africanamericanera.docx

The American Civil War Era: 

Final Essay Prompt

The Civil War left a lasting impact on the United States, shaping the next several decades for the country. In this course, you've learned how the course of the war, important battles, and the plans for reconstruction after the war ended. Write  a 2000 to 3000-word essay based on one of the prompts below.

1. What was the economy like during the Civil War in the North and in the South? Why did the economies of the Union and the Confederacy differ so much? What role did the economy play in the outcome of the war? How were civilians affected by the wartime economy in the North and in the South?

2. Why did the Confederacy ultimately lose the Civil War? What were its strengths and weaknesses compared to the Union? What was life like on the Confederacy's home front for women? What was it like for slaves?

3. What were Reconstruction's successes and failures? What kinds of problems shortchanged Reconstruction's effectiveness? How was Reconstruction viewed in the South, and what steps did white Southerners take to circumvent Reconstruction policies? Why did white Southerners take such measures?

Formatting & Sources

Please write your paper in the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) format. As part of your research, you may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use  at least five credible, outside sources and cite them using CMS format as well. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in CMS (including the lesson title and instructor's name).

· Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question.

· Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the Journal of Management. You may use like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network to find articles from these journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.)

If you're unsure about how to use CMS format for your paper and sources, please see the following lessons:

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Grading Rubric

Your essay will be graded based on the following rubric:

Category

Unacceptable (0-1)

Needs Improvement (2-3)

Good (4)

Excellent (5)

Points

Purpose and Evidence (x4)

Evidence is nonexistent or irrelevant to overall purpose; fewer than three sources are cited or all citations are from non-reputable sources

Evidence from three cited sources is present, but does not tie directly to main arguments and purpose of the essay

Evidence from at least three cited sources clearly supports and relates to overall purpose and the essay's arguments

Evidence from at least five cited sources is well-integrated and enhances the essay; main points are thorough and well-developed, connecting clearly to overall purpose

20

Structure and Organization (x3)

Disorganized and illogical structure hinders understanding

Somewhat disorganized, but structure does not detract from understanding of main points

Structure is logical; main points are supported by organization; introduction and conclusion are included

Organization is logical; structure enhances clarity and delivery of main ideas; introduction and conclusion are connected well to supporting content

15

Clarity (x2)

Vague or unclear writing; reader is left with several unanswered questions

Writing is ambiguous in a few areas; overall content is either not fully explained, or is too wordy for the content included

Phrasing and word choice are mostly effective; explanations and descriptions are thorough without being wordy

Syntax is very clear and concise. All supporting explanations and descriptions are precise, thorough, and efficient

10

Mechanics (x1)

Incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and use of standard English grammar hinders understanding

Several instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar

Few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar

No or very few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar

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