Paper instructions:
Understanding history can be more difficult than many people imagine. Historians concern themselves not only with what happened but with why it happened. They
analyze and assess a variety of sources, including primary sources (ones created during the time period the historian is examining) and secondary sources (ones written
by other historians after the period), to create their own interpretations of the past. For the Final Paper, students will not only learn about the past, but also
experiment with the interpretive, analytical methodologies of the historian.
Choose from one of the topics below and review its history from 1865 to the present. Select six specific events or developments that span the years covered by this
course, based on their impact on the topic and write a thesis. Three of your chosen topics must be from before 1930 and three must be from after 1930. Your thesis
should summarize the main conclusions that you drew while researching your topic and that you will support by creating a logical argument based on evidence (sources).
In your paper, make sure to connect each of the events or developments you have chosen back to your main thesis. Ensure you organize your paper effectively to
create a flow either along chronologically or thematic lines. For example, a paper about African Americans might choose the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Power
Movement as two of its events. In that case, the paper would provide basic information about the two movements. It would explain what each one revealed about the role
of African Americans in broader American society in, respectively, the 1920s and the late 1960s, explain how and why the roles of African Americans in the 1920s
differed from their roles in the late 1960s, and explain how events in the 1920s may have contributed to developments in the later decade.
Choose one of the following topics:
Women
The role and powers of the presidency
The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing
Center. The paper must include an introduction, a thesis and a conclusion that synthesizes and summarizes the findings of the body paragraphs. You must use at least
eight scholarly sources other than the textbook to support your claims. Of the eight scholarly sources, at least two must be primary sources and at least four must be
from the Ashford University Library. Many great sources have provided for you in the recommended readings section for each week; feel free to use those in your paper.
Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing
Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar, in your online course.
