1787 Constitution Essay

Due October 17

On Friday, October 17, students will submit a 3-5 page typed, double-spaced essay on a topic about the formation of the 1787 Constitution provided to them in class on the previous Thursday, October 9. All essays must use primary sources from the course syllabus and Gordon Wood’s Power and Liberty (2021) properly cited with Chicago-style footnotes. Outside research is allowed but not required. Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.

The following essay is due BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT to Prof. Pinsker by FRIDAY, October 17 at 5pm.

Please choose ONE of the follow essay topics:

  • What did the phrase “We the People” really mean to the Constitution’s framers?  Explain the evolution of their views about popular sovereignty and representative government between 1767 and 1787.

OR

  • Why did the Constitution’s framers create such a potentially strong presidency?  Explain the evolution of their views about executive power from 1776 to 1787.
  • Please open your paper with a descriptive title and your byline.
  • Organize your essay in a way that respects chronology and historical context.
  • Prof. Pinsker is available to answer questions or review drafts by email until Oct. 16 and you may also utilize the Writing Center.  Do not consult with other students in the class.

All essays must use Gordon Wood, Power and Liberty (2021), properly cited using Chicago-style footnotes. Outside research is allowed but not required.

  • Other relevant reading assignments for this essay include online primary sources assigned in the syllabus.  And don’t forget to consult the discussion topic pages on the course site syllabus as well –they also contain valuable insights and examples.
  • Make sure to devise a thesis statement that can be effectively argued in a short paper.  Consult the Methods Center handout on How to Write a Thesis Statement 
  • Make sure you are formatting your footnotes correctly (see some of the samples below).  For further guidance, see this methods handout on How to Use Footnotes and consult as needed with the library’s Chicago-style guide, but make sure to use sample footnote models for formatting and NOT bibliography examples.  

Sample Footnotes [note:  bracketed numbers are substituted here for superscript numbers]

[1] Gordon S. Wood, Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021), 24.

[2] Wood, 88.

Grading

Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.

  • Don’t underestimate the importance of integrating your quoted evidence with some degree of fluidity.  Awkwardly inserting quotations is one of the hallmarks of mediocre undergraduate essays.  Consult this handout from the methods center for a range of good tips.
  • Also, please guard against plagiarism.  Remember our discussion from the very first day of the semester.  Never write your own words while looking directly at your sources, especially secondary sources –unless you are quoting them.  DO NOT USE AI TOOLS to assist in your efforts other than as a search engine. 
  • And finally, always remember to proofread your work by printing it out and reading it aloud, slowly. See our methods handout on How to Proofreed [sic]