HST ASSIGNMENT

Between 1500 and 1800, the economy of the world, especially Europe and the Americas, began to change rapidly.  The old tributary economies were impacted, and in some cases completely replaced, by a new economy focused on trade. How does Equiano’s story fit into our larger picture of the economy of the Atlantic world, which is so central to the emergence of the modern world economy?  What sort of economy exists in the Atlantic world during Equiano's time? What examples does his story provide that illustrate the new central position of trade?  Consider both his life as a slave and his life after he escapes slavery.  Further, consider both the economic activity and the debate over slavery illustrated by the letters in the back of the book when answering this question.  Be sure to consider the role of slavery in the emergence of the new Atlantic economy.  Why was it important?

Technical details:

Papers should be 2-4 pages, double-spaced, written in a normal (Times New Roman or similar-- no Arial or Lucida, I know the tricks), 12 point font.  Normal 1-inch margins all around.  There is no need for a title page, or extensive headings; just your name, your section, and a brief title is all you need.

The only sources you may use are the Equiano book, our textbook (Forging the Modern World), and class notes.  No internet sources are needed to complete this paper assignment.  All direct quotations from any of these sources must be cited properly.  Parenthetical citation (author, page number), or footnotes (in Chicago style, see link below) are acceptable citations.

 Papers should also include a bibliography/works-cited page (which is not part of the 2-3 pages of the assignment).  History uses the Chicago Style, and so shall we in this class.  A link to the Chicago style guide is provided below.  We will address the specifics of citations and formatting next week in class.

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

If you feel the need to cite class notes, check out the format related on this website:

http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/Chicago/lecture