HIST 201 / The United States to 1877 / Fall 2014 /
instructions for paper on Celia, A Slave
DUE: Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the beginning of class.
Read Melton A. McLaurin’s book Celia, A Slave: A True Story. When you have finished reading the book,
write answers to the 2 questions below. You should support your answers with examples (short, direct
quotes or paraphrasing) from the book. Be sure to indicate the page number on which you found the quote.
1) What was Celia’s dilemma as a woman/ sexual partner/ romantic partner? (see pages 30–31)
2) Why did Celia go on trial? It would not have been surprising if Celia had been declared guilty by a judge
and executed without a trial. Consider these factors:
How the community felt about the morality of slavery (see the last sentence on page 103). How could
Celia be “morally innocent of murder”?
Celia couldn’t testify at her own trial. (page 106)
Could a slave master trespass on his own property? (page 111)
How an innocent verdict would have struck a “devastating blow to the authority of slaveowners” (page
113) and set a controversial legal precedent (pages 119–120)
Your project should be:
?? submitted on paper (not by e-mail, nor Blackboard).
?? typed
?? 1.5 to 2 pages in length
?? double-spaced with 1” margins
?? in a standard font, such as 12-point Times New Roman or Garamond.
EVALUATION:
The assignment is worth 100 points, or 20% of your semester grade.
?? 80 points: content (40 points each for the 2 questions)
?? 20 points: mechanics (grammar, readability, citations, etc.)
It is due Tuesday, November 18, at the beginning of class.
** There will be a penalty of 1 letter grade per day late. (Maximum grade of 90 if submitted after Nov. 18
through Nov. 20; maximum grade of 80 if submitted after Nov. 20 through Dec. 2; maximum grade of
70 if submitted after Dec. 2 through Dec. 4; maximum grade of 60 if submitted Dec. 4 through 10AM on
Dec. 11.)
Consult with the professor if you have questions at any point in the project. You may ask questions
before, during, and after class, at office hours (Tuesdays, 6:15–7:15PM & Thursdays, 2:00–3:00PM in Stalker
307 and by appointment), or by e-mail (donald.maxwell@indstate.edu).
The ISU Math and Writing Center can also assist with paper writing in face-to-face meetings. See their
website at: http:/ / libguides.indstate.edu/ content.php?pid=18359&sid=125822
A note on academic honesty: Presenting the words or ideas of someone else as if they were your own
constitutes plagiarism, which is a serious offense. The professor will give a grade of 0 to projects that show
evidence of plagiarism. There are several allowable ways to indicate that you have borrowed words or ideas.