one page history essay.

Before writing your analysis of Sumner's "On Social Darwinism," you must first have a working thesis statement. The thesis is the most important sentence in the paper. It is the main statement of your interpretation, the point you are arguing. Without a good thesis statement it is not possible to have a good, coherent analysis.

For the first homework assignment, come up with a good, clear, arguable thesis statement about Sumner's motives or purposes for writing his text.

Before you formulate your thesis statement, read "On Social Darwinism" once again. Look for specific aspects or characteristics in Sumner's writing which indicate a motive or purpose for writing this text. Your thesis statement should reflect your interpretation of Sumner, and also point toward specific passages in Sumner's text which you can use as evidence to support your interpretation. To help you with this, you may also wish to read the handouts, "Analyzing and Interpreting Primary Sources," and "Thesis Statements."