IMPERIALISM ESSAY (STANDARD)

You will write an essay about the colonization of one country in the world. First, we will research information about the nation’s colonial history. Then, you will design a thesis, which makes some claim or argument about that history. Your essay will present information about the colonial history that supports the claim your thesis makes.

The groups of questions below will guide the structure of your essay. The paper should begin with a clear introductory paragraph and end with a concluding paragraph. In between, there should be a paragraph (or several in a row) for each section under “Body of Essay.” The information you provide about the conquest, economy and politics of the colony should answer the all of the questions and should be written IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Points will be lost if the information is not organized into the categories described by this rubric or is not written in your own words.

Introduction

______/2 Interest Grab

______/3 Introduce the general topic of the essay. What nation colonized what region and from when to when was the colony ruled?

______/10 There should be a one-sentence thesis that makes a strong argument about the colonial history of your nation. This thesis should be supported and proved by the details in the body of your essay.

Body of Essay

The Conquest

______/10 What natives were living there before any Europeans arrived? Describe how they lived. What Europeans, their names and nationalities, first discovered and explored the region? When? Who were the first conquerors? Were there battles? Were diseases involved? What happened to the native populations? Where and when were important cities conquered and "settled" by the European colonizers? When was the area fully established as a colony? (Use your own words)

Colonial Government

______/10 What political positions were established to rule the colony? Who held these positions and how were they chosen? What was the colony called? From what capital city was the colony ruled? Did the name or borders of the colony ever change? What racial/ethnic groups lived in the colony and how did they relate to each other. Did the different racial groups fight? Mix? Form hierarchies of status? Explain. (Use your own words.)

Colonial Economy

______/10 What resources were the Europeans looking for in the colony? While it was a colony, what products were most commonly produced there? (Name the main sources of wealth in the colony.) How and to whom was land distributed? Who did the work? Was there slavery? (Use your own words.)

Independence

______/10 Were there any significant uprisings or revolts against the colonial rulers? How and when did the people gain independence? What leaders were involved? (Use your own words.)

Conclusion

______/5 The conclusion should restate the thesis in different words from those used in the introduction. Also, the conclusion should succinctly point out the most powerful evidence from the body of your essay that proves your thesis.

Mechanics

______/15 1. The paper MUST be typed, double-spaced in a 12 or 14 point font. (No silly fonts.) It should follow MLA format.

2. It should be broken into conventional paragraphs. It must be written in complete and correct sentences. There should be topic sentences for every paragraph.

3. There should be fewer than 3 spelling or grammar mistakes in the whole essay.

______/75 TOTAL (45 passes)