3 to 5 page history paper

Please write an essay answering one of the two following questions.

 

1.     The Revolutionary War was the precursor to the creation of the United States.  Looking at the nations involved, which country do you believe was primarily responsible for the outbreak of war?  Why?  You must prove your answer with backing evidence.  In either case, be sure you examine the actions of each side, as well as highlight the key events that led to the war.  Are the British or the Americans more culpable?  How did previous conflicts between the American colonies and England “set the stage” for the Revolutionary War? 

 

2.     Mary Rowlandson’s captivity narrative is, in modern times, sometimes seen as a form of propaganda.  Do you agree or disagree with this interpretation?  Why?  You must prove your answer with backing evidence.  In either case, be sure you identify what you believe Rowlandson was trying to achieve through her writing, as well as the methods she employed to do this.  Was she successful in these goals?  How does what you have learned about the larger history of New England during her lifetime support or detract from her goals? 

 

Papers should be three to five pages long, double-spaced with twelve-point Times New Roman font, and one inch margins.  Papers that do not meet these requirements will be penalized.  Be sure to include page numbers.  You may consult with the University Writing Center (http://www.albany.edu/writing/) for this assignment, but you may not work on this paper with other students in the course.

 

To answer either of these questions, you must provide a clearly stated argument in your introductory paragraph.  The rest of your paper should focus on supporting this argument by utilizing all available course sources—lecture notes, assigned primary source documents, and the textbook.  No outside research is necessary, and you must incorporate each of these sources into your paper.  Provide evidence from them to substantiate your claims, but be careful not to just offer a series of quotations.  Highlight important portions from the sources and explain them in your own words when creating your argument.  Papers will be graded according to the rubric found in the syllabus. 

 

Make sure you cite all of your sources, when paraphrasing as well as when using direct quotations.  Use footnotes for the citations—not parenthetical citations that appear in-text, and not endnotes that appear at the end of the paper.  The failure to cite according to these guidelines will result in a substantial decrease in your grade.  If you have any questions on citing, please ask me, consult a style guide, or schedule an appointment at the University Writing Center.  Microsoft Word has a “References” function that automatically places footnotes when selected, and I have posted an example of correct footnoting on the course Blackboard site if you need to see some examples.  The formats for citations are as follows:

 

·      For citing your textbook:  Foner, Give Me Liberty, page #/#s. 

 

·      For citing a primary source from the course reader, cite it as: Author name, title of the piece, from Voices of Freedom, ed. Foner, page #/#s.  (So, the first piece in the book would be: Smith, “The Results of Colonization,” from Voices of Freedom, ed. Foner, pp. 1-3.) 

 

·      For citing a document from Blackboard or an assigned website:  Author name (if applicable), document title, web link (if applicable).

 

·      For any other source, use the author name, book title, and page #/#s.  (i.e.: Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, pp. 4-5.)

 

·      To cite lecture notes, please include the lecture date.  (i.e.: History 100 lecture, February 3, 2014.)

 

Please reread the section on the syllabus about plagiarism very carefully and see me if anything is unclear.  You will not receive credit for this assignment if you plagiarize or cheat in any way, and a report will be filed with the appropriate offices.

 

Papers will be collected at the BEGINNING of class on February 24^th.  Any paper not handed in at this time, even if handed in later in the class period, will be marked late.