Writing assignment examples are available for this course.
Second Writing Assignment
Second writing assignment due at the beginning of class.
Write a 5-6 page paper that makes an argument about one of the following questions.
- Can (or should) the atrocities in Leopold’s “Congo Free State” or those in German South West Africa be considered a “genocide?” Why or why not? (It would probably be best to focus your paper on just one of the two situations.)
- Was “imperialism” a progressive or a regressive force in the development of women’s rights? (You might center your paper around the arguments both in Antoinette Burton, Burden of History and Scott Cook’s Imperial Encounters.)
- Write a historical analysis on either of the following films: A Passage to India (1984, 163 minutes) or Khartoum (1966, 134 minutes). (A word of caution: writing a historical analysis of a film can be tricky, and require more than one viewing: no more than one paragraph should sketch the plot of the film, and the remainder of the paper should address such topics as characterization, conflict, the “argument” (or stance) of the film, and its historical accuracy, using our class readings as sources of comparison and historical evaluation. (Cook, and perhaps Burton or even Kipling could be useful for A Passage to India; the History Today article on Gordon for Khartoum.)
Be sure to fully cite all sources, including class readings, and any desperation-induced recourse to websites, reviews, online encyclopedia entries, or the like. Also, be sure to include a title (although no separate title page is necessary), number your pages, and use standard 1-inch margins. Word’s default is 1.25".)
Final Writing Assignment
Final writing assignment, due at the beginning of class.
Write an 8-10 page essay (10 page absolute upper limit) that makes an argument focusing on one of the questions below.
For this paper, no research outside of what we have read and discussed in class is necessary (nor recommended). However, if you do look at other sources (including websites, online encyclopedia entries, etc), be sure to cite them fully. Also be sure to proofread your paper carefully, include a title (although no separate title page is necessary), number your pages, and (try to) use standard (1") margins.
Final Paper Topics
- Was European imperialism in the 19th century in essence a political, economic, or social and cultural phenomenon?
- Is the picture below a map of Africa, or a map of Europe? Explain.
(Image of A. Silva White’s Comparative Value of African Lands. Report, VI. International Geographical Congress, London, 1895, removed for copyright reasons.)
