Historical Context and Introduction

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HIS 100 Topic Exploration Worksheet

Part 1

Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the following areas interests you the most. You will explore the selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in the right-hand column.

Topic	Selection
Drafting of the U.S. Constitution	This one
Mao Zedong’s Rule Over China
South African Apartheid
Choose Your Own Topic (insert pre-approved topic here)

In the space below, replace the bracketed text with a short paragraph about what you already knew prior to this course about the topic you selected, based on your personal history or experiences. This may include assumptions, beliefs, or values related to the topic. Be as detailed as possible.

Unfortunately, I do not know much about the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. I do know, however, that it took effect in 1787. I also know important history figures such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson has a significant amount of input in the writing of the U.S. Constitution. I do not remember too much about what else my high school U.S. History class said.

Part 2

Now that you have identified your topic and described what you already know about the topic, what questions do you still have about the topic? Replace the bracketed text with your answers.

Question	Response
Identify one question about the topic that you are curious about.	Why were the Articles amended?
Describe why this question matters to you personally.	It matters to me personally because I would like to know about that subject.
Describe why this question matters to society.	In my opinion, it may matter to society because it gives a clear understanding on why the Articles were amended.
Identify a second question about the topic you are curious about.	Who is Henry Knox and how did he contribute to the U.S. Constitution?
Describe why this question matters to you personally.	It matters to be personally because I do not know what exactly Henry Knox did or how he contributed.
Describe why this question matters to society.	It would matter to society so people could get a better understanding to who is was and how he contributed to the U.S. Constitution.

Part 3

You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what kind of sources you will need to investigate your research questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested resources (or find your own) and replace the bracketed text with relevant information about your research questions.

Question

Response

Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question?

(Include the title and author of the sources.)

“AMERICAN VIEWS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDING PROCESS: AN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF ARTICLE V.”

By: Vile, John R

Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your first research question?

(Include the title and author of the sources.)

Letter from George Washington to James Madison

By: George Washington

Which secondary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question?

(Include the title and author of the sources.)

“Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine. 1989, Vol. 123 Issue 7, p612. 7p.

Historical Period:

1770 to 1806”

By: Lochman, Meriam

Which primary sources would be helpful for investigating your second research question?

(Include the title and author of the sources.)

“George Washington to Henry Knox on Anti-Federalists and the Constitution”

By: George Washinton

Now that you have gone through the research, what have you learned about your topic in one to two paragraphs?

I have learned that Henry Knox and George Washington had a close friendship. I also learned that Henry Knox was a senior general of the Continental Army and also became a senior general for the United States Army later on.