Historical Essay #2: James Madison and Patrick Henry Image of Patrick Henry giving a speech Photo by Wikispaces (open in new window) Assignment Overview History is the process of understanding texts and their contexts. We learn about history through the documents and artifacts left by those who came before us. The historical essays in this course provide the opportunity to analyze a variety of primary source documents in order to engage with the context of key historical figures. This second essay places us in the middle of the debate on adopting the U.S. Constitution, by comparing James Madison’s paper “Federalist No. 10” and excerpts from Patrick Henry’s speech “Against Ratification of the Constitution.” Assignment Instructions Review the following, The James Madison and Patrick Henry presentation (opens in a new window). The Federalist No. 10 (excerpt) by James Madison [DOWNLOAD]. The Against Ratification of the Constitution (excerpt) by Patrick Henry [DOWNLOAD]. Respond to the following questions in a cohesive essay, with an introduction, a series of body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Be sure to use short, direct quotes from the documents to back up your ideas; avoid over-quoting. What are Madison’s central arguments in “Federalist No. 10” and Henry’s central arguments in “Against Ratification of the Constitution”? What do these excerpts reveal about each man’s assumptions about human nature, power, and the best way to govern society? Choose two or three points made by either author that you especially resonated with or disagreed with. What are the points, and why do you feel this way? Assignment Requirements 900-1200 word essay Written in Times New Roman 12-point font and double spaced. Cites the course resources in proper APA formatting. Communicates with clarity and coherence. Contains minimal spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors. http://course.uc.apu.edu/pluginfile.php/615593/mod_resource/content/3/index.html