Modern World History
Indian Independence Essay
Prompt
Over the next two weeks, you will be planning and writing a 4-5 page paper about Indian
independence. Your prompt is below:
To what extent did nonviolent resistance succeed in the Indian independence
movement? Why?
Rubric
Ideas
/40
 Essay provides thoughtful, supportable, thorough response to the prompt
 Thesis statement is well crafted, clearly stated, and complex
 Topic sentences make clear claims that support the thesis statement
 Essay reflects a clear understanding of historical events and concepts
Evidence and Analysis
/30
 Each claim is supported by well-chosen, accurate historical evidence
 All evidence is thoroughly analyzed and clearly connected to claims
 DRT is purposefully chosen; SRT is paraphrased in a way that reflects the
author’s understanding of the content
 Evidence is appropriately cited in text and on works cited page
Organization
/20
 Essay is 4-5 pages, not including works cited page
 Paragraphs are well-structured and ordered logically
 Claims, evidence, and analysis are sequenced logically within paragraphs
 Transitions are smooth and add coherence to essay
Style and Presentation
/10
 Uses precise and concise academic language
 Author’s voice is present, engaging, and appropriately formal
 Neatly presented and appropriately formatted (double-spaced, heading,
title, stapled)
 Appropriately incorporates quoted evidence
Conventions
Errors/page:
Points subtracted:
 Spelling & Basic Typos
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Commas – Series
 Capitalization
 Verb Tense
 Commas – Compound
 Complete Sentences
 Pronoun Usage
 Commas – Complex
 Quotations
 Possessives
 Commas – Appositives
 Homophones
Grand Total
/100
1
Timeline
The following timeline reflects the likely schedule for work on this essay in class. Expect
the essay to be due on Friday, November 15.
Tuesday 11/5
Wednesday 11/6
Thursday 11/7
Friday 11/8
12.1
In class: Draft thesis
statement; identify major
claims
Homework: Outline essay
In class: Peer feedback on
outlines; draft paragraphs
Homework: Revise outline;
draft 2 paragraphs
No class
Thursday 11/14
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Draft 3
paragraphs
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Finish and print
draft of essay
In class: Peer editing for
organization and
conventions
Homework: Finish essay
No class
Friday 11/15
Essay due
Tuesday 11/12
Wednesday 11/13
12.2
In class: Draft thesis
statement; identify major
claims
Homework: Outline essay
In class: Peer feedback on
outlines
Homework: Draft 2
paragraphs
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Draft 2
paragraphs
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Draft 2
paragraphs
In class: Draft paragraphs;
writing conferences
Homework: Finish and print
draft of essay
In class: Peer editing for
organization and
conventions
Homework: Finish essay
Essay due
2
The Sources
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Lecture notes
o Decolonization
o The Road to Independence
Key terms
Readings
o The British East India Company
o From Reform to Independence
o Gandhi as Satyagrahi
Homework
o 2.1 Decolonization lecture response
o 2.2 From reform to independence
o 2.3 Satyagraha and independence
o 2.4 Evaluating satyagraha
o 2.5 A Force More Powerful (video notes and response)
o 2.6 The Muslim League and independence
o 2.7 Indian independence timeline
o 2.8 DBQ connecting sentences practice
3
Homework: Essay Outline
For homework, you will create an outline of the body of your essay. This should be typed if
possible, handwritten if necessary. Your outline must include the following elements:
 For the introductory paragraph:
o Background information, in bullet point form
o Thesis statement, in one or two complete sentences
 For each body paragraph:
o Topic sentence, in one complete sentence
o Subclaims, evidence, and connecting sentences, in bullet point form
 For the conclusion paragraph:
o A summary of your major claims, in bullet point form
o At least two distinct claims about why your argument matters
Your outline should be as detailed and structured as the example below.
1. Introduction
a. Background Information
i. Congo is a country in central Africa 75x the size of Belgium
ii. Conquered during the age of new imperialism/Scramble for Africa, a
struggle among European countries to acquire more colonies
iii. King Leopold II of Belgium took over Congo and ran the colony for
personal profit; atrocities eventually exposed
iv. Future of chaos and exploitation through Belgian rule, Lumumba’s
assassination, and Mobutu’s dictatorship
b. Thesis Statement: King Leopold provided a model of self-interested and
repressive leadership that was continued by the Belgian colonizers and
Mobutu.
2. Paragraph 1: King Leopold exploited the Congo and its people economically for his
own personal profit.
a. Acquired Congo for his own purposes; could not afford to run it on his own
b. Convened anti-slavery conference to
c. Concession companies were required to turn half of its profits over to King
Leopold, and Leopold made even more money from the land that the state
exploited directly
d. The rubber tax and trade destroyed local economies
3. Conclusion
a. Summary of major claims
b. “So what?”
i. Leopold’s reign and its long-term consequences exerted a huge toll in
terms of human life and suffering
ii. The Congo provides an example of the long-term effects of
imperialism
4
Name: ________________________
Date: _________________________
Section: 12.1
12.2
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