Stono Paper Assignment

Background

For the major writing assignment in this course, I would like you to explore the Stono Rebellion of 1739, the largest slave rebellion in mainland British America (there were many more, and larger, slave rebellions in the Caribbean colonies). To that end, I have assigned Mark Smithâ€™s edited collection of virtually all known primary accounts of the Stono Rebellion (as you will see, there are not that many), as well as four historiansâ€™ interpretations of the event, its causes and consequences (in other words, secondary accounts of the rebellion). The sources reveal a good bit about the events of the rebellion itself, but also about the nature of slavery and colonial society in 18th-cenutry South Carolina. Keep that in mind as you read: think about both what happened but also what images of slave life and colonial society emerge from the documents, and from historiansâ€™ reading of those documents.

Instructions

In a 6-8 page paper, offer a summary and analysis of the Stono Rebellion and how historians have made sense of it. This summary and analysis should take into account all the facts that you researched, but should be positioned from your own perspective and understanding of it. In other words, present the ideas as you understand them, not merely as the resources have presented them.

Keep in mind, also, that your reading audience for this analysis will be people unfamiliar with the facts and history. They will not have read these materials, so you should be intertwining the core facts based on your research with your own analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of those facts throughout. To guide this process, consider which interpretations make the most sense and why. In answering this question, make sure the reader understands the arguments historians have advanced, and how they relate to the primary sources and to other arguments advanced by historians. The goal here, again, is to synthesize a great deal of information clearly and concisely, but also to advance an argument based on your reading of various texts.

The paper should be 6-8 pages, typed, 12-point font with one-inch margins on all sides (if you do a bit longer, that is fine). You should use Chicago style footnotes. That basically means citing a document and/or article that appears in an edited collection. Look at the history style sheet link on Moodle if you have questions. Footnotes should appear in 10- or 11-point font and should be single-spaced so they donâ€™t take up too much room.
One final note: remember this is an analytical paper. You should not use the first-person (â€œI thinkâ€ or â€œI believe.â€) Instead, use the third-person analytical mode (â€œWoodâ€™s interpretation offers a strong case,â€ or â€œSmith's argument makes good sense and merges material . . .â€)

Stono Paper Assignment Background For the major writing assig...