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Prompt #2: Continuity vs. Change, Mid-15th to Mid-18th Centuries
Would you consi
Prompt #2: Continuity vs. Change, Mid-15th to Mid-18th Centuries
Would you consider the general history (i.e. the array of any number of religious, philosophical, scientific, economic, and political considerations) of the Atlantic world that we have studied from the mid-15th to mid-18th centuries to be one of continuity or of change? Put differently, is the history of the Atlantic world–from the Renaissance/Age of Exploration to the Seven Years’ War (aka French & Indian War)–a story of assent or dissent, conformity or nonconformity? Discuss this question in the context of two of the following eras: the Renaissance and Age of Exploration; the Protestant Reformation; the consolidation of European empires in the Americas in the 17th century; the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening; or the era of imperial consolidation culminating in the Seven Years’ War. In considering the Reformation or the Enlightenment, for example, students might wrestle with dissent that nonetheless stopped short of questioning the existence of God. A consideration of the Great Awakening or the pre-Seven Years’ War period, on the other hand, might wrestle with the problem of intense socio-political dissent that nonetheless avoided a fundamental challenge to class hierarchy in North America. Alternately, students might choose to go in an entirely different direction. Use pertinent examples from the textbook and readings below to support your argument.
Primary Sources:
John Winthrop, “Model of Christian Charity” (see Blackboard “Primary Sources” tab)
Trial of Anne Hutchinson (see Blackboard “Primary Sources” tab)
Bacon’s Declaration in the Name of the People http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5800.html
Charles Woodmason’s Sermon on the Baptists and the Presbyterians, ~1768, excerpt (on Blackboard)
Gilbert Tennent, “The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry” https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/the-danger-of-an-unconverted-ministry/
Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” http://woodlawnschool.pbworks.com/f/Edwards+Sinners+in+the+Hands+of+an+Angry+God.pdf
Pontiac’s Call for War https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/colonial-society/pontiac-calls-for-war-1763/
Instructions
Term Paper
You will use the link above to submit your Term Paper.
Note: Before beginning this assignment, read through information contained in the Scholastic Honesty link on the course menu to the left.
The core assignment of this course is a analytical term paper (1200-1700 words in length, approx. 4-6 pages double-spaced, 12-point font) chosen from one of the essay prompts below.
The paper should support a thesis statement with information gained from research or investigation. While you may bring in some outside research, you must also incorporate the sources provided within each topic prompt.
The paper will not be just a report presenting information but will be a paper that carefully examines and presents your own historical interpretation of the topic you have chosen and your interpretation of the information you have gathered.
The paper may include consideration of problems and solutions, definition of key terms, or may refute arguments against your thesis statement.
From the choices provided below, it will be important to choose a topic of interest to you. While all of the below topics are fair game, it will generally be easier if you engage with a prompt that you find appealing intellectually.
Approach this assignment with an open and skeptical mind, then form an opinion based on what you have discovered.
You must suspend personal beliefs while you are investigating and let the discoveries shape your opinion. (This is a thesis-finding approach.)
Once you have found your thesis, write the paper to support it.
You will use some of the following critical thinking skills in this process:
Choosing an appropriate topic, limiting the topic.
Gathering information, summarizing sources.
Analyzing and evaluating sources.
Defining key terms.
Synthesizing information, comparing and contrasting sources.
Testing a thesis, making a historical argument, using refutation.
Amassing support for a position.
Documenting sources.
Because this may be a longer paper than you have written before and a complex process is involved, it is recommended that you complete this paper using the following steps:
Choose a topic below, related to the chapters covered in The American Yawp, (Chapters 1-15) that you would truly like to explore and that you are willing to spend some time on. You may want to begin with more than one topic in mind.
Do some preliminary reading on the topic(s). You may begin with the textbook, then further explore the information available, including the primary sources provided with the historical question. Refine your topic. Summarize your topic, your interest in the topic, the questions you want to answer, and a hypothesis you want to test.
Gather information from a variety of sources. Use a minimum of four sources for your paper, including the textbook and relevant primary sources (including the ones listed below the prompts).
Primary sources are contemporary to the times under investigation.
An example of a secondary source is our textbook, though the textbook also contains excerpts of primary sources, which you may use as a source in your paper.
Outline the results of your research and the plan for your paper (you are not required to submit the outline).
Write the final draft and be sure to include a Works Cited List, and use the correct MLA documentation style.
Grade Rubric
INTRODUCTION & THESIS: Includes a clear thesis statement, an assertion or position. Topic is original and manageable in a short research paper. /15
FOCUS AND DEVELOPMENT: Body of the essay focuses on this thesis and develops it fully, recognizing the complexity of issues and refuting arguments in opposition to the thesis. /20
SUPPORT AND SYNTHESIS: Uses sufficient and relevant evidence to support the thesis (and primary points), including facts, inferences, and judgments. Quotes, summarizes, and paraphrases accurately and effectively–appropriately introducing and explaining each quote. /25
RESOURCES: Shows a clear understanding of the sources; has evaluated each source and used it appropriately. Uses a wide variety of sources reflecting significant research. /10
CONVENTIONS: Uses MLA format correctly; includes internal citations and a Works Cited list; is free of errors. /15
CORRECTNESS AND STYLE: Introduces the topic in an interesting way; shows critical thinking and depth of understanding; uses appropriate tone; shows sophistication in language usage and sentence structure. /15
TOTAL: /100
Submission Instructions
Complete your assignment using word-processing software such as MS Word 365 (download free software at https://products.office.com/en-us/student?ms.officeurl=getoffice365), LibreOffice (download free software at https://www.libreoffice.org/download), or other per course requirements.
Save your file as an .rtf (rich text format) or .doc (word document).
Select the Browse My Computer button to navigate to the file.
Locate and select your saved file.
Select Submit.
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