UNITED STATES HISTORY I: PAPER
Requirements: Write a 4-6 page paper. The paper should be typed and double-spaced.
Your paper should have 12-point font, Times New Roman, and 1-inch margins on all sides. This paper should answer the following question:
Question: Choose just ONE of the three questions to answer:
(1) The Whiskey Rebellion (1791-1794) was a dramatic event in early American history that nearly destroyed the union of the country. What caused the Whiskey Rebellion to happen? What occurred during the event? How did that event get resolved before catastrophe occurred? Be very specific and detailed with each response. Is there any particular person or persons who stood out as heroes in resolving that event? How? (Note: the italics question is your opinion based on your research about this event. Make certain that you keep your response in third person however.)
(2) The Hartford Convention (1814-1815) was a bizarre chapter in early American history where some New England delegates proposed a secession of the entire New England region from the United States. What led up to the Hartford Convention in which several New Englanders were calling for secession? What was happening politically in the country that had fed up a number of influential New Englanders? Be specific about the changing politics of the time. What happened at the convention? Who were the key players involved in the debates at the convention? Is there any particular person or persons who stood out as heroes in resolving that event? How? (Note: the italics question is your opinion based on your research about this event. Make certain that you keep your response in third person however.)
(3) From 1839-1841, one of the biggest legal battles in the United States involved the fate of slaves who had killed their slaveholders while on board a Spanish slave ship called La Amistad. After taking over the ship, the ship went off course and landed in American waters. The slaves were then placed in American custody. Provide the necessary background information for what the legal challenges were for the slaves in the Amistad case. What was the outcome in each of their legal battles in federal court? How did this case become a national story? What was the impact of the final decision in that case? Be specific.
Citations: For this paper, I am requiring you to do a little research. You need at least TWO SOURCES for this paper. You cannot use the textbook as a source. Also, you cannot consult any internet source unless it is a journal article from istor.org. Otherwise, consult books and journal articles from any library in the area. At the very end of your 4-6 page paper, insert a bibliography to indicate the sources you used. The bibliography does NOT count towards the 4-6 page requirement for the paper. If you are borrowing a thought or reference from a source in the body of your paper, you need to include a citation. For this paper, you may use parenthetical citation (Author's name, Title, page number).
The paper must be typed, double-spaced with 12-point font, Times New Roman.
- The body of the paper (NOT COUNTING THE TITLE PAGE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY) is 4-6 pages long. It must be at least 4 FULL PAGES (Not 3.5 pages).
- The paper has 1 inch margins. (Check under 'File': 'Page Setup' to ensure that the margins are at 1.0 inches). I do deduct 5 points from the paper grade if the margins are MORE than 1 inch.
- The paper has at least 2 sources from either books or journal articles (The textbook is not to be used as a source. Internet sources are not allowed unless they are journal articles accessed through www.jstor.org)
- The paper has a bibliography on a separate piece of paper after the 4-6 pages of argument with the citations to the sources you used. The format for those citations are on the instruction sheet I passed to you all on the first day of class. If you cannot locate the instruction sheet, it is posted under "Assignments" on Blackboard.
- The paper must have a title page. A title page should have your name, class section (HIST 121-041N), and a title . The title page does not count to the 4-6 page requirement for the main argument of your paper. It should be separate from the body of the paper. Do not begin writing paper on the title page. It should just have a name, class section, and title.
- The paper must have no contractions. (Instead of "wasn't", write it out as "was not". I do take off 1 point for each contraction in the paper)
- The paper must be written in third person. (Do not use pronouns like "I" or "me" or "my". Keep everything in third person)
- Watch for spelling and grammar.
- Staple the pages together in the top left-hand corner
Format: Title Page + 4-6 page body making the argument + Bibliography of sources
Remember, you are choosing to answer just ONE of the three questions listed. Be very precise with your answers. Be certain to include information from your sources into the body of the paper.
When I grade the papers, I look at two major things: (1) how well did you organize the paper (2) what details did you include from your sources to help illustrate your arguments.
HELPFUL HINTS
1) If you are having trouble organizing your paper, keep everything in chronological order in the paper. You don't have to organize your arguments chronologically but if you are struggling to find a good organization for your paper, use that.
2) Also, for grammatical purposes, make certain to keep your verb tenses consistent throughout the paper. For any paper in history, it is a good habit to write everything in the past tense since history is, in fact, the study of the past.