“Primary Source Essay Assignment
At the end of this assignment
Students can construct an argument using primary sources on a specific historical notion. Students can focus essays on immigrants, city life, or progressive reforms.
Construct a thesis with historical judgment, using an explanation of causality or a claim about significance.
Construct paragraphs by theme and argument.
Use specific evidence to support claims made in the essay.
100 points. Four to five pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, Times New Roman Font. Thesis driven.
Due 8 April.
The rapid growth of the American city occurred from an array of changes. These changes range from political causes to immigration concerns to industry and its effects. What are some of these sources, how do they interplay with one another, and how do they reflect cultural changes to the American landscape at the turn of the twentieth century? How do the characters in Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets or Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle reflect or contradict these developments? Finally, how do the early 20th century immigrants and Maggie/The Jungle relate to modern-day events (i.e., use one incident of labor, use The New York Times (or a reputable newspaper) for an article on the subject? You can look at labor, immigration, infrastructure, culture, food and health changes, and other contextual elements of daily life. Hint: in 2012, Con Ed workers were locked out. In 2022, the United States saw the largest nursing walkout (in Minnesota and one in NYC). These incidents are examples of modern-day labor strife. You can pick from a plethora of others. YOU MUST FIND YOUR OWN EXAMPLE).
Moreover, remember the Progressive Era ended with the First World War. Yet, did it really end? During the Great Depression we saw a rebirth and revision of many progressive ideals. Thus, you need to examine the Progressives through a lens of continual change, growth, and use. Our time period is circa 1900 to 1940, with comparisons of the modern moment.
Hint: you do not have to cover everything.
You can talk about the industry and the plight of the worker, the city and the plight of the immigrant, unions and those that makeup unions (even though unions are not discussed in the novel, the characters are the type of people who formed unions), etc. You must take a stand and argue at the point. Essays lacking a thesis will not be able to receive a grade higher than a C-, no matter how “well-written” they might be.
Use two immigrant accounts from this primary source collection. The ones you pick are up to you:
The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans As Told by Themselves. Edited by Hamilton Holt,
with an Introduction by Edwin E. Slosson. New York: JAMES POTT & COMPANY,
1906.
You can find it here:
http://www.archive.org/stream/lifestoriesundis00holtrich/lifestoriesundis00holtrich_djvu.txt
You may also use the textbook and class notes.
Your essay should be between four to five pages. It must be your work, and anything not yours must be cited. You may use parenthetical citing if you like. If you have questions about citing, EMAIL ME. You may not use outside sources. Other sources will result in a failing grade, just as copying someone else’s work will. You are allowed one New York Times article. Only one.
Have a little fun with this one, and get creative. The link for an online version of Maggie is in your syllabus. Or you can read a paper version. Also, Maggie and The Jungle are free via Amazon Kindle (even the Kindle app) and Google Books. I’ve left both links in the course unit (see The Progressives).
Textbook Here: https://www.americanyawp.com/
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/140/140-h/140-h.htm
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/447
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