Task and Sources
You *must* include and address the “The Kentucky Resolutions” and “South Carolina Exposition and Protest.” This is a required part of the assignment.
Link to the Kentucky Resolutions: https://jeffersonpapers.princeton.edu/selected-documents/resolutions-adopted-kentucky-general-assembly.
Look over the U.S. Constitution and arguments in support of it. Here is a link to the Constitution: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
Link to access the Federalist Papers (written in the 1780s in order to convince Americans to support the new Constitution): https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Federalist+Papers
Link to Letters from The Federal Farmer, these letters were written in opposition to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution: https://leefamilyarchive.org/papers/essays/fedfarmer/index.html
Only use the sources provided
Prompt and Question
For this essay, you will need to craft a 1000 word, 5-paragraph essay (feel free to craft more than 5 paragraphs).
Question: Should state governments have more powerful than the national government, or should the national government be more powerful? In other words, should state governments or the national government have more power? Your thesis should answer this question.
Your thesis will answer this question by naming (1) key factor and will sums up your position.
You will also have a roadmap statement that lists (3) relevant support points to the factor you named in your thesis. In your essay, your roadmap will immediately follow your thesis. Your thesis should be toward the end of your introduction.
Your three supporting points from your roadmap should be the subjects of the (3) main sections of your essay and of your topic sentences.
Use course readings/material, the above primary sources, and the Constitution to support your argument. You may use all sources we have covered all ready for this assignment.
Expectations and Criteria for Success
- Use at least (3) primary sources (The Kentucky Resolutions, The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, and the U.S. Constitution). Remember, primary sources are sources created at the time of the event or by someone who experienced the event. The use of these sources must followed by an in-text citation and be included on your Works’ Cited.
- Do not use internet sources. If you need to do outside research, you may use library books or academic articles found through Galileo. These sources must be listed on the Works Cited, and you must include in-text citations after the information you’ve taken from the source.
- Include a Works’ Cited Page. Your Works’ Cited page should have a minimum of 3 sources: the 3 primary sources listed above. Cite all quotes and references to specific ideas and data. Citations on your Works’ Cited page MUST be in proper form that conforms with the citation standard you pick. You may use any FORMAL citation method. For help citing work and creating a work cited page, consult a librarian or visit: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
- You must include at least (9) concrete and specific examples (the names of people, places, events or ideas). This is the bare minimum number of specific examples and may earn you a ‘C’ at best. You can take these examples from the textbook, primary sources, or other sources on the course website.
- Papers with less than 1000 words will be penalized. Your Works’ Cited page does not count towards the 1000 required words.
- Citations should be formatted according to the MLA guidelines (if you want to use APA or Chicago, check with me first), including both in-text and your Works Cited page. Guidelines for MLA can be found using the Purdue Owl or you can reference the Citation Help.pdf from the Start Here Module of the course.
- Successful essays should be carefully organized, with strong thesis statements and specific evidentiary support. Your introduction should include a clear statement of what you will argue in the essay (thesis statements are never questions). The body of the essay will include at least three paragraphs (though you can write more – with this assignment, you will want four body paragraphs) that analyze and evaluate the idea of nullification. Conclude by discussing the key conclusion you reached and why (remember not to use the first person in formal academic essays).
Essay Outline / Format (FOLLOW THIS OUTLINE)
The following is a general guideline for how you should outline and structure your essay. Please
use this as a guide for writing your essay. You do not need to follow this guide 100%, as essay
writing is an art.
- INTRODUCTION
Include an introductory paragraph (length: 6-8 sentences).
This should include:
- A topic sentence. This sentence will give the reader a specific idea of the
subject/topic of the essay. Set the scene and give specifics.
- 3-4 more sentences setting the context. For example, if you are writing about the
American Revolution, include several sentences talking about the events leading up to it.
- Thesis statement. Your thesis should be clear, concise, fully address the prompt,
and be specific. It should have a clear (and specific) argument and have a why or
how component. Avoid an “a, b, and c” formula in your thesis.
- A roadmap sentence that outlines how you will argue your thesis statement. This
sentence may follow an “a, b, and c” formula. All elements (a, b, and c) should
support and be directly relevant to your thesis.
Your three support points should explicitly support your thesis and be the subject
of your main support paragraphs. In addition, your support paragraphs should
come in the same order as the support points are listed in your roadmap.
- SUPPORT PARAGRAPHS
Include at least (3) body paragraphs (length: 8-12 sentences for each paragraph).
Your body paragraphs will reflect your topic sentences. The subjects of your body paragraph
should be in the same order as the support presented in your roadmap sentence.
*Note on length: In general, a support paragraph in an essay like this one should be
between 1/2 page and 3/4 of a page long. Paragraphs longer than this generally tend to lose
focus and may not reflect the topic sentence. Feel free to divide 1 support point from your
roadmap up into multiple paragraphs. Each will reflect the roadmap and have its own
topic sentence, but they will also be more focused than if you had a 1 page or longer
paragraph.
Each body paragraph should include:
- A topic sentence. Your topic sentence should give the reader a specific sense of
what the body paragraph is about. Topic sentence should also be relatable back to
thesis. In other words, it should be obvious or explicitly stated how the topic
sentence (and body paragraph) supports the thesis statement. Be direct and
concise.
- Provide a concrete and specific example. Use an example to support your thesis.
- Interpret example. Analyze here. Find something insightful to say.
- Explain relevance of example to overall argument. Explicitly tie back to thesis if
need be.
- Use another example, if you want.
- Interpret example. Analyze here. Find something insightful to say.
- Explain relevance of example to overall argument. Explicitly tie back to thesis, if
need be.
- Wrap up/Conclude paragraph (maybe two sentences). Craft a sentence to explain
relevance of your examples to your thesis. You should also transition to the next
paragraph, if possible.
- CONCLUSION
Include a conclusion (length: 6 to 8 sentences).
This should include:
- A restatement of thesis (in different words) – 1 sentence.
- Sum up your argument and main support points from roadmap. Tie everything
together (3 sentences or more)
- End with a statement of why this topic, question, and your argument is important
(1-2 sentences)
