Thus, this week's Critical Engagement Exercise is simply asking you for an Essay Plan structured in the following way.

The tasks for this week's assignment are as follows:

(1) Answer the Essay Question you are planning to do for your Major Essay with a 2-3 sentence thesis statement

(2) List 3 areas you think should be in your Major Essay's Main Body section

That is all Critical Engagement Exercise 3 is...an ESSAY PLAN for the major WRITE Essay that due on April 11. This basic thesis statement--in relation to your Major Essay--is,

The Major Essay questions are located in your Syllabus for this course. If you have have any questions about this assignment OR your Major Essay Assignment that is due in 2 weeks, you need to be asking these questions now.

MAJOR ESSAY OPTIONS:

1 Option:

What was the ‘Transatlantic Slave Trade'? How did it begin and develop? Be sure to describe the key players and economic situations that led to its development as well as the human costs in relation to the experience of Africans.

2 Option:

What factors during the colonial period led to American colonists declaring independence from the British Empire? Be sure to discuss the economic, political, and cultural aspects of the American Revolution.

3 Option:

What is the United States Constitution and how did it come about as a binding legal document? What were the differences amongst the ‘Founding Fathers' in developing the federal system of the United States? What role did the addition of a ‘Bill of Rights' play in closing the deal?

4 Option:

Compare and contrast the ‘North' and the ‘South' in economic, cultural, and political terms in the build up to the American Civil War. What issues led to states seceding from the Union and creating the Confederate States of America? What role did the issue of slavery play before and during the Civil War?