Writing Prompt: Enlightenment in the Atlantic World
After considering the primary source documents and data accessible through the links included below, make an argument or thesis statement that addresses these questions:
In what ways do the primary source documents and data included below advance the ideas of the Enlightenment in the Atlantic world? Do they challenge Enlightenment principles? How?
Your choice of examples from the assigned media, the way you contextualize these materials, and your analysis of them should persuade your reader that your argumentation is historically valid and critically thought out.
Critical thinking does not mean attacking something. These documents are witnesses to tensions and contradictions present in Enlightenment thinking. Critical thinking examines these tensions.
The primary source materials you should reference for this paper may be accessed using the links listed below. They include The US Declaration of Independence, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the 1801 Constitution of Haiti, a chart made with data from the Slave Voyages project, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Woman. You may also reference other assigned materials from the course, but to earn a high score you should focus on the links included below.
Length: This reaction paper should address the prompt below in roughly 550-750 words.
Remember: This is a world history course. You must analyze examples from the Haitian and French documents or non-US data from the Slave Voyages project.
Length: This reaction paper should address the prompt below in roughly 550-750 words. Papers that fall significantly outside of these guidelines may lose points.
Sources: As you build your analysis use the assigned sources only. I recommend viewing the unit videos in order to better contextualize the media within this historical period, but the examples you choose must come from the assigned media. Kindly DO NOT consult Internet or other outside sources. This is a chance to show your ability to work with the assigned course material.
Evidence: Choose 3 to 5 examples from the assigned sources that best allow you to persuade the reader that your argumentation is valid. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material, take the time to explore these specific examples from the text in as much depth as the word count allows.
How to Cite: When you refer to specific historical evidence (which should be something you do frequently throughout the assignment), use parenthesis to indicate the location of the evidence within the assigned course materials. MLA or Chicago format are not expected. For example, it’s perfectly ok to reference “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in this manner (US Declaration of Independence).
When to cite: You must give credit for others’ words and ideas. If you choose to copy someone else’s words, you must use quotation marks to indicate that the exact words were written by someone else. Then, indicate your source for the quotation in parentheses, as in the example above. If you are referring to someone else’s ideas, quotation marks are not needed, but the source must still appear in parenthesis. Consult the academic honesty policy link included in the syllabus. Your work will be scanned by software that detects text copied from Internet and other sources. Plagiarism is a serious violation of GSU policy that leads to severe penalties. Don’t do it!
Quotation length: If you quote directly from the text, keep these quotations brief. It is easy to spot when large quotes are used to bulk up a weak paper. I am interested in seeing the way you use evidence, but that evidence should always support your argumentation.
Submission: To submit this assignment, you will need to copy and paste in your text from the word processor of your choice. Do not type your text directly into the submission box. If you do, your work may be lost. No links to cloud documents will be accepted.
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Enlightenment Ideals in the Atlantic World
One of the prominent ideas of the Enlightenment period was the equality of all human beings. To this end, the concept of natural rights was an important doctrine with important philosophers such as Rosseau and Locke pointing out that it was universal and inalienable. A review of the US Declaration of Independence reveals the influence of the ideal as the declaration is founded on the belief that a nation should be ruled through popular sovereignty. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” (US Declaration of Independence, 1776). The quote echoes Locke’s view that human beings are equal and should be accorded a right to self-determination.
In the same vein, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen proclaims similar ideals pointing out that every human is equal and has the natural right to pursue freedom. The document heavily proclaims that freedom and resistance to oppression are natural rights of every human being. The ideal resonates with Locke’s view that no human being should be forced to give up their freedom except in instances of war. The French Declaration posits that the law should be an expression of the will of the citizens as opposed to the prevailing monarchical society at the time. that is, the document dictates that no one should rise to power due to other distinctions except for their talents and virtues. In such a way, the document aligned with the prevailing ideas of the Enlightenment period.
The concept of quality of everyone is further evident in the 1801 Constitution of Haiti. The Constitution declares that every Haitia...