For this assignment consider yourself a historian. You must use your analytical and organizational skills to complete this assignment. You will write the paper using primary documents. The first decision, and the most difficult, is choosing a thesis statement. This is important since it will give you the ability to “link” the documents you have chosen and organize your sources and arguments to support your thesis.
There are three ways to write the paper.
1) a narrative style
2) an argumentative paper
3) a historical fiction
1. In the narrative style you are writing in s story format. You are writing about the past. What it is like to be a Revolutionary War soldier, conditions of slavery, events in the progression of women’s rights, etc., are some examples of this approach. Be sure to use the documents to provide you with material from the past
2. An argumentative paper has a stronger thesis statement than one written in the narrative style. In this type of paper you are supporting your thesis statement(s) by using the materials in the documents to support your position. Some examples of this approach includes, New York City was a wonderful place to live at the turn of the 18th century or conversely, New York City was a “hell-hole” at the turn of the 18th century and I would not be caught dead there. Here you would cite documents that would support and enhance your position.
3. The third way to approach writing this paper is as a historical fiction. In this essay you may place yourself in the past or take on the persona of some historical individual. Although it is fiction, you will still need to cite the documents to support your essay. Do not change the past or the historical facts, but incorporate yourself into the past. Some examples of this style would be recounting your experiences on the Oregon Trail, conditions you had to suffer on the Middle Passage, a Civil War Soldier writing home about his war experience(s), etc. Be creative.
PAPER SPECIFICS
1) The length of the paper should be four to five pages, exclusive of title page and sources.
2) Include a title page with your paper. On the title page include a descriptive title along with your name, course, and date submitted.
3) The paper should be typed, double-spaced, and sent to the professor electronically. For this assignment, you may send your paper through the U.S. mail as well. As long as it’s postmarked by the date due, late points will not be deducted.
4) Avoid using creative margins and font-size. I would recommend using 12 point, New Times Roman font, and save and send this assignment as a .rtf file.
5) For citing purposes, we will be using the Chicago Style. This is the citation method used by historians.
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