relates to the main topic and offers a thesis statement. (16-20 points)
Introduction somewhat relates to the main topic and offers a vague thesis statement. (11-15 points)
Introduction does not relate to the main topic and lacks a thesis statement. (0-10 points)

Body: Organization & Evidence (60 points)
Information clearly relates to the main topic, including at least three examples with strong supporting details and article. It is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs. (55-60 points)
Information relates to the main topic, including three examples with supporting details and article. It is organized with well-constructed paragraphs. (49-54 points)
Information sometimes relates to the main topic, including 1-3 examples and article with some supporting details. It is organized into paragraphs. (43-48 points)
Information does not relate to the main topic and lacks examples with supporting details. It is disorganized without well-constructed paragraphs. (0-42 points)