1.3.

7 Practice: Synthesize and Revise Practice Assignment

World History Sem 2 (S4505021) Cesar Martinez
Points possible: 30 Date: ____________

In this assignment, you will synthesize information from multiple sources to craft your argument
and revise and fine-tune your essay in which you argue your interpretation of the role that the
empress dowager and foreign powers played in the Boxer Rebellion.

The first step in the revision process is to revisit your original assignment. You were asked to
write an argumentative essay about who was responsible for the Boxer Rebellion. An
argumentative essay presents a claim, or opinion, along with persuasive supporting evidence.
The goal of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to agree with your claim.
Reread your essay and ask yourself the following questions:
1. Did I include an introduction paragraph, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion?
2. Did I include a counterclaim and refute the counterclaim?
3. Did I synthesize facts from multiple sources?
4. Did I use precise language throughout?

If you answered no to any of the questions above, it's time to go back and revise your essay. You
should also review the scoring rubric below. These are the guidelines that your teacher will use
to score your essay.

When you have completed your revisions, submit your essay to your teacher for scoring.

Here is the rubric on which your research and writing will be graded.

Understanding of Assignment (10 points) Points Points

Possible Awarded
 Student argues a point of view regarding who is responsible for the Boxer 5
Rebellion.

Student synthesizes evidence from multiple sources. 5

Form, Presentation, and Style (20 points) Points Points

Possible Awarded

Student's essay starts with an introductory paragraph that includes a clearly 4

stated claim.

Student provides historical evidence and includes multiple body paragraphs that 4
support his or her argument about who is responsible for the Boxer Rebellion.

Student includes a paragraph presenting a counterclaim and refutes the 4

counterclaim with historical evidence.

Student ends the essay with a conclusion paragraph that ties in closely with the 4
introduction and body paragraphs and summarizes the main points of the essay.

Student uses precise language throughout. 4

Total 30

Comments:

The boxer rebellion was a Chinese secret organization. The boxers also
known as the "I Ho Ch'uan," they had a big goal to remove the foreign influence in china. That is what
they attempted to do, in the beginning of that year, the Boxers began to attack and kill foreigners
throughout China.

By the late 1800s, Chinese peasants were already suffering due to droughts, and floods things the
Chinese government had to cope with. Multiple foreign powers had forced the Chinese government to
agree to treaties giving foreign countries the right to trade in China. Being forced to trade against their
will was greatly humiliating to many Chinese. It also gave foreigners the ability to exploit Chinese
resources and peasants, making their already difficult lives even more so. Faced with this humiliation
and worsening conditions, some peasants formed a group known as the Boxers, who united in order to
stage an uprising against what was happening in their country. If not for the interference of foreign
powers in China, the empress dowager likely could have dealt with China's problems and avoided the
uprising in the first place.

Foreign interference wasn't just limited to China being forced to trade with foreign powers. Christian
missionaries also descended on China in order to convert as many Chinese as possible to Christianity.
This greatly angered many Chinese who were perfectly happy with their religion and resented foreigners
trying to convert them. This was another action that helped fuel that anger of the Boxers against foreign
involvement. It's not surprising that when the uprising began, Christian missionaries were among those
most harshly attacked.

European countries had previously defeated China in the Opium Wars, which was fought over the right
of Great Britain to sell opium to the Chinese. Not only did losing the war allow Great Britain to turn
many Chinese people into drug addicts, hurting the country, it also greatly weakened the Chinese
government. It cost the government both lives and money. It's no wonder the empress dowager was
unable to stop the uprising after being so badly weakened by foreign powers. If not for foreign
interference, the Chinese government never would have been weakened in the first place.

While some people want to blame the empress dowager's lack of power for the Boxer Uprising, it was
actually the interference of foreign powers that was far more to blame. The Chinese government was
already faced with the problems caused by floods, droughts, and famines which had killed millions of
Chinese. But on top of that, the Chinese government also previously fought two wars with European
powers, which greatly weakened the government. That meant the empress dowager was much more
limited in what she could do in trying to prevent the uprising when it happened. You could even make
the case that the uprising was a good thing for China, even if so many Chinese died. Anything that would
help China get rid of foreign interference would be good for the country in the long run. The Boxer
Uprising was a complicated social and political upheaval resulting from a myriad of factors that
historians still debate today. In the end, however, it was the interference of foreign powers in China that
was mostly to blame in a conflict that wouldn't have happened if China had been left alone.