Antislavery Propaganda Paper
Writing Assignment #2
Assignment: Due at the beginning of class on November 17, 2006. Papers received after the
due date will be penalized one letter grade per day. Assignment value: 20%.
1) Read: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845, served as a
propaganda piece for the abolitionist cause.
2) Go to the library: After reading the Narrative find two pieces of abolitionist material, also
published in 1845, from either The Liberator, or The Anti-Slavery Bugle. These can be articles,
letters, or editorials. Photocopy the newspaper documents. The newspapers are available at
Duke, either on microfilm or in the Special Collections Library.
3) Write your paper: Write a 1250 to 1750 word paper (5-7 pages, 12 point font, doublespaced). Compare, contrast, and discuss the pieces from the newspapers and the autobiography.
Which served as better propaganda material and why? Which do you think had the most success
in the furthering the abolitionist cause?
4) Citations/formatting:
Include a title page with your name and date.
Include full citations (footnotes or endnotes) for quotes or paraphrased material using the
Turabian/Chicago manual. You will find a style guide on our course Blackboard site. Use the
guidelines for footnotes and bibliography.
Include a bibliography listing all works cited.
Be careful. Plagiarism will cause you to fail the assignment and face disciplinary action
according to Duke University policy. Use your own words. Do not copy directly from the
book or other source without using quotation marks. If you use a quotation, use it briefly. In a
short assignment long quotes are awkward and take away from the flow of your paper.
5) Provide copies: You must turn in photocopies of all newspaper articles and any outside
sources used in the preparation of this paper.
6) Discussion: Come to class on November 17th prepared to discuss your assignment, what you
have learned from it, and any further questions you may have.