Week 7 Assignment – Due Apr 28
This week we’ve studied culture in the antebellum period, including the birth of the women’s rights movement. In For the Record, read the “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” from the Seneca Falls Convention and the transcript of Sojourner Truth’s “Address to the Woman’s Rights Convention, Akron, Ohio” (pgs 318-322). The source we have from Truth is a transcript written by Frances Gage, a white woman, who was in attendance and tried to capture Truth’s dialect when writing her words.
First, give an overview of some of the specific grievances presented in the Seneca Falls Declaration. How did Truth’s address compare to the first document? Think, for example, of some of the challenges and situations unique to enslaved African American women that Truth described. Thinking about Truth’s address from a researcher’s perspective, discuss some of its strengths and weaknesses as a historical source. (Don’t forget about how we got this account of Truth’s words.)
Note: Some students find the dialect in the Truth source makes for difficult reading. If you read it aloud (even though doing so may make you feel foolish) it may be easier to work with.
Responses should be at least 150 words minimum. Grammar/mechanics matter. Anytime you quote or paraphrase closely, make sure to include an in-text citation. Make sure to verify that you uploaded the correct assignment and that your file was properly uploaded. Instructors are not responsible for incorrect files or files that failed to upload. Failure to load proper files or files that won’t open properly will receive a zero grade. Files should be uniquely your own. If a file looks like another student’s file, a zero grade will be given to both files. It is difficult to work with and analyze primary sources without their surrounding historical context. Students who do well on these assignments tend to have read the corresponding chapter in America before completion of a weekly assignment.
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