Choose one person who is an archetypical American and their characteristics

HIST 120 Dr. Schaffer

Hamilton Tie-in Extra Credit Assignment (20 points)

Due by 10 PM on Thursday 7/21

The Extra Credit Assignment

In Topic 6 you and your classmates considered Lin-Manuel Miranda’s choice of Alexander Hamilton as an

archetypical American. For this extra credit assignment choose one person about whom you have learned

this summer session who you think is an archetypical American and explain what “American”

characteristics you think they embody.

 You may not choose Alexander Hamilton. Rather, for this assignment, I want you to find your own

Hamilton!

 Your assignment should be at least 500 words.

 Your choice must appear in Out of Many and/or in one of the assigned primary or secondary

sources. But a lot of interesting historical figures  from lesser-known people like Phyllis Wheatley or

James Otis to even well-known people, like Pocahontas, Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglas, or

Abraham Lincoln  only get brief coverage in the assigned reading due to time-constraints. So, for this

assignment I want you to do a bit of additional research. In your essay, in addition to drawing on

information from the assigned reading, also incorporate information from one good-quality internet

source. The website you use must end in .edu (= associated with a college or university), .gov (=

associated with the US government), or .pbs.org (= associated with PBS). I highly recommend

getting your website approved by me before you write your essay. (Email me at any time to check.)

Other Important Information about the Extra Credit Assignment

 You may choose a well-known figure, but don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside-the-box (like

Tony Horwitz did in his chapter on Cabeza de Vaca)! What is essential is that you carefully think about

what it means to be American and then show how your choice embodies the “American” characteristics

you have identified. So, your extra credit assignment should have a main argument (= a thesis

statement), and that argument should be supported throughout your paper with historical evidence.

 Before I write your Final Exam Study Guide at the end of Week 5 I will look through the extra credit

assignments. I will incorporate some of your choices into the Final Exam Study Guide and at least one

of your choices will appear on the final exam itself.

Submitting the Extra Credit Assignment

 Submit your Hamilton Tie-in EC Assignment two places by 10 PM on Thursday 7/21:

o to the Hamilton Tie-in EC Discussion Forum (right under the General Questions Discussion

Forum)

o the Hamilton Tie-in EC Assignment dropbox

 Click the drop-down menu for “Assessment” and then click “Dropbox”. There you will

see “Hamilton Tie-in EC Assignment”; click on it and attach your file. Please submit this

copy in a Word, rtf, or text file; please do not submit it in a pdf or other type of file.