HISTORY 1301
Writing Assignment Grading Rubric for paper on the transformation of African slavery in the colonial
period.
Goal: 300 Points
___________ Revisions based on feedback from
instructor and writing center tutors
Up to 50 points
___________ Length
Up to 50 points
___________ Introduction with thesis statement
Up to 50 points
___________ Grammar and style
Up to 50 points
___________ MLA format and organization
Up to 50 points
___________ At least one example from each of the
six sources assigned
Up to 50 points
___________ TOTAL
Up to 300 points
___________ Minus penalty (if late)
20 points per session
_________________________________
TERM PAPER GRADE
You have until Monday, Nov. 25 at the beginning of class to submit a hard copy of your final paper. Papers
not submitted at the beginning of class will be automatically considered one session late. Use the general
feedback and the checklist provided on The Learning Web.
Description of the assignment, from your syllabus:
TERM PAPER. Students will write a paper based on
I.
Chapter 2 of Howard Zinn’s book, A People’s History of the United States, “Drawing the Color
Line”, and
II.
The following documents from Chapter 2 of American Perspectives:
1. “Virginia Codes Regulating Servitude and Slavery” (1642-1705)
2. “Venture Smith's Account of Slavery and Freedom” (1700s)
3. “New York Slave Revolt” (1712)
4. “George Whitefield Admonishes Southern Slaveholders” (1740)
5. “The Horrors of a Slave Ship”
This paper will be no less than 750 words. A full rough draft of this paper must be submitted to The Writing Center
for critique. A critiqued rough draft must be submitted to the instructor by Wednesday, October 9. A final draft is
due Wednesday, November 6.
This term paper is a critical analysis of primary and secondary sources on the transformation of African slavery in
the colonial period, and as such it must reflect change over time. This essay must contain an original title, an
introduction with a clear thesis sentence, a body, a conclusion, and a Works Cited page. Each source must be
quoted at least once in the body of the essay. All quotes from the sources must be placed in parenthesis and
properly cited. Consult The Three Parts of a History Paper handout and the “in-class essays” section below for
details.
This term paper must be written in MLA format, which is explained here. It will be typed on Size 12 font, Times
New Roman, double spaced, using standard 1” (one inch) margins. Papers that don’t follow this format will be
penalized.