History Research Paper

Hello History Students!

So our next big assignment will be picking a topic for a research paper that will be due at the end of the semester. I want you to pick a topic that we will cover in the second part of our class.

Research Paper Due Dates:

*Friday, May 1st: topic 

*Friday, May 8: proposal.

*Friday, May 15: first and second page

*Friday, May 22: third and fourth page

*Friday May 29: fifth and sixth page

*Friday June 12: Completed Paper.

We will be covering the time period between 1780-1900. On our syllabus you will see that we will be covering these topics:

The Constitution 

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

Native Americans

Slavery

Civil War

Reconstruction to Redemption

American Society at the End of the 19th Century

Here are some more ideas. 

Shay's Rebellion (1786)

George Washington

The Bill of Rights (1791)

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

John Adams

XYZ Affair ((1797)

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

Thomas Jefferson

Lewis and Clark (1804)

Congressional ban on the slave trade (1808)

War of 1812

Andrew Jackson

Nat Turner 

Panic of 1837

Joseph Smith and the Mormons

Mexican American War (1846-1848)

Dred Scott (1857)

Harper's Ferry

Ku Klux Klan

Spanish American War

In your research proposal you will need to have a "research problem." Meaning you need to take one of the topics and attempt to answer a question about it. For example, "Was Columbus a hero or a villain?" Or "What does Mormonism say about America before the Civil War?" Or "Was George Washington a great president?" Once you have a topic and a problem, start working on your proposal. See below:

Research Proposal

1. Title: It should be concise and descriptive. 

2. Introduction: The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem. In short, try to explain your research question broadly but also explain why it is important.
3. Development: While the Introduction generally identifies the research topic, the Development section attempts to explain to the reader what is important about the topic, why it should merit research, and how you intend to go about the research process.

1. State the research problem and more fully explain the purpose of the study. 
2. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing. 
3. Describe the major issues or problems to be addressed by your research. 
4. Explain how you plan to go about conducting your research. Clearly identify the primary sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to the analysis of your topic. 

4. Conclusion: It is important to conclude your proposal with a paragraph reiterating the importance or significance of your proposal. This paragraph should emphasize how your project’s results might contribute to previous historical work in the field or area you are studying.

Good luck!

Let me know if you have any questions.