Essay Assignment

Visit the 100 Milestone Documents page of the National Archive. You may choose any document created BEFORE 1865. This will be your “main” document.

Find one additional document from the 100 Milestone Documents list from a DIFFERENT period that relates to your main document. This will be your “supporting” source.

Find one secondary source (we’ll discuss how to do this in class) that relates to your document. Your secondary source must be a scholarly journal article or book.

Your essay must include:

Description of your main source: who, what, where, when and why (significance)
Description of supporting sources: who, what, where, when and how does the supporting source relate to the main source?
Discussion of secondary source:

What is the author’s argument?
What examples does the author use to prove her/his point?
Is the author’s argument convincing? Why or why not?
How does the article/book relate to your main source?
How do the different perspectives complicate or challenge your interpretation of your main source?

Bibliography of sources in Chicago or MLA style

Format

Typed
Double-spaced
12-point font, preferably Times New Roman
Include page numbers
Approximately 5 pages
Stapled

Please attach this rubric to your essay before submitting.

Due in class on Thursday, April 21

Course Objectives

This is a broad survey course designed to introduce students to basic themes and events in American History, as well as college-level research and study skills. As this is a writing intensive course, students will develop critical writing skills through online discussion, essay writing and document analysis. We will cover material beginning with the Civil War and Reconstruction and extending through the Presidential election of 2000.

By the end of this course students will have experience evaluating historical materials, constructing and supporting an argument, and performing basic research. Students will also work collaboratively in-class and online to discuss material, analyze primary documents and develop note-taking and study skills.

Accessibility

Hunter College complies with the standards set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to include all policies, procedures, and practices that impact the treatment of students with disabilities. The Office of AccessABILITY helps to ensure a comprehensively accessible college experience for all students with disabilities and helps to promote access and awareness as a resource to all members of the Hunter College community.

“In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure necessary academic accommodations. For further information and assistance please call (212-772-4857)/TTY (212-650-3230).” You can also locate them at:

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/access/welcome

Course Learning Outcomes

During this course, students will:

• identify and apply the key historical concepts of change-over-time, cause-and-effect, agency, historical empathy, and continuity and discontinuity, and recognize how these concepts are employed in the historical method

• analyze and interpret primary sources with attention to audience, authorship and context

• recognize some of the ways in which historians have conflicting interpretations of the past

• produce a paper with a clear thesis and appropriate citations based on strong evidence drawn from historical sources

• identify and discuss the importance of contact and conquest, colonial foundations, revolution and Constitution, immigration, geographic expansion, experiences of native peoples, role of women, slavery and African American experiences and the sectional crisis leading to the Civil War

No comments:

Post a Comment

POSTING GUIDELINES

Stay on topic. Your comment should engage with original post or respond to a previous comment

Provide evidence to support your point. Debate/conversation is encouraged, but if you wish to present a convincing argument you will have to support your claim. Make sure that the information you present can be verified and if you refer to an online source provide the link.

Use reputable sources. There is a lot of information available on the internet, but not all of it is trustworthy. Be certain that you can identify the author/creator, whether or not it is a commercial site, the bias of the site and/or its sponsors for any links you provide. Posts that contain links to or information from disreputable sources will be deleted and will not satisfy the assignment requirements.

Use your own words. If you wish to refer to an outside source, provide a link or citation information. Using someone else’s words as your own, or reposting material without identifying the original source/creator constitutes plagiarism.