A Short Paper Assignment allows you, early in the course, to demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you when you write a second research paper. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper and adequate research and write a short paper. prepare you for writing future research papers.
In this assignment, you will be constructing a brief essay on a controversial topic in American history. You are free to research this and come up with your own controversy or I will be happy to assist you in choosing one. Below you can find some potential controversies. There are (of course) many others, but these are some high profile cases that should make it easy to come up with a viable thesis. Your essay should be persuasive and needs to take a side on the issue. It is not enough to note that there are two sides and then explain them. I have provided you with some controversial topics that lend themselves to argument, but feel free to explore any US controversy in the period covered from Ch1 through Ch7 in your Henretta text you wish.
Potential Controversies for the first essay:
Why did so many colonists die at Jamestown?
Why did the Salem Witch Trials happen?
Who benefited more from the Colombian Exchange?
Why did slavery become race-based?
What was the primary or central cause of the American Revolution?
Who had the better argument: Federalists or Antifederalists?