Building an Historical Research Paper
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Step 1: Choosing The Topic
During PSO History this semester, we have been tracing the origins, growth, developments, and struggles of the United States of America from the earliest signs of civilization up through Reconstruction. The topic choices are potentially vast, and should ideally reflect something you are interested in. Because this assignment is relatively short (3-4 pages, not counting works-cited and cover page), the depth of research will be moderate at most.
Below is a list of pre-selected topics, though you may choose to examine something else if it is approved by Mr. Peyton first.
CHAPTERS 1-5
CHAPTERS 6-10
CHAPTERS 11-15
Below is a list of pre-selected topics, though you may choose to examine something else if it is approved by Mr. Peyton first.
CHAPTERS 1-5
- English settlers arriving on the East Coast in the 1600s regarded land in the New World as untamed wilderness, while the Native Americans already settled on the land nurtured it as a font of plentiful resources. Research each group’s views about land use, approaches to agriculture, and attitudes about the consumption of natural resources. How did each group’s notions about these matters shaped their interactions with one another over the course of the seventeenth century? Use your findings to make an argument about change and continuity in both groups’ environmental practices between 1607 and 1750, focusing particularly on the ways each group’s views and practices influenced those of the other.
- “Were the Puritans a conservative sect or a revolutionary one?” Place Puritan culture in the context of seventeenth century European societies and examine some of the institutions that shaped Puritans’ daily lives in America—the family and relationships within it, and the church. Based on this information, argue that the Puritans were either repressed traditionalists or radical utopianists.
- In the eighteenth century, Africans brought by force to live and work in the southern American colonies were Americanized to some degree, but to what extent were those colonies also Africanized by the slaves who came to live there? Examine the roles slavesplayed in the developing economies and cultures of Virginia and the Carolinas in this period. Using your findings, either support or refute the argument that Africans in America were agents who helped to shape the southern colonies, even as they were also victims of slavery.
CHAPTERS 6-10
- The American victory over the British in 1783 ended the Revolutionary War but ensured the continuation of conflicts between the Americans, who were anxious to move into the Northwest Territory, and the Indians, who were already settled in the area. Research Indians’ strategies to defend themselves and their way of life against white settlement. Was accommodation of or resistance to white America a more predominant feature of the Indians’ approaches to self-defense?
- As a central figure in American politics between the 1760s and the 1810s, Thomas Jefferson was criticized by some for being too revolutionary and by others for being too cautious. Examine Jefferson’s political perspectives, decisions, and policies from his authorship of the Declaration of Independence through the end of his presidency. Based on your findings, argue either that Jefferson was a Republican revolutionary or cautious pragmatic.
- By 1776, there was some recognition among whites that the ideals of the revolution were not compatible with the institution of slavery. After 1777, when the Vermont constitution made slavery illegal, other northern states also began to adopt laws that allowed for the emancipation of slaves. Research the processes by which various northern states came to adopt gradual emancipation. Did northern states adopt these new laws primarily because of African Americans’ demands and resistance, or northern whites’ egalitarian aspirations?
CHAPTERS 11-15
- As families migrated and settled in the West, were their new lives shaped primarily by the need to innovate or the desire to duplicate eastern values and institutions? Research families’ experiences on wagon trains of the Oregon Trail or pioneers’ efforts to establish thriving families, businesses, and communities in the West. Using this information, argue either that these groups focused on developing new ways of life or reproducing the lives and communities they had left behind.
- While much of the country was preoccupied with the business of fighting the Civil War, the U.S. Congress, dominated by Republicans, enacted a vast program of new legislation. Examine the work of the U.S. Congress between 1860 and 1865 and think about its significance. Using this information, either support or refute the notion that Congress led a “Second American Revolution” in the 1860s.
- Beginning with Angelina and Sarah Grimké in the 1830s and continuing into the era of Reconstruction, some women and men recognized abolitionism and feminism as overlapping causes. Examine the relationship between abolitionists and feminists during the 1840s, the Civil War, and the struggle to pass the Fifteenth Amendment. Use your findings to argue either that it was possible to support both black civil rights and women’s rights in the nineteenth century, or that the two causes were fundamentally incompatible.
- Abraham Lincoln worked hard to separate his personal beliefs from his role as the political leader of the Union during the Civil War, and at times advocated policies regarding slavery and African-Americans that many abolitionists found objectionable. Examine Lincoln’s personal views about slavery, African-Americans, and civil rights, and the ways those views changed (or not) between the beginning of the Civil War and the end. Use your findings to either support or refute the notion that Lincoln’s own ideas about race and racism were not necessarily represented in his public stances on slavery and civil rights.
Step 2: The Thesis Statement
"Thesis" is simply a $5 word that means your argument - the position you are taking and trying to defend using reasoning and evidence from your research. Notice that each of the topics above ask you to take a particular position on an issue. Once you have selected a topic, you need to decide which "side" of that issue you feel you will be able to defend more effectively. Choose that side, and your thesis is off to a great start.
Imagine your thesis as the most dense, basic element of your paper. In other words, if you were to boil your paper down to the point where it is the thickest and most compact, you would be left with just your thesis. Consider the rather bold thesis statement below: In spite of his popularity, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an awful president as evidenced by his runaway government spending, threats to manipulate the Supreme Court, and the failure of the New Deal to bring an end to the Great Depression.
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As you can see, simply be reading the thesis statement, you can probably guess what the paper will be talking about:
Because a thesis is essentially a super-miniature outline of the whole paper, many writers will actually begin with a simple "working thesis" (if that) and write or re-write their final thesis after the body of the paper is finished.
- Reasons why FDR is considered by many to be popular.
- Runaway government spending on social programs.
- Attempts to manipulate the Supreme Court.
- Failure of the New Deal programs to achieve their goal.
- A conclusion that does not look kindly on the only American president to be elected four times.
Because a thesis is essentially a super-miniature outline of the whole paper, many writers will actually begin with a simple "working thesis" (if that) and write or re-write their final thesis after the body of the paper is finished.
Step 3: Researching Your Topic
Steps 3 and 4 really go hand-in-hand. Ideally you chose a topic and a side because it was something actually had an opinion on already, based on what you have learned in the course so far. As you research your topic more closely, you will likely discover even more evidence to support your side (and/or challenge it). When this happens, you are able to add to what you are already trying to use to defend your position. Here are some guidelines to follow as you conduct your research:
- If you find a quote/fact you will want to refer to later, record it somehow. You could stick a Post-It flag or simple paper bookmark in your book to remember the page, or better yet compile a list of facts with page numbers and the source.
- Each time you find something from a new source (another book, article, etc.), you will also want to make sure that you record information about that source so that you can "cite" it (give it credit) properly.
You may also want to check out A PATRIOT'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen.
Step 4: Building Your Argument(S)
Imagine that you want to build a house, but you have no blueprint. The supply truck drops off the materials, but until you have a plan, the stuff will just sit on the lawn in a pile, killing the grass and attracting snakes and other small critters. A research paper is similar. A big pile of facts and no plan does no one any good. You need to begin by organizing your information so that you can use it to build your argument(s). This is where an outline comes in handy. Just like an outline helps you write a good essay answer on a PSO exam, it will help you construct a logical, smooth-flowing research paper. You will receive a hard copy of the handout below, but may print this out again if you lose yours or ever want one for another assignment:
SUGGESTION: Similar to the full thesis statement, you may want to actually wait to write your introduction and conclusion paragraphs until you finish writing your body paragraphs. This is because the introduction is basically an outline of your paper in written-out form, while the conclusion is essentially the same thing in reverse. Having the bulk of your paper already written might make setting these up much easier.
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Step 5: Now Write! (And Cite!)
Now that you have your foundation (thesis) and framework (outline), you can begin to fill out your paper by putting your outline notes into complete-sentence (and paragraph) written form. Guidelines for this paper are as follows:
- 3 pages minimum, no more than 5, not counting cover and works-cited pages.
- Double-spaced.
- 1-inch margins all around.
- 12-Point standard font. (Calibri or Times New Roman).
- Cover page (more on this in a later step).
- Works Cited page (more on this in a later step).
You will need to cite your sources any time you use information that is not uniquely your own - even if you are paraphrasing. You do not need to cite every single sentence, though, so if an entire paragraph contains information from the same source, simply insert the footnote at the end of the paragraph. The above example is obviously exaggerated for effect.
Microsoft Word makes adding footnotes ridiculously easy! Simply place the cursor where you want to insert the little number indicating a footnote, click on the References tab at the top to bring up the references toolbar, and click the big honking button that says "Add Footnote."
<-- See the picture to the left. Microsoft Word will automatically insert the little superscript number and jump you down to the bottom of the page where you type your reference. When you are done adding your citation, you can either click the "Show Notes" button beside the "Add Footnote" button (which will jump you back to where you left off typing), or simply scroll up and reposition the cursor where you left off to keep going. |
What To Put Down As A Footnote:
If you are citing a source for the very first time, you will need to insert the entire MLA citation. Each time after this, you will only need to put down as much information as you need to identify which source you are referring to - usually just the (primary) author's last name and page number(s). The exception to this involves repeated references to the same work in a row. In this case, you simply replace the author's last name with the word "Ibid" - a Latin word meaning "The same place." If any other source is introduced along the way and "breaks the chain," then you simple get back on track with the author's last name. For example:
If you are citing a source for the very first time, you will need to insert the entire MLA citation. Each time after this, you will only need to put down as much information as you need to identify which source you are referring to - usually just the (primary) author's last name and page number(s). The exception to this involves repeated references to the same work in a row. In this case, you simply replace the author's last name with the word "Ibid" - a Latin word meaning "The same place." If any other source is introduced along the way and "breaks the chain," then you simple get back on track with the author's last name. For example:
1. Roark, James L. The American Promise. a History of the United States. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print. 231.
2. Ibid, 235.
3. Ibid, 246.
4. Johnson, 139-142.
5. Roark, 257.
If your source lacks an author name, simple use the shortest form of the title in italics. If our textbook didn't have an author, for example, the citation would simply look like this: The American Promise, 231.
2. Ibid, 235.
3. Ibid, 246.
4. Johnson, 139-142.
5. Roark, 257.
If your source lacks an author name, simple use the shortest form of the title in italics. If our textbook didn't have an author, for example, the citation would simply look like this: The American Promise, 231.
As you write, pause periodically and read back over what you have written. Ask yourself, "does this make sense?"
Also, read it out loud, or even have someone else read it to you out loud. Something might have made perfect sense in your head, but sounds odd, awkward, confusing, or just plain wrong when you hear it.
Also, read it out loud, or even have someone else read it to you out loud. Something might have made perfect sense in your head, but sounds odd, awkward, confusing, or just plain wrong when you hear it.
Step 6: Finishing
As you wrap up your paper, you will want to make sure you have...
- Put the finishing touches on your thesis statement, which goes at the very end of your introduction paragraph.
- Put the finishing touches on your introduction paragraph.
- Put the finishing touches on your conclusion paragraph.
- Type up a cover sheet and works cited page (see below).
Cover Page - These will vary by instructor, but always go at the beginning of the paper (obviously). For this paper, you will do the following - all centered, in the same font and spacing as the paper:
Works Cited Page - The last page of your paper, and also the same font and spacing as the paper.
- Place the chapter range of your topic at the top (i.e. Chapter 1-5).
- Below that, include your full research topic.
- In the middle of the page, include your name.
- At the bottom of the page, include the course (HIST 1010-25), Instructor name (Instructor: Peyton), and academic term (Fall Semester 2013).
Works Cited Page - The last page of your paper, and also the same font and spacing as the paper.
- At the top, centered, include Works Cited.
- Below, list all of your cited sources in alphabetical order - by author's last name, or whatever is the first word of the source. Notice that if your citation runs more than one line, all other lines are indented.