Based on one of the topics below, write a 1500 word paper (minimum 1300 words, maximum 1700 words). The paper should be double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font, with 1-inch margins.
The purpose of this paper is to develop a clear and persuasive historical argument using the available class materials (lecture videos, assigned books, online readings from Blackboard). Each paper is required to cite at least three written primary sources (from among those assigned for the class) and at least one visual primary source (from among those made available on the class's Blackboard website). No outside sources are required or expected for this paper: use only the assigned materials.
Because this is a Gordon rule class, writing will form a component of the paper grade. All papers should demonstrate proper grammar, punctuation, and style. If you have questions on matters of writing, you are encouraged to consult your section leaders in their office hours or the staff at FSU's Reading Writing Center (http://wr.english.fsu.edu/Reading-Writing-Center). See also my Style and Grammar hints handout (in the Assignments folder on Blackboard).
This paper should be your work and your work alone. All text and any ideas that are not your own should be properly cited (for a description of plagiarism and advice on how to avoid it. When citing from a text, use the following format: "cited text" (Sieyès, 119). Do not include footnotes or a bibliography.
Papers should be submitted electronically to the turnitin link in the Assignments section of the course's Blackboard website.
Papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
• Does the paper have a clear and persuasive argument?
• Is this argument backed up with evidence from the primary sources?
• Does the paper demonstrate a mastery of the relevant primary and secondary sources?
• Does the paper demonstrate an understanding of the broader historical issues at stake?
• Is the paper well organized, with a clear and discernible structure?
• Is the paper well written, with proper use of grammar and few errors of grammar, spelling, tone, word choice, etc.?
Paper topics (choose one):
1. Edmund Burke's trenchant critique of the French Revolution remains influential to this day. Is his critique accurate and fair? Using both the text of Burke and other documents relevant to this question, evaluate the accuracy and fairness of Edmund Burke's critique of the French Revolution.
2. Historians have long debated whether the Terror of 1793-1794 was an inevitable consequence of the French Revolution or instead an aberration that departed from its original principles and guiding impulses. Which side is right? Using the available sources, develop an argument that addresses this question.
3. On the one hand, Caspar David Friedrich's paintings show landscapes largely devoid of human influence. On the other hand, they were the product of a very definite place and time. How do Friedrich's paintings reflect the revolutionary era in which he lived and the cultural, social, and political forces that shaped this era? Your argument should make use of not only the Friedrich paintings but also at least three other primary sources.