Resistance and revolution America

Please draw from course texts topics lectures and discussions to construct and illustrate your thesis/main idea(s). You are encouraged to put texts into conversation but it is not necessary to attempt to reference all of the texts we have read thus far. Some may opt to write about the links or divergences between indigenous contestations during the colonial era and the Haitian Revolution. Others may choose to focus on a specific topic within the Cuban Revolution— for example the ways in which Alejandro Brugués’s film Juan of the Dead pokes fun at foundational narratives of the island’s revolution. Others may find it more interesting to explore the role of European and/or U.S. interventions in the hemisphere (using for instance Columbus Las Casas and/or Martí). Some students may choose to compare two texts—like [a] Columbus and El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega [b] the Haitian Declaration of Independence and Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” or [c] Barnet’s Biography of a Runaway Slave and Arenas’s Before Night Falls—while others may prefer to focus more deeply on a single text (like Arenas’s Before Night Falls). These are just a few broad options that could be fine-tuned. I have chosen to write about comparing two texts—like [a] Columbus and El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega or [b] the Haitian Declaration of Independence and Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me”. Please tell me if you like to write about the other subjects mentioned above so that I can the send the readings for them. -Tips 1 -give the reader a clear sense of the thesis of your essay in an introductory paragraph. Avoid totalizing introductions like “Since the dawn of time…” and other such phrases. Instead 2 opt for a more direct articulation of the issue you are addressing and explain to the reader what you are going to illustrate and how you are going to go about doing it. A powerful introductory paragraph with a clear thesis sets the tone for the entire essay. 2- succinctly summarize the principal points you have made in a brief conclusion 3- do not feel compelled to try to ‘solve’ a problem or propose a grand remedy in your paper. In other words phrases like “In my opinion the world would be a better place if people were more tolerant” or conversely “People should move on from the injustices of the past” do not represent the kind of critical labor that we seek to perform in this course. 4- instead explain your claims and clearly illustrate them with references to texts and topics that we’ve read/talked about in both lecture and discussion sections. But also feel free to reference sources we have not read in class if pertinent. 5- read your essay aloud and edit it before submitting it. Look for repeated words phrases structures and assertions. Replace them with synonyms (thesaurus.com) and/or reformulate expressive modes. This will make for a more polished sophisticated essay. 6- Your work will also be evaluated in terms of your ability to demonstrate a thoughtful engagement with the materials and on your adeptness at synthesizing lectures alongside readings and discussions. It is okay to contemplate points that you found unclear or confusing provided that you make an attempt at gaining an understanding based on what was provided in the lectures and discussions. Grammar spelling formatting and proper citation count. -The midterm should be min 5-7 max double-spaced pages in length typed in Times New Roman 12 font double-spaced with margins of 1-inch margins on all sides. Please include page numbers in your document. -Cite any authors you quote/paraphrase (and include their bibliographic information in a separate Works Cited page—which would be page number 6 7 or 8 depending on the length of your paper. Please cite at least 3 sources (primary and secondary). You may incorporate secondary sources that we have not read in/for this class in addition to the primary texts you use to illustrate your ideas. attached below if you chose to write about option A writings 1- Columbus Letter to Luis de Santangel 2- El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Royal Commentaries of the Incas if you chose to write about option B writings 1- Dubois Haitian Revolution (the Haitian Declaration of Independence-page 283) 2- Castro History Will Absolve Me Please let me know if you have any questions ‘