Assignment Paper

Please write the following:
a 1-paragraph introduction that articulates the argument and the invention/critique of existing knowledge;
● Most studies looked to answer the question: was the Squadron a failure? Why?
● Canney, through an in depth, chronological naval history; Du Bois…
● Many others have mentioned the Africa Squadron in passing while discussing larger/other issues such as the slave trade or the U.S. Navy
● Most came to varying degrees of the conclusion that Squadron failed due to lack of steamers, unsuitable ships, misplaced squadron depot, and general indifference from Navy leaders and the Government due to a number of other issues in the U.S. at the time that were given higher priority
● What has not been addressed/my question is…? Focusing particularly on U.S. government documents, Liberia aspect, what does it take to achieve a “moral” goal (?-but then I have to answer what is moral, whose morality am I judging to be moral?)

1-page introduction and summary of your primary sources (in what form they exist, their strengths, and limitations; how other scholars have used them and what is distinctive about your use of them);
● I use some reports from Squadron Commanders to Secretary of the Navy (particularly from Perry to Upshur), found at the National Archives or by microfilm through Interlibrary Loan
○ Enormous volumes of letters and they are not digitized, so not quickly/easily searchable. This is also the case for deck logs from the squadron ships, so because Canney has already used both of these primary resources extensively, I rely heavily on his analysis of them in his naval history of the Africa Squadron
● Congressional records found online in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set
● Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Navy
● (maybe African Repository and Colonial Journal)

1-page discussion of your methodology (the main conceptual or theoretical frameworks that you use to analyze your sources), why you believe this is the best way to analyze your sources (seek backing by prior research/citation or note an original argument that you are making about methodology), and a roadmap of what steps you take (or aim to take) to develop your analysis (in essence what subsections and content inform your body paragraphs and how they serve your argument).
● Archival research methods?
● Roadmap of my analysis
○ Africa Squadron needs to be examined within the larger contexts of the U.S.’s foreign policy issues at the time, specifically their relationship with Britain (and the U.S.’s desire to be a world power), and the many domestic issues within the country (slavery just before the outbreak of the civil war, westward expansion, Mexican-American War)
○ Look at the logistics and timeline of the squadron and why it failed
○ Further delve into this paper’s main question