HIS 201 US History,
Discovery to 1877
Essay Report Instructions/Topics for Unit Three-Essay 3.1 (Rev. 3/5/13)
Greetings Class, You will earn up to 100 points toward the Essay grade for submitting Essay 3.1 on one of the following topics (see topics below). You must follow carefully the instructions given below and additional instructions in the essay checklist (and sample essay) on how to write reports for Mr. Bryan. Submit the paper by uploading it only in the “Assignments” tool for Essay 3.1 and submit it as a Microsoft Word (the file should end .doc or .docx) document attachment with the file name of 201 Essay 3.1 Smith [substitute your own last name for Smith].doc. Failure to follow the specific instructions will result in points off! Be sure to submit on time! Late reports are penalized 5 points per day past due and after three days will not be accepted at all! Write an essay on the following: (There are eleven to choose from-pick one only)
1) List three ways that the government promoted economic growth after 1815.
Which do you think was the most important, and why?
2) List three ways that the development of a national market changed American
society after 1815. Did these changes make American society more open than
before?
3) The creation of a domestic market, the development of cheap transportation, the
rise of cities, and the availability of capital and credit can all be seen to have
stimulated the shift to factory production. Choose three of these factors and
explain how they contributed to the rise of factories.
4) List three components of the new democratic political system. How did each of
these represent a change in the previous political system?
5) Give three examples of the rising tide of racism among white Americans during
the Jacksonian era. Why do you think racism increased during an era when
democratic values were praised?
6) Give three reasons people demanded removal of the eastern Indian tribes. Why
was the program of Indian removal popular?
7) Give three ways that the Jacksonian era was, OR three ways that it was not, an
era of the common people. (Take a position and give support to defend it).
8) Give three examples of reform movements that turned to political action to
accomplish their goals during the 1830s and 1840s. Why did these movements
turn to political action?
9) Describe the range of antislavery positions, and use three people for support who
exemplified those different positions.
10) How did the conditions of slavery make it especially difficult for slaves to
establish their own culture? How did slave communities work to overcome this?
11) Give three major differences between the North and the South in the antebellum
period. What was the significance of each of these differences?
Due Date: Report 3.1 is due by 11:59 PM on the date indicated on Blackboard. See the above
note concerning late submissions.
Report Details/Brief Instructions: Create your report as a five-paragraph essay. The introductory paragraph must contain a three-part thesis statement as the last sentence of paragraph one (see the attached instructions/sample essay/essay checklist for further details). The next paragraph must be about your first thesis point, the next one about your second thesis point, the next one about your third thesis point, and the final paragraph must be a conclusion. Be sure to proofread often and use “spell check” and “grammar check.” This is important. The overwhelming majority of the report must be in your own words and show your own thinking. However, you must show critical thinking by supporting your thesis points with factual statements and at least three short (one-to-two sentences each) direct quotations from three different sources, one from the textbook, one from the online chapter overviews, PowerPoint files or the online audio lectures and one from a separate reliable online website. These are the minimum for sources-additional sources may be used. Cite the quotation from the text parenthetically with the author’s name and the page number like this (Davidson, et al, p. 425) and my lecture with my name and lecture title like this (Davidson, HIS 201 online lectures, “The American Revolution”) and one other online source, for example (Kreis, The History Guide, “Ancient Mesopotamia,” http://www.historyguide.org/index.html) Note: You may NOT cite encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, as sources for reports. Note: If you cannot find a significant quotation from one of the above sources, substitute a different but reliable source. Finally, remember to open and print out the attached details on writing reports for this class. The checklist at the end of the sample essay may be useful for reference on this and future report assignments. I look forward to reading your reports.
http://www.historyguide.org/index.html
Format: The paper is to be typed and double spaced only. Use a 10-11 point type, no large
space-wasting type styles and no script type fonts. Verdana, Arial, Calibri or Times Roman are all acceptable font types.
Focus attention on the usage of proper spelling and grammar. More than six spelling and/or major grammatical errors will result in the deduction of ten points from the essay grade. The availability of spelling and grammar “checks” in many computer programs, along with the resources in the Writing Center (located on the first level of the UT building) are very helpful in limiting these types of errors.
Failure to follow the format guidelines will be a five point deduction. This includes short essays, papers that are missing a Works Cited or quotes/citations, extra-wide margins, and the like.
The instructor emphasizes the advantages of working from an outline, using a series of rough drafts and above all, proofreading frequently. Read your paragraphs aloud. If they read awkwardly or confusingly to you, I will likely have an even harder time understanding your point. The outline is for the student’s benefit, it is not a requirement that it be turned in with the assignment.
With a properly written five-paragraph format, the length of the paper should be at least two-three full pages. A cover page is not required. Include an honor pledge, topic statement, and title at the beginning of the essay as shown on the sample essay. Do not do more than double space after this information. Double space between paragraphs, do not add more spacing. Use one to one and a quarter inch margins at the top, sides and bottom of each page. Anything more “generous” may be seen as attempting to “pad the length” of the essay.
Grading Information: This assignment counts toward the essay portion of the student’s overall course grade.
A Final Note: Plagiarism is absolutely unacceptable and will be penalized accordingly. The student is expected to know what plagiarism involves. If there are questions about this issue, speak with the instructor outside of class. As a reminder, all direct quotes or information that is not common knowledge must be noted in the following manner. For example, a reference to the text would be noted as (Davidson, et al, p. 195). Address any questions concerning these issues to the instructor via e-mail. Best wishes on creating a spectacular essay,
Mike Bryan
Beginning with the following honor pledge, read this as an example of how
to write an essay for HIS 201 Online. (Rev. 3/13)
Certification: This is to certify that the following essay is my own work and that I
have not received any unauthorized assistance with it. Signed: Your First and Last
Name. Date.”
Don’t forget to include this honor pledge
“How should one write an in-class, or out-of-class open book essay for Mr. Bryan?”
[State the question you are writing on here.]
Keys to Writing Acceptable Open-book Essays
[Provide a creative title here.]
An impressive grade point ratio is a worthy but sometimes elusive goal.
However, one means of achieving that goal lies in mastering the art of writing
essays. The following instructions should prove useful in composing essays for this
instructor’s classes because he believes that well-written essays exhibit analysis,
organization, and clarity. [Note the example of a three-part thesis: analysis,
organization, clarity.]
A history essay exhibits interpretative analysis. The primary way to exhibit
analysis is by having a strong and clearly worded thesis sentence. Well written essays
begin with an introduction, and that introductory paragraph should include the thesis for
the essay. The thesis might be thought of as the point or purpose of the essay. This
instructor wants to see a three-part thesis as the last sentence of the opening
paragraph. Notice how this point is demonstrated in the above introductory paragraph
to this essay. Also, the thesis should have three parts, again as demonstrated above.
Each part of the thesis is subsequently addressed respectively in the topic sentences of
the main body paragraphs. Historian Jackson J. Spielvogel says, “Topic sentences
should be worded so as to relate directly to the thesis” (p. 8). This promotes transition
and organization. One Greenville Technical College history professor suggests, “Each of
the three main points absolutely must be supported solidly by convincing evidence in the
form of facts and especially in the form of short quotations of one-to-two sentences each
taken from the works being cited” (Bryan, HIS 101 online Lecture Notes Lesson 1.1).
The use of evidence in support of the essay’s argument (thesis) demonstrates what the
instructor is really looking for, namely, the student’s mastery of critical thinking skills.
Although the instructor may not necessarily agree with the student writer’s particular
thesis, he will award points to the essay for clearly showing interpretive analysis based
on convincing evidence.
In addition to analysis, a well-written history essay exhibits logical organization.
Each of the three or more paragraphs in the body should begin with a topic sentence
clearly related to the thesis statement. As mentioned above, topic sentences must be
supported with convincing evidence especially in the form of short, direct quotations.
Mr. Bryan also wants quotations to be followed by a parenthetical citation with “author
or work and page number as in the example at the end of this sentence” (Bryan, HIS
101 online Lecture Notes Lesson 1.1). Notice that the end-of-the-sentence period
comes after, not before, the citation. Also notice there is a space between the last word
cited and the start of the citation. Historian Stephen Kreis says, “Some instructors are
sticklers for such details” (Kreis, The History Guide online, “How to Write History
Reports”). The last point to make about organization is that a well-written essay ends
with a conclusion, which is to say with a concluding paragraph. Clear organization with
well-selected and documented evidence favorably impresses history instructors.
Finally, beyond analysis and organization, a well-written essay exhibits clarity of
expression. Standard grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax (word order) are
expected at the college level. Formal work, such as the papers in this course, must be
written in third person voice, meaning that they do not contain “I,” “we,” and “you.”
Formal essays do not contain contractions, and they avoid slang, colloquialisms, and
trite or overworked words as well as terms such as “great,” “a great deal,” “very,”
“good,” “really,” and “alot” (the last is not even a word!). Mr. Bryan notes, “a thesaurus
is vital for choosing alternatives to trite, overused words” (p. 84). Many word-
processing programs have a built-in thesaurus. Note: Word processing spell-checks and
grammar-checks are wonders, but unfortunately they are not foolproof. In regard to
verb tense, please note that this instructor prefers that past events be written about in
the past tense. Professor Doe adds, “Common mistakes to avoid are writing in broad,
general, and vague rather than specific terms…” (p. 326). Another fairly common
mistake to avoid is labeling a history or other non-fiction book as a novel, a frequent
error that apparently results from the faulty view that any paperback book is a novel!
One last matter: works being used in the in-class essay must be listed in a Works Cited
list at the bottom of the essay (see the below example of made-up authors and titles).
Attention to these details enhances the clarity of history essays.
As students progress through their college majors, they generally find that they
have an increasing number of essays and papers to compose. College professors tend
to be favorably disposed towards papers that demonstrate careful composition. In other
words, analytical, organized, and clearly expressed compositions reflect well upon the
writer and favorably impress professors. The result usually is higher grades and a boost
to that the all-important Grade Point Ratio!
Skip a line and center the words Works Cited and list the works like this:
Works Cited
Doe, Johnny. Rite’n Ain’t My Thing. Dacusville, SC: Oddly None Press, c. 2004.
Kreis, Stephen. The History Guide. “How to Write History Reports.”
http://wwwTheHistoryGuide.com
Bryan, Michael P. HIS 101 Western Civ to 1689 online Lecture Notes “How to Succeed in
History Classes”
http://college-online.com/SCRIPT/HIS_101 accessed January 17, 2007
Pickens, Write Slim Writn’ It Right. Powdersville, SC: Noaccount Inc., c. 2002
Shlaim, Avi. War and Peace in the Middle East, A Concise History. New York: Penguin
Books, c. 1995.
http://wwwthehistoryguide.com/
http://college-online.com/SCRIPT/HIS_101
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization, Vol. 1: To 1715, sixth edition. Belmont, CA:
Thomson Wadsworth, c. 2006
Youall, Watching. This Sure Ain’t Any Way to Write. Fountain Inn, SC: Full Court Press,
c. 2004
Checklist for Papers Submitted to Mr. Bryan
(NOTE: It will be very beneficial to the student to utilize this checklist before submitting
the final version of the report to the instructor.)
Title portion of report: conform it in all respects to the model given above being
sure to have stated the question you are addressing and given your paper a
creative, descriptive title.
Double space throughout the entire paper. Do not double-double space between
paragraphs. If you are confused, please ask for clarification.
Font should be Verdana or Arial size 10 points throughout the paper. Do not bold
titles, Works Cited, etc.
The thesis sentence with three parts must appear as the last sentence of the
introduction.
Topic sentences of all succeeding body paragraphs must relate directly to the
thesis.
Direct quotations of one-to-two sentences each must appear in each body
paragraph (paragraphs 2, 3, 4).
Three quotations minimum must appear in the essay.
Parenthetical citations must follow each direct quotation. The must be properly
punctuated and spaced as in this example: Mr. Bryan says in his Essay on
Essays that “writers must document, document, document” (Bryan, 19). Cite Mr.
Bryan’s online lectures like this: Mr. Michael Bryan reports, “History is a
fascinating topic that should be interesting, not dull” (HIS 101-W01 Western Civ
to 1689, Lecture 1.2 “Before You Begin”). End-of-sentence periods come after,
not before, the citation.
Generally, cite online sources with the author’s name, “Title of the
article/section.” Name of the site posting/publication date.
like this:Michael P. Bryan “Overview of the Middle Ages.” HIS 101 Online 2006. Accessed
August 25, 2006. www.college-online.com/his101
Third person voice only is permitted in formal essays. Remove “I,” “we,” “you,”
“our” etc.
Past tense only is proper for describing past events.
Trite (overworked) words such as “great,” “a great deal,” “greatly,” “greater,”
“good,” “very,” etc. must be omitted. Sentences often will stand alone well
without a modifier. Thesauruses are mandatory for locating alternative words.
Also the use of such generalizations as “things,” “stuff,”etc. must be avoided.
Contractions are not permitted in formal papers. Spell out “do not,” “will not,”
etc. Note that “led” is past tense for “lead,” and that “its,” not “it’s” is possessive
(“it’s” is a contraction and not permitted!)
http://www.college-online.com/his101
Capitalize proper nouns such as “Indians” and “French” (not “indians” nor
“french”).
A conclusion must appear as the last paragraph of the essay.
Proofread carefully using your word processor’s spell-check and grammar-check.
However, be forewarned that spell- and-grammar-checks are not always correct
in the choices they offer! You must analyze what they are suggesting to see if it
is correct for what you are trying to write.
A Works Cited page should appear as the last page of the essay.
For assessing the reliability of a website, see the following:
“Assessing the Credibility of Online Sources. Literacy Educaion Online, 1997-
2005
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html
Kirk, Elizabeth E. “Evaluation Information Found on the Internet.” 1996.
http://www.library.jhu.edu/elp/useit/evaluate/
Simon and Shuster Handbook, pages 133-135; 533-537
Greenville Technical College’s library website is http://www.gtclibrary.org
This checklist should be of assistance in making your essay the best it can be.
Mike Bryan
Credit and thanks go to my colleague Dr. Norman Raiford for creating the model essay and the report checklist for online history courses.
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html
http://www.library.jhu.edu/elp/useit/evaluate/
http://www.gtclibrary.org/