US History 1 (HS2100) Melton McLaurin, Celia, A Slave Book Review Essay The book review essay should be five­to­six typed, double­spaced pages. Spelling, grammar and style all count toward your grade, so please proofread your material. Please refer to your grading rubric for guidance on how you will be assessed. Write a thoughtful essay on one of the following questions, making sure to use evidence from Celia, A Slave to support your arguments. You should refer ONLY to McLaurin’s book for this assignment; outside sources are neither needed nor allowed. The book review essay is due in class on Thursday, April 26. Late papers will be penalized at a rate of five points a day. 1. How did events in Missouri and the nation as a whole affect Celia’s trial? Give evidence from the book to support your answer. Do you think if Celia’s trial was held ten years earlier the outcome would have been different? Explain why or why not. 2. Discuss the legal strategy and arguments utilized by Celia’s defense attorney and the jury instructions presented by the defense, the prosecution, and the judge. Whose arguments did you find most convincing? Why? Defend your answer with evidence from the book. 3. The author identifies and discusses “the sexual politics of slavery.” What does he mean by this? Do you believe that slavery affected women—both white and black—differently than men? Explain why or why not, making sure to defend your answer with evidence from the book.