HIS 121 Sp24 RESEARCH PAPER HIS 121 Research Paper Sp24.pdfDownload HIS 121 Research Paper Sp24.pdf
Summary
Rather than using research to develop a clearly defined argument on a topic and then defending that argument, you will insert yourself into history and consider it from the inside using the class material we’ve covered along with your own additional research. Assume the identity of a fictitious person from an American historical context before 1877 and create narrative journal entries that describe your experience. In effect, you will be creating a counterfeit primary source.
Instructions
1. Choose an avatar – below are a few suggestions, but the possibilities are nearly endless:
Spanish navigator in 1507
Aztec in Tenochtitlan in 1525
Person in Massachusetts 1650–1700
Person in VA in 1633, 1780, or 1803
African man in Barbados in 1730
Person in Philadelphia in 1770
White woman in Lowell Mills, MA in 1842
Woman in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848
Person in Kansas in 1856
Person in Charleston, SC in 1861
Write 6-8 pages in the form of journal entries on behalf of your character
Name your avatar after yourself or choose a historically suitable character name
Gender your avatar in a way that is historically fitting
Choose a cultural or racial identity that is historically fitting and that interests you
Each journal entry must have a date and location: your paper will be the “primary source”
Include a bibliography of sources (minimum 3) at the end of your paper (NOVA library guideLinks to an external site.)
Due 27 April 2024 – 40 pts (20% of final grade)
Questions to consider
Which details can I use to distinguish the period I’m discussing from others we’ve studied?
How could this journal be an excellent primary source for educating historians in the future?
Is it useful to discuss what I and others are wearing?
Was I born here? If not, why and how did I get here?
What do I eat? What do I do for a living? How do I worship?
Which side am I on if there’s a debate, conflict, or battle involved?
How old am I, and how has my world changed during my lifetime?
Am I literate, or is someone writing this journal on my behalf?
Scope and resources
Your paper can be one long journal entry that describes your participation in a significant event, or many different entries about different things on different days, or something in between.
To create your world, carry out research just as you would for a standard research paper. Because of the narrative nature of the writing, you will not need to include citations within your text, but you will need to include a bibliography of sources at the end of your paper.
Consider looking at maps of your area to help you describe where you live or work, how close your town is to another significant community, or the coast, or a historical figure or event.
Your paper will be graded on how well it demonstrates your mastery of the historical context and your ability to translate your research accurately. Do not get hung up on sentence structure and such concerns. Instead, be imaginative and show an interest in your topic. That said, avoid being totally haphazard about your spelling and grammar, historically fitting as that might be.
