European History Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay #2: Putting it All Together

EUH 2030 – Spring 2018

Professor Peterson

Assignment: Write an original paper that answers one of the two prompts below. Your

paper should focus on making an argument that answers the prompt, and you should

support your claims with evidence drawn from the texts.

Structure: You have practiced all the ‘building blocks’ for an argumentative essay

separately. For this paper, you will put all those parts together in the proper order. That

means that your paper should a) open with an introduction that contains a two-part thesis,

b) contain multiple body paragraphs that explain and support that argument by

summarizing and analyzing the texts you choose, and c) close with a conclusion that re-

states your argument and explains why it is important.

Prompts: Choose one of the two following questions to answer:

1. Throughout the 20th century, authoritarian European governments used enormous

violence to control their subjects and to transform society. But was violence the only way

these governments secured the cooperation of their populations? Drawing on at least two

of the readings from this course, argue whether you think it was / was not violence alone

that allowed governments to maintain control, and why. Possible readings include the

documents on Fascism, Scott, Borowski, Fanon, or the film The Lives of Others.

2. Over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, European women challenged

expectations for women’s role at home and in society. But did they always want to

transform women’s place in the same ways? Drawing on three sources from different

time periods, argue whether you think women across this period did / did not call for

similar changes, and why. Possible readings include de Gouges, Tristan, Ellis,

Nightingale, Pankhurst, Siber (from the documents on Fascism), and de Beauvoir.

Purpose: In this assignment, you will use the ‘building blocks’ we have practiced –summary,

analysis, and argumentation – to write an argumentative essay. This will help you consolidate all

the skills you have learned this semester, and it will also be an opportunity for you to practice an

important form of writing. Knowing how to state your claims clearly, accurately, and with

evidence will help you in other classes and life – regardless of your field.

When to submit: A rough draft is due in class Tuesday April 10th, and the final draft is due

Thursday, April 12th.

How to submit: You must bring a paper copy to class on Tuesday, April 10th, and submit the

final version of the paper online through Blackboard on Thursday, April 12th (there is a link

posted).

Requirements and Guidelines: Your paper should be 1,000-1,250 words. In this course, all

writing project should be formatted according to Chicago style: 12pt Times New Roman font,

double spaced with one-inch margins. Please include your name and a short title at the top of the

page.

Grading Criteria: When we grade your essay, we will look for you to:

 Write an introduction that explains the topic of your paper and provides an argument that

answers the prompt in the form of a two-part thesis statement

 Summarize, contextualize, and analyze the most relevant ideas from the assigned texts in

order to explain your argument

 Draw examples from the text to support and explain your claims, and explain how that

evidence supports your claims

 Conclude your paper by summing up your argument and explaining why it matters

 Cite your sources properly

 Write clearly in a way that conveys your message effectively

 Write concisely – i.e. explain the main ideas without too much supporting detail