HIS 101/303 Historiography Assignment

US History IHistoriography Assignment 80 Points Due Date: Friday, April 11, 01! at the start o" #lass Historiography, according to the OED, is the study of riting history and of ritten histories!" It can a#so $e construed as the history of history" or the history of historica# de$ate!" As e ha%e seen and i## see in c#ass this semester, $eyond the a$so#ute $asics of names, dates, and p#aces, history is often hot#y de$ated, and historica# truth depends %ery much on the e%idence used and the %ie point ta&en! 'or this assignment, you i## #oo& at one of these de$ates, disco%er the e%idence a%ai#a$#e to support each side, determine hich side you support and hy, and defend your choice! 'or each side of the de$ate, create a #ist of facts that support that side and #ist the source for a## facts after them in ()A format! Each #ist shou#d $e at #east * facts #ong, $ut you are e#come to put do n as many as you can disco%er or thin& of! Once you ha%e created the #ist for each side of the argument, you must rite a t o to four page position paper +dou$#e,spaced, si-e 1. /imes 0e 1oman font2, stating the side you support and hy, ma&ing use of the facts that support your side hi#e e3p#aining hy facts supporting the other side are not as con%incing! 4ou may say that some of the opposing facts raise a good point, $ut do not try to ta&e a midd#e road $et een the arguments! 4ou must hand in $oth your fact #ists + ith citations and or&s cited page2 and your position paper + ith citations and or&s cited page2! /he ru$ric you i## $e graded on is $e#o the de$ate topics! Historiographi# De$ates De$ate 1: %ar o" Independen#e: &e'olution or (ounter)&e'olution* Position 1: /he 5ar for American Independence as a true re%o#ution in hich Americans fought for a ne ay of #ife and a change from pre%ious systems of economic and po#itica# go%ernance! Position : /he 5ar for American Independence as a counter,re%o#ution, in hich Americans fought for a return to o#d ays of #i%ing against a system hich had imposed ne economic and po#itica# restrictions! De$ate : +he (onstitution o" 1,8, and the Spirit o" the De#laration o" Independen#e +0ote6 DO 0O/ ta&e into consideration any amendments to the 7onstitution for this de$ate8this is on#y a$out the document produced $y the 9hi#ade#phia con%ention in Septem$er 1:;:!2 Position 1: <y setting up a strong federa# go%ernment, the 7onstitution undermined the idea#s of persona# freedom, e=ua#ity, and #oca# so%ereignty put for ard in the Dec#aration of Independence! Position : <y creating systems of chec&s and $a#ances ithin the nationa# go%ernment and a di%ision of po er $et een state and federa# go%ernments, the 7onstitution ensured that the states ou#d retain so%ereignty and the peop#e ou#d retain their freedoms and e=ua#ity hi#e unifying the separate states into a stronger nation!

HIS 101/303 Historiography Assignment

De$ate -: Indian &emo'al Position 1: Andre >ac&son, (artin ?an <uren, and 7ongress remo%ed 0ati%e Americans from the East mainly in order to separate them from the racism of surrounding hites and protect them from possi$#e genocide! Position : >ac&son, ?an <uren, and 7ongress remo%ed the 0ati%e Americans ithout consideration of their rights, their status as #ando ners, or their safety solely for the purpose of ta&ing their #ands and remo%ing them as an impediment to hite e3pansion! De$ate !: (auses o" the (i'il %ar Position 1: /he main cause of the 7i%i# 5ar as disagreement o%er the economic systems of the 0orth and South and the amount of po er the 'edera# go%ernment e3ercised in comparison to the state go%ernments +states@ rights"2! Position : /he main cause of the 7i%i# 5ar as the issue of s#a%ery, hether it as the po#itica# po er of the s#a%e states in the nationa# go%ernment, the e3tension of s#a%ery into the 5est, or the mora# opposition to s#a%ery %oiced $y a$o#itionists and other 0orthern antis#a%ery forces! De$ate .: &o$ert /0 1ee2s generalship Position 1: )ee as a $ri##iant genera# ho he#d out against superior Anion forces much #onger than cou#d ha%e $een e3pected through his strategic and tactica# genius and $o#d, decisi%e actions! Position : )ee@s o%er#y aggressi%e tactics, cost#y offensi%es, and unnecessary in%asions $#ed his army dry, #eft other portions of the 7onfederacy %u#nera$#e to attac&, and #ed to the e%entua# 7onfederate defeat! Historiography Assignment &u$ri# (ategory Points Possi$le 30 .0 .0 10 ;0
Historiography Assignment Addendum

Points /arned

(omments

9osition paper +c#arity, support, conc#usion2 9osition 1 facts 9osition . facts ()A format, or&s cited page /ota#

HIS 101/303 Historiography Assignment

1.

Rough Drafts: If you want to hand in a rough draft, a hard copy is due in class on April 4, 2014; online drafts will be accepted until the end of the day on Sunday, April 6, 2014.

2. Additional topics: If none of the topics pro ided appeal to you, you can write a topic of your own !in the sa"e for"at as on the assign"ent sheet, with a basic #uestion and two opposing positions$ and turn it in to "e by %arch 26th for "y appro al. &ote that any topics "ust be fro" the scope of the class !'S (istory up to 1)6*$, and "ust deal with an historical issue !an issue that can be researched through written records$. +ou "ust also cite at least two sources on which you will base your research. I will let you ,now by e"ail by the end of that day if I- e appro ed your topic. .. Extra credit: If I appro e your topic, I "ight also tell you that it is a good enough topic for "e to include in later ersions of this assign"ent; if I do, I will gi e you 1* points of e/tra credit toward your final grade. 0he decision is "ine alone, and there is no rubric for it other than "y decision1"a,ing process2 4. Citations: 3e sure, first of all, to cite A&+ outside source you use in your 4or,s 5ited page. Also, gi e in1te/t citations for any facts or infor"ation you get fro" the te/tboo, or any other source, and for A66 direct #uotes. 4hen citing fro" boo,s, re"e"ber that %6A for"at is as follows7 !%c8herson *2)$. If there are "ultiple boo,s by the sa"e author on your wor,s cited page, gi e an abbre iation of the boo, in the in1te/t cite7 !%c8herson, Battle Cry *2)$ for 9a"es %. %c8herson-s Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. :or websites, ne er cite the full ';6 in the te/t. <i e a shortened ersion of it in your in1te/t citation, or the title of the page or online article. 3e sure it is "ade clear which wor, listed on your 4or,s 5ited page you are referring to. :or the citation on the 4or,s 5ited page, I do as, that you gi e the full ';6. If you ha e any #uestions please see or e"ail "e.