History Essay

Your Final Examination consists of five (5) essay questions, of which you must answer any three (3). When responding to your essay questions, keep in mind that they are essays and not short answer questions. Essays should be detailed and have specific evidence and citations to support your points. Essays should also include introductory and concluding paragraphs. Each essay should reflect your understanding of key concepts from the course as well as a high level of synthesis and critical thinking skills. Any quotations, paraphrased material, and ideas drawn from sources (including assigned course material) must be cited in text and referenced in APA  format.

Each essay should be a minimum of 750 words (3 pages) in length, not including references.

Throughout the course we have explored the diverse and sometimes conflicting perspectives on the Transatlantic Slave Trade, both from historical actors as well as present day historians. These final exam questions ask you to put yourself into the historical context of the Transatlantic Slave Trade or into the contemporary debates on the trade from various perspectives. This exercise will allow you to integrate together your knowledge of the key concepts from the course with your own reflective critical thinking skills:

1. You are an abolitionist in the early nineteenth century. Advocate for the abolition of the slave trade. Make sure to also counter the arguments of those who argued that the slave trade should continue because of its economic profitability. Use evidence on both sides from the course materials in making your argument.
2. You are an Igbo chief in the seventeenth century who has been approached by the Royal African Company to set up a slave trading port in your community. What are the different pressures you might face in that position – would you play a role in the slave trade? Why or why not? How might the relationship between the European slave traders and your people operate? Use examples and evidence from the course materials to support your position.
3. You are a prisoner of war from the interior of Africa caught up as a captive in the slave trade. Explain the circumstances you and other captives might face, including on the West African Coast, during the Middle Passage, and in the Americas. Use specific evidence from the course materials to explore horrific realities of the slave trade for its victims.
4. You are a twenty-first century journalist in the Caribbean exploring the topic of reparations for the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Argue for or against reparations based on the effects of the slave trade on regional economies and societies. Use specific evidence from the course materials to show the ramifications of the slave trade on different regions of the globe.
5. You are a college professor anywhere in the globe explaining to students why the Transatlantic Slave Trade first began and grew over time. Use evidence from the readings to trace the development of the slave trade—why did European colonists in the New World turn to slavery as a source of labor? Why Africans? Use specific evidence from the course materials to back up both arguments.

All in-text citations and references should be in proper APA style.