Dr.

Casserly HIST& 148

Paper I
This assignment is intended to help you develop skills in critical thinking and effective writing, while
developing a deeper understanding of some of the most important issues in 20
th
century U.S. history.
Using evidence from at least T! primary source documents assigned for class and from "ric #oner$s, The
Story of American Freedom, write a !4 "age essay t#at addresses !%" of t#e following $%estions&
&. 'iscuss some of the reform efforts that characteri(ed the U.S. )etween the late &*00s and
orld ar II. "+amine the origins of these reform efforts, their significance, the factors )ehind
their success or failure, and place these efforts in the conte+t of wider attempts to change
various aspects of society.
2. 'iscuss the development of the role of the federal government in ,merican society )etween
the late &*00s and the end of orld ar II. -e sure to address the factors.forces that drove
changes in the role of government and the conse/uences of these changes.
0. 'iscuss how the status of T! of the following groups in ,merican society changed )etween
the late &*00s and the end of orld ar II1 people of color, women, workers. hat drove these
changes and what were their conse/uences2
T#is assignment is wort# 1'( of yo%r overall grade for t#e class.
3emem)er, I am here to help you with this paper. 4ou can send me a thesis statement, introductory
paragraph, outline, or a rough draft of your paper and I will provide you with feed)ack on it. #eel free to
ask /uestions a)out the assignment via e5mail or visit me during office hours. ,nother useful resource is
the riting 6a) in the college$s ,cademic Success 7enter 8 see http1..)ellevuecollege.edu.asc.writing.
The paper is due in class on 9onday, 9ay :. 6ate papers will )e penali(ed.
4ou do not need to do research outside of class for the paper. )e will *e going over many of t#e
re$%irements+g%idelines for t#e "a"er in class *%t overall yo%r "a"er m%st&
Have a t#esis or arg%ment t#at addresses t#e "a"er to"ic and drives yo%r analysis. ,o%r t#esis s#o%ld
*e s%""orted t#ro%g#o%t t#e "a"er *y t#e effective %se of evidence. -ac# "aragra"# s#o%ld *e adding
to t#e overall arg%ment yo% are ma.ing in yo%r "a"er. /or #ow to constr%ct a t#esis see 0atric. 1ael,
Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students 23r%nswic., 4-& 3owdoin
College, 56647.
Use evidence from at least T! ;2< P3I9,34 S!U37"S t#at #ave *een assigned for t#e class 2eit#er
t#ose online doc%ments availa*le t#ro%g# Canvas or from -ric /oner8s Voices of Freedom7 and from
#oner$s, The Story of American Freedom.
Have an introd%ction, w#ere yo% define yo%r t#esis, and a logical organi9ation t#at flows from t#e t#esis.
Have a concl%sion w#ere yo% restate yo%r t#esis and e:"lain its significance.
Have effective transitions *etween "aragra"#s t#at add to yo%r "a"er8s overall arg%ment.
;ot %se any so%rces ot#er t#an t#ose assigned for class wit#o%t my "ermission.
0rovide citations for all ideas and evidence t#at are not yo%r own. <ll ideas and evidence t#at are not
yo%r own m%st *e cited %sing footnotes or endnotes in t#e C#icago 4an%al of Style format. Sam"le
footnote.
1
< s%*se$%ent footnote.
5
Sam"le footnote for a doc%ment from Voices of Freedom.

<
s%*se$%ent footnote for t#at doc%ment.
4
Sam"le footnote for a doc%ment accessed online.
'
<
s%*se$%ent footnote for t#at online doc%ment.
=
Citation for class notes.
>
/ail%re to cite evidence is
"lagiarism and will res%lt in a grade of 9ero for t#e assignment. See my descri"tion of "lagiarism in t#e
class sylla*%s. If you have /uestions or concerns a)out how to avoid plagiarism please discuss
them with me.
3e a""ro:imately !4 "ages long 2a""ro:imately 1166 ? 1566 words7, %!T incl%ding footnotes or
endnotes, ty"ed do%*le!s"aced wit# 15 "oint Times 1oman font and standard margins.
Incl%de some direct $%otations from t#e readings as evidence to s%""ort yo%r analysis. However, $%otes
s#o%ld *e %sed s"aringly and only from "rimary so%rces. @%otes can never stand alone ? yo% 9UST
"rovide an introd%ction+transition and conte:t for $%otations. <void long A*loc.A $%otes, i.e. $%otes t#at
are more t#an lines long.
3e a "rod%ct of yo%r own wor. only, written s"ecifically for t#is class. ,o% may not s%*mit assignments
"rod%ced for ot#er classes for t#is co%rse.
3e well!written, grammatically correct, wit#o%t ty"os or s"elling mista.es. T#e effectiveness and clarity
of yo%r writing will *e a significant factor in t#e grades yo% get for "a"ers.
Some final "oints a*o%t t#is assignment&
1ael8s, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students is a %sef%l 2and
free7 so%rce for #ints a*o%t #ow to write a good #istory "a"er.
Don8t s%*mit "a"ers in folders or *inders or wit# ela*orate title "ages. In t#e interests of s%staina*ility,
feel free to "rint o%t yo%r "a"er do%*le sided.
,o% m%st .ee" a co"y of all "a"ers yo% s%*mit for t#e class.
If yo% disagree wit# my assessment of yo%r wor., yo% s#o%ld disc%ss t#is wit# me. ,o% m%st descri*e in
writing w#y yo% disagree wit# my assessment. 0lease s%""ly t#e original "a"er or e:am wit# my
comments and a descri"tion of w#y yo% feel t#e grade yo% received was %nfair. <fter reeval%ating yo%r
wor. I may decide to increase, decrease or leave yo%r grade %nc#anged.
T#ese are t#e criteria I %se in eval%ating "a"ers for t#e class&
Thesis ? does t#e "a"er #ave a strong and clear arg%ment or t#esis in res"onse to t#e "rom"tB Do yo%
effectively carry yo%r analysis t#ro%g#o%t t#e "a"erB
"vidence ? is t#e t#esis s%""orted *y t#e effective %se of evidence from "rimary so%rcesB Is t#at
evidence cited clearly and effectivelyB
=istorical conte+t and themes ? do yo% effectively e:"lain t#e #istorical conte:t *e#ind t#e iss%es yo%
are e:amining and lin. t#ose iss%es to larger #istorical t#emesB
Introduction > conclusion ? does yo%r introd%ction gra* t#e reader8s attention and ma.e t#em want to
read moreB Does it "rovide a Croadma"D for w#ere t#e "a"er is goingB Does t#e concl%sion s%m %"
yo%r "a"er8s analysis and ma.e a final case to convince t#e reader of t#e validity of t#at analysisB
Transitions ? does t#e "a"er flow smoot#ly, wit# eac# "aragra"# leading smoot#ly to t#e ne:tB <re
t#ere clear to"ic sentences 2or mini t#eses7 for eac# "aragra"#B
riting /uality ? is t#e "a"er8s "rose clear and effectiveB Does it #ave grammatical errorsB S"elling
mista.esB Ty"osB
1
-ric /oner, The Story of American Freedom 2;ew ,or.& ).). ;orton and Com"any, 1EE87, 55.
2
/oner, The Story of American Freedom, 5.
3
1%*ie 3ond, CT#e Freat 4igration,D in Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, Gol%me 5, ed. -ric /oner 2;ew ,or.&
).). ;orton, 56147, 11E.
4
3ond, CT#e Freat 4igration,D 156.
5
;at#aniel Hawt#orne, CT#e Canal 3oat& ;at#aniel Hawt#orne Travels t#e -rie Canal,D History 4atters& T#e U.S. S%rvey
Co%rse on t#e )e*, #tt"&++#istorymatters.gm%.ed%+d+=515, accessed Hcto*er 5, 561.
6
Hawt#orne, CT#e Canal 3oat.D
7
Dr. 3rian Casserly, Class notes for HIST& 148, Hcto*er 1, 561.
,dditional comments ? <re t#ere ot#er ways t#at t#e "a"er co%ld *e im"rovedB