Instruction
Andrea Writing Assignment #1
Answer ONE of the following in a well-organized, formal, argumentative/persuasive essay. Be
sure to provide specific evidence to support your thesis. Suggested length: 3 double-spaced
pages.
1. In Andrea, chapter five, there is a selection from Adam Smith’s classic book, The Wealth of
Nations. This work made Smith “The Father of Capitalism” and in this excerpt, he attacked
the supporters of mercantile capitalism, arguing for free trade and free markets. What
arguments did Smith make on behalf of capitalism? What did he think was wrong with
mercantilism? How and why was his work as an economist “modern” and “revolutionary?”
OR
2. In Andrea, chapter five, the section on “Multiple Voices” presents documents on
“Ending the Slave Trade.” Discuss the arguments made by those opposing the slave
trade and those supporting it. Were the arguments moral or economic, practical or
philosophical? How would these arguments have sounded during the 1700s? Were they
radical and revolutionary? Why or why not?