Imagine that it is 1793 and you are Vice President John Adams, instructed by your president to observe a cabinet meeting debate between Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson on the proper orientation of U.S. domestic and foreign policy. President Washington asks you to write him a memo that reviews their debate and that recommends what policies (including the balance between federal and state power, economics, foreign policy, social issues like the place of women and slaves in the new republic, etc) he should follow, exclusively Jeffersons vision or Hamiltons vision or perhaps some sort of hybrid. He is particularly concerned with two problems: which policy is more consistent with American ideals (and he even admits he would like some clarification as to what these ideals are); and which policy is most conducive to the long-term survival and interests of the new nation (terms which he again admits are open to interpretation). What is your advice to the president? Make sure your memo includes a clear set-up of the problem (i.e. a clash or synthesis between different visions of the American future),
-a clear thesis, and supporting evidence drawn from the textbook and the readings below.
he core assignment of this course is a analytical term paper (1200-1700 words in length, approx. 4-6 pages double-spaced, 12-point font).
The paper should support a thesis statement with information gained from research or investigation.
The paper will not be just a report presenting information but will be a paper that carefully examines and presents your own historical interpretation of the topic you have chosen and your interpretation of the information you have gathered.
The paper may include consideration of problems and solutions, definition of key terms, or may refute arguments against your thesis statement.
It will be important to choose a topic of interest to you.
Approach this assignment with an open and skeptical mind, then form an opinion based on what you have discovered.
You must suspend beliefs while you are investigating and let the discoveries shape your opinion. (This is a thesis-finding approach.)
Once you have found your thesis, write the paper to support it.
You will use some of the following critical thinking skills in this process:
Choosing an appropriate topic, limiting the topic.
Gathering information, summarizing sources.
Analyzing and evaluating sources.
Defining key terms.
Synthesizing information, comparing and contrasting sources.
Testing a thesis, making a historical argument, using refutation.
Amassing support for a position.
Documenting sources.
Because this may be a longer paper than you have written before and a complex process is involved, it is recommended that you complete this paper using the following steps:
Choose a topic below, related to the chapters covered in The American Yawp, (Chapters 1-15) that you would truly like to explore and that you are willing to spend some time on. You may want to begin with more than one topic in mind.
Do some preliminary reading on the topic(s). You may begin with the textbook, then further explore the information available, including the primary sources provided with the historical question. Refine your topic. Summarize your topic, your interest in the topic, the questions you want to answer, and a hypothesis you want to test.
Gather information from a variety of sources. Use a minimum of four sources for your paper, including the textbook and relevant primary sources.
Primary sources are contemporary to the times under investigation.
An example of a secondary source is our textbook, though the textbook also contains excerpts of primary sources, which you may use as a source in your paper.
Outline the results of your research and the plan for your paper (you are not required to submit the outline).
Write the final draft and be sure to include a Works Cited List, and use the correct MLA documentation style.
Sources Attached
Requirements for full credits
INTRODUCTION & THESIS: Includes a clear thesis statement, an assertion or position. Topic is original and manageable in a short research paper.
FOCUS AND DEVELOPMENT: Body of the essay focuses on this thesis and develops it fully, recognizing the complexity of issues and refuting arguments in opposition to the thesis.
SUPPORT AND SYNTHESIS: Uses sufficient and relevant evidence to support the thesis (and primary points), including facts, inferences, and judgments. Quotes, summarizes, and paraphrases accurately and effectively–appropriately introducing and explaining each quote.
RESOURCES: Shows a clear understanding of the sources; has evaluated each source and used it appropriately. Uses a wide variety of sources reflecting significant research.
CONVENTIONS: Uses MLA format correctly; includes internal citations and a Works Cited list; is free of errors.
CORRECTNESS AND STYLE: Introduces the topic in an interesting way; shows critical thinking and depth of understanding; uses appropriate tone; shows sophistication in language usage and sentence structure.
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