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Papers will be due Friday, Dec. 10, in class. Late papers will be graded down 10% for every weekday they are late. Students should cite the sources of any quotations or facts used, as well as the sources of any ideas that they may have borrowed, in endnotes, according to the rules set forth in one of the following guides: Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual; Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 5th edition or later; or The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition. All word processing programs published in the 1990s have a feature that allows footnotes or endnotes to be created, numbered, and placed automatically. Bibliographies are unnecessary for these essays if sources have been properly cited. Alternatively, students may write a 10- to 20-page original research paper. The topics for the research papers should be developed in consultation with the instructor and approved by him in advance. (A 15- to 20- page research paper or historiographic essay is mandatory for graduate students.) Students are encouraged to do the research paper if they desire, keeping a couple of points in mind. An original research paper means a paper based mostly on primary sources, especially documents produced by people who had direct, contemporaneous access to the events or people being analyzed. If one is studying the attitudes or ideas of a particular figure, the most important primary sources would be that person's own writings and speeches. Primary sources do NOT include the work of later historians or journalists, though such secondary sources may be used for background information. Students wishing to do the research paper option need to get their topic and research plans (especially what primary sources they intend to use) approved by Monday, Nov. 8, at the very latest. (NOTE: Unlike the essays, research papers will need include bibliographies.
Essay Topics1. Re-read Thomas Jefferson's reminiscences of the origins his conflict with Alexander Hamilton. (Click here for fuller excerpts from Jefferson's "Anas.") Did Jefferson give a fair and accurate interpretation of the events of the 1790s? Hamilton did not live to write such a memoir. How would he have responded to Jefferson's reminiscences, if he could have? (The creative among you may want to write this paper as Hamilton's own reminiscences.) 2. One of the key developments of this period was the formation of national political parties. Was this a disastrous and disturbing development that perverted Revolutionary ideals, as many of the Founders believed, or a necessary and beneficial one that carried the Revolution forward? What were the strengths and weaknesses of the early party system? How has American politics changed from the 1790s to 1990s? 3. Thomas Jefferson would be remembered today for writing the Declaration of Independence even if he had done nothing else. Imagine the reverse situation. What would Jefferson's historical reputation be if he had not been a Revolutionary hero? Evaluate Thomas Jefferson's leadership based solely on his career in the period covered by this course. Was he a great leader and visionary, or an irresponsible ideologue who nearly destroyed the country by trying to implement his pet theories? Did he follow a consistent policy from the 1790s into his presidency, or did he betray his earlier ideals, as many of his critics have alleged? 4. One of the great projects of this period was the attempt to foster a sense of nationhood in the young United States, through literature, architecture, ceremonies, and the press. Imagine that President Washington, Adams, Jefferson, or Madison – you choose the President and tailor your report accordingly – has assigned you to develop a comprehensive plan to foster nationalism in the U.S. Prepare a report to the president outlining your plan, making clear what specific measures you would take, why they would be effective, and what national values you would hope to instill in the populace. You need not limit yourself to measures that were actually taken, but do evaluate the real events where appropriate. Take any political point of view you wish, and be as creative as you wish. If you are artistically inclined, try writing the words for a better national anthem or submitting a new plan for the capital city or a new design for a national seal or flag. Propose constitutional amendments or other legislation if you think they are necessary. Have fun with this topic, but also take it seriously, grounding your suggestions in attitudes and ideas specific to the Early American Republic. One way to start thinking might be to go out and sample the work of some nationalist poets & playwrights of the period, such as Philip Freneau, Joel Barlow, David Humphreys, Timothy Dwight, John Trumbull, and Joseph Hopkinson (available at a library near you). 5. Write a book review of Thomas Jefferson's only published work, Notes on the State of Virginia. (You will need to read all of it rather than the small pieces that I ahve assigned in class.) Take a particular cultural, political, or social point of view (from the late 18th-century), and assess the book and its arguments. (Obviously, you will need to identify and define this point of view: it could be a Republican, a Federalist, a Frenchman, a woman, or a slave). Then give your own turn-of-the 21st-century impressions as well. 6. Assess the "Revolution of 1800" from the perspective of African Americans, American Indians, and/or women, using Wright, African Americans in the Early Republic and Ben-Atar and Oberg, Federalists Reconsidered as well the materials on women and Indians found in the Virtual Reader and Electronic Library sections of the course web site. (All other course materials are fair game as well.) page last updated 12/14/99 04:57 PM
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