Sample of Exemplary Work

Outline

Background Information

• Pilgrims left England for religious freedom.
• They meant to land in Virginia.
• Jamestown was thriving due to tobacco.
• They landed in Massachusetts and signed the Mayflower Compact, the first form of colonial government.
• Wampanoags lives near Plymouth.

 Point of Divergence   

• The Pilgrim settlement in Plymouth was destroyed by the Naragansitt tribe in 1624

 What Happens Next?

• Puritans did not go to Boston.  Instead they went to Virginia.
• Colonists were afraid to travel to the New World.
• England sent soldiers to fend off Native American attackers.
• Colonists did not have the same freedom that had in real history, especially religious freedom.
• Because of their military, England became more powerful in the Americas than in real history.

 Sample of Exemplary Work

Essay

In 1620 a brave group of settlers called Pilgrims arrived in the New World.  They did not believe in the practices of the Church of England and were seeking a new place where they were free to worship as they wished.  Although they were originally planning to land in Virginia near the successful Jamestown settlement, their ship veered off course and they landed in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Before leaving the Mayflower, their ship, they created the Mayflower Compact, the first form of government in the New World. 

While they hoped for the best, the Pilgrims landed in the winter and were without a sustainable source of food or shelter.  Life was difficult for the Pilgrims.  Disease was rampant, food was difficult to acquire, and death was everywhere.  A local tribe called the Wampanoags seemed friendly, but was not interested in trading food for knives, clothing, beads, or anything else the Pilgrims had.  The Wampanoags, however, were not the tribe that most concerned the Pilgrims.  The Naragansitt were a fearsome group who seemed incensed by the Pilgrims’ presence in Plymouth.  After four winters of struggling to survive, the few remaining Pilgrims were killed in a vicious attack by the Naragansitt in early 1624.

Europeans were keenly interested in news about how the Pilgrims were faring.  A group of separatists called Puritans, who hoped to purify the Church of England, were devastated by new of the Pilgrims’ demise.  Puritans were being persecuted in England due to their religious beliefs and were hoping to escape.  Despite their many differences with the Pilgrims, the Puritans had hoped to follow the Pilgrims to the New World and create a settlement nearby.  When word of the Pilgrims’ fate reached them, the Puritans changed course and sailed for Virginia, knowing that the Jamestown settlement had been thriving since tobacco had been introduced as a cash crop.  Unfortunately for the Puritans, King James had considerably more control in Virginia than he had in Massachusetts.  While the Puritans were able to escape, they were still not free to practice their religion entirely as they saw fit.  While they hoped that the New World would be a place of religious freedom for them, they instead encountered the same kinds of treatment they had experienced in England.

Like the Puritans, many colonists hoping to leave England were wary of the area around Plymouth.  Only after the King sent armed colonists to that area with orders to destroy any Native Americans who seemed threatening did that area of the New World begin to form.  Because of the fear of colonists, the King made certain that a standing army was in each major settlement in the New World.  The standing army was made of volunteer soldiers who pledged their service to the King for free passage to the New World and a land grant.  In addition, each major settlement was given a royal governor who reported directly to the King. For that reason, English citizens who hoped to leave England for religious freedom tended to travel to areas not directly under English control, like the Spanish colonies in South America.

Following the King’s policy of eliminating Native American threats, England soon took control of most of what is now the East Coast of the United States.  The area around Massachusetts was settled primarily by farmers and fishermen while the area around Virginia was devoted mostly to the cultivation of tobacco.  Strong English government in the New World, protection for colonists, and a reasonable tax convinced colonists from all over Europe to come to the English colonies.  Before long, England controlled more than half of North American land in European possession.

The English learned many important lessons from the Pilgrims.  They learned not to trust Native Americans, they learned that allowing colonists to create their own governments was a mistake, and they learned that direct leadership from England was necessary to ensure the success of colonies in the New World.  Because of these lessons, England became the most powerful empire in the New World.

Justification for Exemplary Work’s Grade 

Based on the provided rubric, this essay best fits the score of five for the following reasons. 

·        Thoroughly develops an alternate time line.

 The timeline provided is completely developed.  Although it does not go into great detail, it is clear and well thought out. 

·        Is both descriptive and analytical.

 The essay is descriptive in many places.  For example, it ably describes the reasons for the settlements at Jamestown and Plymouth and gives reasons for their respective failure and success.  It is also analytical.  In many places it draws conclusions about how prospective colonists would react to the downfall of the Pilgrims.  Additionally, it analyzes the possible reaction of the English government and draws conclusions from that analysis.

 ·        Incorporates a great deal of relevant and factual information from preceding history.

 This essay does a good job of explaining the reasons the Pilgrims journeyed to the New World, the causes for the success of the settlement at Jamestown, and the difficulties endured by both the Pilgrims and Puritans in England.

 ·        Bases alternate history on clear and effective historical thinking and interpretations. 

No alternate history is necessarily “right” or “wrong”.  However, to rise to the level of a five on the scoring rubric, the history presented needs to be plausible.  This essay bases the decisions of future colonists on the news from Plymouth.  Indeed, this was true in real life.  News from the New World changed the course of many lives.  In addition, the idea that England would want to protect its land claims in the New World by creating a military force is possible.  It is certainly possible that the soldiers described above would have bartered their services for free passage to the New World and a land grant.  The presence of such a large force certainly could have increased England’s presence in and dominance of the New World.  Finally, the idea that colonists seeking religious freedom would travel beyond England’s increasing sphere of influence is a plausible conclusion. 

 ·        Incorporates significant realistic creativity.

 This essay describes a New World that is quite different from what actually existed.  This creativity, however, for the reasons listed above, is quite realistic. 

·        Demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization; includes an introduction and a conclusion that are beyond a restatement of the provided background. 

This essay is well organized.  It has an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  The introduction includes information not given in the background, such as the signing of the Mayflower Compact and a brief description of the settlement at Jamestown.  The conclusion restates the main ideas and hints toward the future, beyond the confines of the assignment.