MTSU Thomas Jefferson and The American Revolution Discussion Slavery and the Making of America Episode 2 “Liberty is in the Air”. https://youtu.be/ozFFFNra

MTSU Thomas Jefferson and The American Revolution Discussion Slavery and the Making of America Episode 2 “Liberty is in the Air”. https://youtu.be/ozFFFNraQ18

1) Telling a story about the past:

Consider how the documentary episode uses a variety of historical voices and primary source documents to tell a story about the past. Using examples from the documentary, give a short review of the film that specifically addresses how the makers used various sources.

2) contradictions:

Think about the role and status of African Americans during the American Revolution and the formation of a new government. Were the enslaved considered persons by law? What was the American Revolution for African Americans? Is “slavery” or “slave” mentioned in the Declaration of Independence? Reflect on the gap between espoused democratic values of “liberty” and “freedom” and the institution of slavery and the enslavement of African Americans.

3) The meaning of History in contemporary times:

In contemporary times, meaning in your own life, how do you think we can have more meaningful dialogue about the past? Do you think the American public cares about history? Why or Why not? What would make history more appealing? In what ways might understanding the past be necessary for positive social change?

Instructions:

You should contribute multiple post that respond to the assigned questions that are based on the readings and/or films for that week. These original posts should be about 200-250 words long. For maximum points, include specific examples from the readings with full and accurate citations. You may wish to compose your posts in Word or a text editor, then copy and paste when you are ready. Your first original post should be submitted on Thursday or Friday of each week in order to receive full credit for that discussion. This ensures that we have enough content before the weekend and don’t have a “traffic jam” of posts on Sunday night with everyone submitting posts and waiting for others to submit. Quality of the post is important, so be sure that your posts answer the questions and demonstrate knowledge.