Primary sources give us insight on phenomena and events that we did not personally experience or witness. This short writing assignment (1,000-1,250 words) gives you an opportunity to engage with assigned primary sources to make an argument about the consequences of the early encounters between Europeans and Indigenous Americans. Drawing on our assigned primary sources, respond to ONE of the questions below (do not answer both questions!)

 

1. How did the lives of Indigenous peoples in the Americas change after 1492? Using at least two of our assigned primary sources, make an argument about how people living in the Americas prior to 1492 responded to the arrival of Europeans. What do our sources suggest were some of the most important consequences of the encounter between Europeans and Native Americans (whether intention or unintentional)? How did Indigenous peoples adapt to and/or counter European arrival?

**OR**

2. How did European views of the world change after 1492? Using at least two of our assigned primary sources, make an argument about how one or more groups of colonists (e.g. the English, the Spanish, the French) began to view and/or approach the world differently after they encountered the land and peoples of the Americas. What do our sources suggest were some of the most important consequences of this encounter from a European perspective?

Regardless of which prompt you choose, your paper must engage in a close analysis of at least two of the primary sources we have read thus far (NOT any two primary sources, but two that you have discussed in section). The primary documents that we will have read by the time the paper is due are listed below. At least two of the below must be discussed in your paper; primary sources that do not appear here should not be analyzed in your paper.

1. 1, “Origins of Disease & Medicine”
2. 2 “Catalan Atlas”
3. 5 “Account of the Northern Conquest & Discovery of Hernando de Soto”
4. 1 “A brief relation of two sundry voyages”
5. 2 Portrait of Pocahontas
6. 5 “Account of the Marriage of Marie Rouensa”
7. 1 A New Map of the Island of Barbados
8. 1 “Editorial favoring Indentured Servitude over Slavery”
9. 3 “Observations on the Increase of Mankind”

 

Your argument should be primarily informed by your close and detailed analysis of assigned primary sources. While you may draw on assigned textbook readings and lectures to contextualize your analysis, no outside research is permitted. This means that any references you make must be to our course materials, NOT to websites, other books or courses, etc.

Your paper must be a typed, double-spaced, in 12’ font in a .doc or .docx format (no PDFS, Google docs etc.!) A paper of 1,000-1,250 words in this format will be 3-4 pages long. It should have a clear title, your name, and your TA’s name.

In the interest of saving space, when referring to a primary document you may simply put the appropriate document number from American Horizons (our ebook) in parentheses, e.g. “In the old days the beasts, birds, fishes and animals could all talk” (American Horizons, 1.1).

 

Late papers will be penalized at a rate of ½ letter grade per day (i.e. after 1 day, an ‘A’ paper becomes an A- etc.). If you need an extension, you must contact your TA before the due date. Extensions of more than 48 hours may require additional documentation.

 

The professor and TAs are available to discuss the details of this assignment during office hours. Refer to Blackboard for details on how to sign up. Happy writing!

Grading Rubric

Criteria	A	B	C	F
The Basics	·        Paper is 4-5 pages (1,000-1,250 words), typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font ·        Paper has a clear title that hints at broader argument ·        Paper lists your name & TA’s name	·        Paper is too short (<1,000 words), typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font ·        The title of the paper is unclear (or is just “HST 101 paper”)	·        Paper is way too short (800 words or less) ·        Paper has no title	·        No paper submitted
Claim/Focus	·        Paper makes a clear & supportable argument that responds directly to one of the two prompts ·        Paper maintains a strong focus on defending the stated argument, using the whole essay to support and develop the claim while thoroughly addressing all aspects of the prompt.	·        Paper makes a clear argument that responds to one of the two prompts. ·        Paper maintains focus on defending the argument, using most of the essay to support and develop the claim.	·        Paper makes a claim that is simplistic or vague and does not fully address the prompt. ·        The writing may not stay focused on proving the argument	·        Paper does not make a claim or state a position. ·        The writing does not address the purpose, task, or demands of the prompt.
Analysis and use of evidence	·        Essay uses at least 2 assigned primary documents to support argument ·        All direct quotations and/or use of examples are properly cited in a footnote with a specific document number and title (e.g. American Horizons, 1.1) ·        Essay demonstrates insightful reasoning and careful understanding of the sources, fully explaining the relationship between the student’s argument and the sources used. ·        A counterclaim is acknowledged, and inconsistencies or weaknesses in evidence are addressed.	·        Essay uses at least 2 assigned primary documents to support argument ·        All direct quotations and/or use of examples are properly cited with a specific document number (e.g. 1.1) ·        Essay demonstrates understanding of the sources ·        Paper may acknowledge some inconsistencies or weaknesses in evidence	·        Essay uses fewer than 2 assigned primary documents to support argument or draws on documents that were not assigned. ·        Direct quotations and/or specific examples not attributed (i.e. the document they come from is not specified) ·        Essay fails to demonstrate understanding of the sources. ·        Explanation of the relationship between the argument and the sources used is not always clear.	·        Paper uses <2 primary documents to support argument ·        Paper lacks citations ·        Paper demonstrates little to no understanding of the sources, & explanations of the relationships between claims and support are not present.
Organization, Language & Style	·        Paper has a clear introduction, body paragraphs that support the central argument, & a conclusion that summarizes & reinforces main points ·        Incorporates effective transitions within an organizational structure that enhances the analysis. ·        Relationships between and among ideas are clear and cohesive. ·        Paper is constructed to communicate a logical progression of ideas ·        Few grammatical and/or spelling errors are present, and they do not interfere with meaning.	·        Paper has a clear introduction & conclusion, with body paragraphs that support the central argument ·        Incorporates transitions within an organizational structure that supports the analysis ·        Relationships between and among ideas are relatively clear. ·        Paper may have some grammatical errors, but they do not interfere with meaning.	·        Paper lacks a clear introduction or conclusion ·        Paper uses a simplistic organizational structure, and relationships between ideas may not be consistently clear. ·        Use of transitions is sparse, repetitive, and/or ineffective. ·        Paper contains grammatical and/or spelling errors that may interfere with meaning at times.	·        Organizational structure is not evident, and relationships between ideas are not consistently clear. ·        The paper may read as a series of unrelated ideas, as the absence of transitions makes it difficult to see connections ·        Introduction & conclusion are missing or irrelevant. ·        The essay contains errors that interfere with meaning

 

 

 

APA

 

 

 

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