Essay 1 Assignment

This assignment introduces students to the practice of historical scholarship. Using a pre-selected sample of primary source materials, students develop a coherent narrative of a particular event in American history from the colonial period to the Civil War. The completed essays form the basis for later in-class discussion.

Assignment:
Complete one of the following assignments developed by Roland Marchand, Ph.D. (1933-1997) of the University of California, Davis.

Bacon’s Rebellion
The Trial of John Brown
Lincoln and the Outbreak of War, 1861
“New Harmony”: An Experimental, Cooperative Community
The Antinomian Controversy
The Removal of the Cherokee Nation

Paper requirements: As described in the Course Outline.

Format: Electronic (Microsoft Word, but not .docx)

The assignment is due by email to wbarnard@unyp.cz by Friday 31 October 2008.

The assignment meets or partially meets these course objectives:

* understand the requirements and characteristics of scholarly work;
* critically interpret and evaluate competing historical and cultural interpretations;
* develop coherent, sustained arguments in writing, supported with appropriate examples and placed in the context of scholarly discussions;
* articulate ideas, and respond respectfully to the ideas of others, in the context of a group discussions;
* manage self and time to successfully meet course requirements, including preparation (homework), attendance, active participation, and the timely submission assignments.

Grading criteria
An “A” Paper:
This paper is exceptional. It takes some intellectual risks, and carries out its project with an impressive sophistication of thought and style. The main idea or thesis is clearly communicated. While significant and worthy of being developed, it is also limited enough to be manageable. The paper shows an awareness of some complexity in the thesis: it may discuss possible contradictions or qualifications of the thesis and their implications. The paper’s terms and keywords are clearly defined and all sources are critically examined. The structure of the paper is clear, whether it is a “logical” structure or a more “associational” organization. The paper is generally free from grammatical and spelling errors.

A “B” Paper:
This paper does more than fulfill the assignment. It carries out its project with a noticeable degree of skill and competence. It has a clearly stated thesis and organization. It touches on the complexity of the thesis and shows careful reading of the sources. All relevant terms are defined. The paragraphs are unified and relate to the thesis. It has not major distracting errors in usage or mechanics (grammar and spelling), and no major lapses in diction or organization.

A “C” Paper:
This paper acceptably fulfills the assignment, though in a routine way. There is a thesis, though it may be rather general. The complexity of the thesis may be touched upon but is not really addressed. The paper’s terms and keywords tend to show a similar generality. The paper’s concepts and thesis are clear enough, but their generality is often a way for the writer to avoid engaging the issues in any real depth. The paper may use sources and cite counter-arguments, but does not critically engage them. The paper has a structure that the reader can discern, though it may be interrupted at times by random or unclear paragraphs and sentences. There may be errors in usage or mechanics.

A “D” Paper:
This paper does not have a clearly defined and meaningful thesis, or shows a lack of engagement on the part of the writer. The paper may lack a meaningful purpose: that purpose could be so vague that the reader is unsure why the writer is writing the essay, or the purpose could be so specific that the reader is uncertain why he or she is reading the essay. The paper does not have a coherent structure, uses few or inappropriate transitions and lacks coherent paragraph structure. Specific and relevant evidence is often missing to support the paper’s assertions. There are enough mechanical errors to make it difficult for the reader to understand the writer’s point clearly and quickly. Typically, this paper will have problems such as vague diction, ambiguous phrasings, awkward sentences, undefined terms, unexamined sources, or no sources at all.

An “F” Paper:
This paper does not respond to the assignment, or has no main idea or thesis and uses no sources. There is no clearly discernable organization or structure to the paper. There is no relevant supporting evidence. The amount of mechanical errors makes it difficult to follow the sequence of ideas. A stylistically adequate paper that does not respond to the assignment is an “F” paper, as is a paper that is not turned in on time.