In this paper, you will analyze some aspect or part of a lengthy primary source, something roughly equivalent to a book in length. Avoid sources that are only one or two pages or just a few paragraphs. You may use any longer primary source in American history from 1492 to 1865, though I must approve your source. Look for your source in one of the online databases or websites linked from the Canvas page called “Primary Sources for your Analytical Paper”, or consult with our librarians, who can help you find reliable sources (both primary and secondary). They have prepared a library guide (linked from our Modules page) for this class, including links to primary sources accessible through our library and its databases. You must email the title of your potential primary source to me by February 1 at 11:59 P.M. Just as in the response papers, begin by discussing the historical background of the author’s life and the experiences, events, or issues discussed in the source. To do this, you will need to use at least two scholarly books that cover the appropriate time period, person, or topic. You must submit a preliminary bibliography (also known as a works cited page), using either MLA or Chicago style, as a Microsoft Word file that cites the long primary source and your two scholarly books to me via email by February 29 at 11:59 P.M. Your scholarly books must be full-length books with footnotes/endnotes and bibliographies and you cannot use your textbook as one of them. You may not use websites, encyclopedias, dictionaries, or on-line encyclopedias. Contact me if you have any questions! Use of these sources will result in a one letter-grade deduction to your final paper and you will also lose a letter grade if you do not have the required number of proper sources. I will embed the library guides for our course and for more general research and will post links to the MLA and Chicago guides (for formatting your papers).
Guidelines
5-6 pages, double spaced (title page and bibliography/works cited do not count towards this total).
1” margins
12-point, Times New Roman font
Page numbers according to your chosen formatting style.
Formatting: You may use either MLA or Chicago style formatting for citing sources and your bibliography. That means you MUST have BOTH citations in the body of the paper AND a bibliography, properly formatted in either one of these styles. Consult the Purdue Online Writing Lab or the MLA style guide online to learn how to format in MLA style. Our library also has resources for learning how to cite within a paper and how to format a bibliography.
Title of long primary source is due by 11:59 P.M. on 2/1, worth 10 pts.
Preliminary bibliography is due by 11:59 PM on 2/29 as a Microsoft Word file, worth 10 pts.
The first draft (worth 30 pts) of your paper is due by 11:59 P.M. on 4/11 on our Canvas site and the final draft (worth 75 pts) is due by 11:59 P.M. on 4/29 on our Canvas site (also as one Word file).
All first and final drafts must be submitted to our Canvas site as Microsoft Word files.
Late papers will be accepted at a one letter-grade penalty for each day the paper is late.
Remember, make sure you have the correct number of scholarly books (two), do not use your textbook as one of your secondary books, use the right type of scholarly books (not websites, encyclopedias, dictionaries, or on-line encyclopedias), that you follow the citation and bibliography format for your chosen style (Chicago or MLA), and that you cite sources in the body of the paper. Also, make sure to submit your paper as one file, including the five to six pages and the bibliography.
Do not just summarize the source(s)! This is not a book report. Your goal is to analyze and present your conclusions, not to describe the books. Just as with the shorter pieces analyzed in the response papers, discuss the historical background (be specific and give details), and present conclusions for a question or aspect of the source you have investigated. If you have questions about how to investigate and analyze primary sources, please ask. I love to help students learn about doing research!
In your opening section, make sure to state the conclusion clearly in a thesis statement, so that I know what you investigated and what you concluded. That will make it easier for me to evaluate your paper.
If the papers are more than a couple of lines too short or too long, if you do not cite any sources, if you do not discuss the historical context, or if you do not discuss what is in the document itself, you will lose significant points. I will mark grammatical and formatting errors, though you will not lose significant points unless the errors are numerous and/or make it difficult to understand what you are saying.
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/wade-davis-bill
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2204557?origin=crossref
