The book that we are reading, Paul Finkelman’s Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History with Documents contain multiple primary sources or sources from the time period of the decision. Historians use such sources to write histories. Your job in this assignment is to choose one of those sources and to do some secondary-source research in scholarly sources in order to better explain the primary source. Historians need such secondary sources in order to help them better understand the primary sources. For example, you could choose Justice John Catron’s concurring opinion (pp. 95-98 in the book) as your primary source and then look for scholarly, secondary sources on Catron that would help you answer questions about Catron. Who was he? What kinds of judicial decisions had he made before the Dred Scott decision? What were his feelings on slavery? What were his opinions on Congressional power? You could do similar research on any of the historical personages in the book—Roger Taney, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Stephen A Douglas, etc., but you must find sources that help you explain their words concerning Dred Scott (the words that are in the book) and not write a generic biographical paper. Another way to approach this assignment is to choose as sources the New York Tribune editorial from March 21, 1857 (pp. 156-57) and research the newspaper. Who was the editor? What was the political stance of the paper? What role did newspapers play in politics at the time? Any of the primary sources in the book is fair game for this assignment, but you will likely find some easier to ask questions about and do research on than others. Research drawn from 2-3 articles and 1-2 books of the type noted above. (Note that you will not read all of the book(s) you use, just the relevant parts.) Footnotes and bibliography in Chicago style. See additional information below under “Style Guidance.” Correct, formal, written English grammar and spelling. See additional information below under “Style Guidance.”
The book that we are reading, Paul Finkelman’s Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History with
Documents contain multiple primary sources or sources from the time period of the decision. Historians
use such sources to write histories. Your job in this assignment is to choose one of those sources and to do
some secondary-source research in scholarly sources in order to better explain the primary source.
Historians need such secondary sources in order to help them better understand the primary sources.
For example, you could choose Justice John Catron’s concurring opinion (pp. 95-98 in the book) as your
primary source and then look for scholarly, secondary sources on Catron that would help you answer
questions about Catron. Who was he? What kinds of judicial decisions had he made before the Dred Scott
decision? What were his feelings on slavery? What were his opinions on Congressional power? You
could do similar research on any of the historical personages in the book—Roger Taney, James
Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Stephen A Douglas, etc., but you must find sources
that help you explain their words concerning Dred Scott (the words that are in the book) and not write a
generic biographical paper.
Another way to approach this assignment is to choose as sources the New York Tribune editorial from
March 21, 1857 (pp. 156-57) and research the newspaper. Who was the editor? What was the political
stance of the paper? What role did newspapers play in politics at the time?
Any of the primary sources in the book is fair game for this assignment, but you will likely find some
easier to ask questions about and do research on than others.
Research drawn from 2-3 articles and 1-2 books of the type noted above. (Note that you will not
read all of the book(s) you use, just the relevant parts.)
Footnotes and bibliography in Chicago style. See additional information below under “Style
Guidance.”
Correct, formal, written English grammar and spelling. See additional information below under
“Style Guidance.”
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