HIST 128 American History

 

The paper should be typed or word-processed, double-spaced, with reasonable margins, and should contain 4-5 pages worth of text. You may conduct outside research for this paper, but it is not necessary – all the material you need can be found in the textbook materials required for the class. Be sure to address every part of the question. It should be a thesis-driven essay, a product of your own work, using properly cited sources for evidence. The paper should follow a logical structure and have appropriate supporting evidence or examples. The thesis should appear in the introductory paragraph, and there should be a concluding paragraph at the end.

 

Information about how to produce a good thesis and good essay is available from the Paper Assignments module. Also included in the Module are representative sample essays for each of the two kinds of assignments, as well as a note about punctuation. The citation format should be Chicago/Turabian, using either footnotes or endnotes. It would also be very helpful to pay attention as you read and research in class for any historical information that would help you in writing your paper.

 

Explain what that source reveals about the society that produced it. What is the historical context of the source the background to the document – who produced it, and what is its function? What ideas and values does the source reveal about the culture that created it? Using the rest of the textbook as a source of information, explain how the source relates to larger historical developments. For example, what does the source tell us about the power relationships, gender relations, social structure, or religious values within that particular society?