The Controversy Surrounding Confederate Monuments

Papers should be at least four full pages in length (excluding illustrations), no more than six full pages in length, double-spaced, and in a 12-point font. The paper is due on April 19 before 11:00 AM.
Among the most controversial works of art in the United States today are public monuments commemorating the Civil War, particularly those that portray the war from a Confederate perspective or that include African Americans. This assignment asks you to explore the controversy, to examine some of the positions taken up by those engaged in it, and to formulate your own understanding of the best way to proceed at present.
Use any (and as many as you like) of the following questions as a prompt for your essay:
What are the main issues raised in the debate, and how have they been addressed? What reasons have been offered for the removal or preservation of Civil War monuments? Which do you find convincing or unconvincing? Why? What solutions have been offered regarding individual monuments? Should none, some, or all of the monuments commemorating the Civil War from a Confederate perspective be removed? What are the most important things to consider in relation to the controversy?
The exact organization and focus of your essay is up to you. It may be easiest to focus on the controversy in general and to articulate your own attitude or approach to it. It may be helpful to use individual monuments and arguments as examples in your essay. You may wish to focus on one argument or one instance of the controversy in particular, and include other arguments and instances in relation to it. All essays, however, should have a clear organization, with an introduction, a body that explores various aspects of the problem, and a conclusion.
Rather than having you conduct research independently, we have gathered together a number of relevant articles, excerpts from books, and other material. This material is found on the course Compass site in the section devoted to the second paper. You will find there a “Library” divided into three sections: scholarly essays, journalism, and other material. Your essay must cite two works from the first section and two from the second. Those in the third section are optional, but students who are particularly interested in the topic, or who would like to attempt to use evidence in more creative or evocative ways, are welcome to use them. The section contains an article that is only peripherally related to your topic (but nonetheless very interesting) and two poems. You may also cite material that you have found independently. In general, editorials from newspapers declare strong opinions and may help you formulate your own. Scholarly articles may be helpful in providing examples and establishing facts. They generally pursue more nuanced and complex arguments. Your paper should not simply repeat someone else’s arguments, but should bring a variety of arguments into a dialogue, even if ultimately you side with one author in particular.
Much like we did in the in-class debate devoted to the Benin Bronzes, we want you to cite evidence and employ arguments found in the reading, in addition to formulating your own arguments. In section we pulled quotations and points out of scholarly articles for you. Now you must find this material for yourself.
All ideas and quotations taken from other authors must be properly footnoted using the rules found in Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 290, and 333-340. (This is the book you used in the first weeks of this class.) Barnet is following the conventions of the Chicago Manual of Style (found here: https://owl(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html). You do not need to cite any information that you take from the various parts of the assignment itself or from lecture and section, as we will consider this to be knowledge that is generally known.
Remember, cite all your sources, whether they are the ones we have given to you, or ones that you found on your own. You do not need to cite commonly available or known ideas and facts.
Regarding the writing, hopefully you will begin the paper early enough so that by the end, you have time to revise your writing. When evaluating the papers, we will take into consideration the extent to which the writing is organized, concise, elegant, clear, and engaging.
Papers should be at least four full pages in length (excluding illustrations), no more than six full pages in length, double-spaced, and in a 12-point font. The paper is due on April 19 before 11:00 AM.