AMERICAN HISTORY

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History 117A Research Paper Assignment Prof. Helton, Ohlone College, Spring 2021

Your final project for this class is to produce a piece of original research relating to a topic in the History of the United States before 1877. The research project counts as 30% of your final grade. Your goal in this paper is to provide an intelligent and well-researched interpretation of history. You will choose a topic, research it, and then prepare a thoughtful, evidence-based paper in which you present your own point of view on that topic. Your interpretation of the topic will be encapsulated in your thesis statement, which should be clear, succinct, and appear early in the paper. The goal of the paper will be to prove to the reader that the thesis is a reasonable interpretation of the past. You will do this by providing evidence from primary and secondary sources, and organizing that evidence in a logical and convincing way. You must use at least three primary sources and three scholarly secondary sources. Encyclopedias (either print or online) are not acceptable secondary sources for the final paper. This includes Wikipedia. Remember that you want to express your interpretation of your topic. Your paper should not simply summarize other people's views, blandly recite facts or quote sources without explaining their significance. Nor should it be a boring narrative (“The Civil War started in 1861. There were many battles. Then the war ended”). Your job is to develop a creative and accurate interpretation of the past, and to support that interpretation with as much evidence as possible. If at any point you get confused, exhausted, or frustrated, send me an email or come to my office hours. I am here to help you (and to make sure you do your best work)! What is Research, and Why Do I Have to Do It? You do research every day. Every time you turn on your computer and type a search term into Google or Wikipedia, you are conducting research. Each time you click a headline in social media, you are faced with the decision of whether or not to believe what you read. Knowing how to research efficiently and effectively, and to critically assess the reliability of the sources you use, is an essential life skill. We are living through one of the biggest revolutions in all of human history. The internet, mobile computing, and social media are expanding our access to information in ways that our ancestors never could have imagined. We have access to more information than has ever been possible at any time in human existence. Some research suggests that even the very neurons in our brains are being rewired by these new technologies. But what does it mean to have the sum of all human knowledge available on a device we carry in our pockets? Does it mean that we are suddenly all omniscient?

Technology and knowledge are human creations. Every Wikipedia article, every story on your news feed, and every textbook are written by people. How can you know whether those people are telling you the truth? How do you tell truth from lies, and opinions from facts? Conducting your own historical research will help you to better understand how knowledge is created. You will learn what types of sources scholars use to build arguments, how to evaluate a source for reliability, and how to use sources to develop an argument that is based on evidence. These skills will be useful to you for any type of research, and will help you to make more informed decisions in any area of your life. Suggested Topics: v Anything about U.S. History in this period that you find interesting. v Any unanswered questions you have about the material discussed in the class. v Any perspective or issue that provoked a strong reaction in you during class. It's always

better to write about things for which you have a passion. v If you are stuck for ideas, please email me. It’s also a good idea to browse through the

course books and to talk to a reference librarian. v Below is a list of suggested topics:

• Pre-Columbian America • Any First Nations tribe • Jamestown • The Puritans • The role of women in Puritan society • Environmental changes brought to

this continent by Europeans • The Quakers • Religious tolerance / intolerance in

Colonial America • The origins of the American

Revolution • The role of Native Americans in the

American Revolution • African Americans in the American

Revolution • Women in the American Revolution • The origins of slavery in the United

States • Slave Life and Culture • The California Missions

• Cultural and military conflict between Europeans/ Americans and First Nations peoples

• The American Revolution • The writing of the Constitution • The evolution of the Constitution • The history any of the amendments

to the Constitution (Amendments #1 – 15)

• Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings

• Slavery and the Founding Fathers • Federalism vs. Republicanism • The explorations of Lewis and Clark • The Whiskey Rebellion • The Mountain Men • Early American folk culture / art • Immigration to the colonies or the

U.S. from Europe, Latin America or Asia

• The Monroe Doctrine • The Know Nothings • Manifest Destiny

• The Mexican American War • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo • The California Gold Rush • The Seneca Falls Convention & the

Origins of the Women’s Rights Movement

• The History of the Mormons • Building the Transcontinental

Railroad • Andrew Jackson: Hero or Racist? • Indian Removal / The Trail of Tears • The Bank War • Early Presidential Campaign Tactics • The factory women of Lowell,

Massachusetts • The Industrialization of America • The American Renaissance • Western Settlement • The Pony Express • Early Chinese immigration into the

U.S. • Frances Wright, First Female Public

Speaker in U.S. history

• Irish Immigration into the U.S. • Dorothea Dix and Mental Health

Reform • African American Abolitionist

Women, such as Sojourner Truth, Frances Harper, Harriet Tubman

• The Abolition movement • Alcoholism & The Temperance

Movement • The Labor Movement • The Women’s Rights Movement • The Compromise of 1850 • History of the Republican Party • History of the Democratic Party • Causes of the Civil War • The Dred Scott Decision • The Role of Women in the Civil War • Military Strategy and Tactics in the

Civil War • Reconstruction • The Reconstruction Amendments

You could also do a biography of a historical figure, for example: • Any President • John Winthrop • Anne Hutchinson • Benjamin Franklin • Alexander Hamilton • Paul Cuffee • Sarah and / or

Angelina Grimke • Elizabeth Cady Stanton • Susan B. Anthony

• Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton

• Maria Stewart • Mariano Vallejo • Tecumseh • Pontiac • Red Cloud • Crazy Horse • Sequoyah • Pocahontas • Sacajawea

• William Lloyd Garrison • Frederick Douglass • Anna Dickenson • Juana Briones • Daniel Webster • Ralph Waldo Emerson • John C. Fremont • Blanche K. Bruce • Robert Smalls • Charles Sumner • Thaddeus Stevens

Acceptable Sources For this paper, you will need at least six sources. Three of these should be primary sources and three should be scholarly secondary sources. How can you find these sources? Primary sources can be found in books, in archives, and in databases available through our college library. For a historical paper, primary sources are usually speeches, laws, diaries, letters or other written documents. However, they can also include visual art, oral interviews, and other non-written sources. There are also great archives of primary and secondary sources online; however, before using an online archive or website, make sure that it is maintained by a reputable institution or scholar. During the semester, we will be discussing how to find, search, and evaluate online archives. Scholarly secondary sources are best found by visiting the library or through searching our library databases. A scholarly secondary source is a source that is written by a professional historian or academics. Scholarly works have been through the peer review process. This means that before being published, they have been read and criticized by multiple professional scholars. This process is intended to ensure the accuracy of the research. Generally speaking, there are two types of scholarly secondary sources that you might use in a research paper. The first is books. A scholarly book represents many years of research on the part of its author. A book on your topic will provide you with an overview of the subject, and also give you deep analysis of the topic. You may also want to use journal articles. These are shorter works published in academic journals. They are usually more narrowly focused than books. Your secondary sources must be scholarly. Wikipedia, Study.com, About.com, The History Channel, random YouTube videos, etc. may be informative and can be useful for gaining an overview of your topic. However, they are not peer reviewed scholarly sources and cannot be used as sources for the final paper. Remember that the texts and primary source readings from the class can also be used for your paper, as can the class lectures or videos. How To Find Sources Most students begin their search for sources on Google, which is a TERRIBLE place to conduct serious research. Google is great for many purposes, but for a serious, deep look at a topic, it is not the best place to start. Why? Google’s search algorithm returns results that are popular and recent. Google does not use “accuracy” as a criteria, simply because it can’t. Things like reliability and truthfulness are

not qualities that an algorithm can determine – for that, human judgement (your judgement) is required. Typically, if you search a topic on Google, you will get literally thousands of results, and only a small fraction of those will link to a site that is scholarly or peer-reviewed. Also, some people publish false or poorly researched material on the internet, for a variety of reasons. It can take a great deal of time and effort to determine if a particular website is accurate or not. Sometimes, students use Google Scholar. Scholar searches sites that publish peer-reviewed material, so you will generally get results that are reliable. However, these results are undifferentiated by topic – Google only searches for keywords. So again, you may get thousands of results, but only a small fraction will be related to your particular topic. So, where you should search for information? The best place to begin your research for this paper is the Ohlone library. Our library has books (both physical books and ebooks) on most of the topics students research for this class. Our library also pays for access to dozens of curated databases that contain primary and secondary sources. Finally, the library has reference librarians, whose job it is to help you with your research. We will learn more about using the library to find books and use research databases later in the semester. Before you begin searching for sources, take some time to brainstorm a list of search keywords. Keywords are the terms that you use in databases and library catalogues to find sources. Sometimes you may put in one keyword and get no results; if so, try another, related term and see what pops up. For example, if you want to research the history of voting, you might start with “vote.” If that gives you no results, try “voting rights” “suffrage” or “franchise.” Here are some other resources that might prove useful: • Online Databases, accessible from the Ohlone Library Website • The Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov • The National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/ • Chronicling America: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov • The Online Archive of California: www.oac.cdlib.org • Ask a reference librarian, either at Ohlone or your public library (online reference services

are still available even during shelter in place). • See the Resources for Writing and Research Module on our class Canvas page for more

links. Matters of Content and Form Your research paper is a formal argumentative essay. As such, it needs the following elements:

• Introduction The opening paragraph(s) of your essay should introduce the topic and state your thesis. Your thesis should be a clear statement of your opinion on your topic.

It should represent your own point of view on the evidence you have collected through your research.

• Body The body of the paper should present both primary and secondary evidence to support your thesis statement. Your goal in this part of the paper is to prove that your thesis statement is a reasonable and accurate interpretation of history. You should also define your terms in this portion of the paper – for example, if you are writing about placer mining, you should define what a placer mine is.

• Conclusion Your conclusion should restate your thesis and summarize the evidence which supports it, and generally wrap up your argument.

• Footnotes All the sources of the information in your paper must be cited using Chicago- Style footnotes.

• Bibliography A list of all the sources you used in writing the paper. The text of the paper must be ten to twelve pages in length: double-spaced, 12 point type, with 1 inch top and bottom margins and 1.25 inch left and right margins. Each page should be numbered and have your last name on it. The bibliography does not count toward the page length. You are welcome (and encouraged) to include photos, maps, charts, or other visual materials as part of your report, but these materials will not substitute for text. In other words, you cannot submit eight pages of text and two pages of pictures. In general, try to avoid the first person “I” in your paper. NEVER use “you” in your paper. I will take points off for every time that you do. Use Chicago-style footnotes for your citations. Do not use any other format. If you have questions about how to do footnotes, see A Manual for Writers, or come ask me during office hours. Requirements: ** Research Proposal (5 points) DUE: February 16

Type a one page description of your topic and a brief discussion of why you have chosen it. Also, include three interesting research questions you would like to answer in your paper. When developing your questions, think about the issues of context, causality, agency, continuity and change that we discussed in class. Be specific as to the place and time period that you want to research. For example, “The Gold Rush” is too broad a topic. “Mexican American Miners in the Gold Rush” is much better. You do not need to include a thesis statement in the proposal - you shouldn't have a thesis until you have done some research. Just jot down some of your preliminary ideas and questions.

Before you write your proposal, you should do a little background research on your topic in the library or on the internet (this is the only step of the project at which you can use encyclopedias and Wikipedia). This will help you to develop intelligent questions.

** Proposed Bibliography (5 points) DUE: March 1

Submit a typed list of all the primary and secondary sources you are using in your paper. The sources must be listed using correct Chicago Style bibliographic form (see A Manual for Writers if you need examples). You will need at least three primary sources and three secondary sources for this paper. All of your secondary sources must be scholarly – in other words, peer reviewed materials written by professional historians, archeologists, or other experts. Your sources should also be in-depth, with enough specific detail and evidence to help you develop a thorough understanding of the topic. You can add more sources later, if necessary. This need not be your final bibliography, but it should represent a solid start to your project. You cannot use sources such as history.com, biography.com, about.com, or Wikipedia for this paper. If you are having trouble finding sources, please make time to consult the reference librarians in the Ohlone library.

Remember that both electronic and print encyclopedias are not acceptable sources for this paper. It was ok during the proposal phase to use them for background when developing your research questions, but from this point on stay away from encyclopedias and look for deeper sources.

** Timeline (5 points) DUE: April 5

For this step, you will use the website Sutori www.sutori.com to create a timeline of important events that shape the period your paper deals with. This should include the birth/death dates of important people, publication of key documents, dates of important political / economic / social / artistic / architectural events, etc. Include whatever is important for the subject you are examining.

Many students find the note-taking and organizing phase of research to be confusing and frustrating. Keeping a timeline as you read through your various sources can help you keep track of the events and people of your time period.

To create your timeline:

• Go to: sutori.com/signup. • Create an account. Pro Tip: Use your actual name for your account so that I can

identify you. • After you are logged in, click on your profile (it will be a circle with your initials in it) • Click "Add Teacher." • When asked, put in this code: bqp1f • Once you are registered, click "Create a Story" and get started on your timeline! • Check out the How To Create A Story Using Sutori tutorial so that you know how to

use the site.

Once you are logged in to Sutori, go to "Stories" and chose "Create a Story." Then, begin creating your timeline. Your timeline should include important information about your research topic. Who decides what is important? You do! Possible items to include:

• Birth / death dates of important people • Publication of key documents, laws, proclamations, etc. • Dates of important battles, if you are discussing a war • Dates of important political / economic / social / artistic / architectural events,

etc. • Include whatever is important for the subject you are examining. • To earn credit for this assignment, you must submit the URL of your Sutori

timeline in Canvas.

Your timeline should include:

• A banner image at the top. • A title & subtitle. • At least 15 items on the timeline itself. Each item should include a date or date

range and a description of the relevant important events / trends. • At the bottom of your timeline, in the conclusion section, include a properly

formatted bibliography listing all of your sources (both books and websites). • Sutori gives you the ability to add images, videos, audio, text, quizzes, forums

and many other items. Use any of these options you like. • You are not required to add images to your timeline (except in the banner), but

you may if you like. If you do use images or videos, be sure to include a caption or note that indicates the source from which you got the material. Check to ensure that it is legal for you to use the image. Include the sources of these images in the bibliography you create for this timeline. Helpful hint: Wikimedia Commons is a great source for copyright-free images.

• Be careful out there on the internet! In choosing sources for your timeline, be sure that the sources you are looking at are reliable and scholarly. The websites of colleges, museums and libraries are good places to start.

Though there are many excellent timelines available for your reference on the Internet, you should NOT COPY one of these timelines into Sutori for this assignment, as that would constitute plagiarism.

** Rough Draft (5 points) DUE: April 26

Submit a rough draft of your final paper. Your draft should be four to five pages long. At the top of the draft, write out two things:

• the research question(s) you are trying to answer, and • a draft thesis statement.

The rest of the draft can be very rough - don't worry about grammar, spelling, etc. (though it must be typed). All I want to see is that you are working in the right direction. I will not give extensive comments on the draft; I just want to check to that you are on track.

** Final Draft (100 points) DUE: May 21

Remember that late passes CANNOT be used on your final research paper. It MUST be turned in on time. Be sure that your final draft contains footnotes and a bibliography. The final draft will be graded on the following:

• Clear, Strong Thesis

o Does your thesis clearly state your position on the issue? o Is your thesis arguable?

• Adequate Primary and Secondary Support (Evidence) for Thesis o Does your paper include primary sources? o Does your paper include scholarly secondary sources? o Do you back up all of your assertions with specific, verifiable evidence? o Is your paper your own original research, written in your own words?

• Historical and Factual Accuracy o Are there factual errors in your paper? o Is your chronology of events correct?

• Organization, Clarity and Tone

o Is the organization of the paper clear and logical? o Is the tone of the paper academic and professional?

• Citations o Do you adequately cite all of the sources of all of your evidence, including

both primary and secondary sources? o Are your citations properly formatted Chicago Style footnotes? o Does your paper include a properly formatted bibliography which lists all of

your sources? • Mechanics

o Do you use proper grammar, spelling and syntax? o Is your paper in the correct format? o Is your paper neat?

Just a reminder – if you turn in a final research paper which has been plagiarized, you will receive a zero on the assignment and could fail the class. Don’t do it.