The analytical paper is designed to encourage an in-depth historical analysis of a specific time period through the close reading and contextualization of eyewitness accounts. In many ways, it functions in much the same way as a traditional research paper, in that you should read the material carefully, noting important passages you might refer to in your essay.

 It should answer the question posed, highlighting specific themes and examples from the text to support the thesis advanced. Most importantly, it should demonstrate a close reading of the materials in light of the issues raised in the course thus far. In other words, your paper shouldn't simply re-state the content of the sources, but it should analyze it in a kind of critical reflection mindful of its role as an historical source.

In crafting and advancing your argument, you paper should involve direct, paraphrased quotations from the sources, in addition to drawing from lecture notes and relevant readings, which must be cited according to MLA or APA style.

Consider the question below in the context of the assigned primary source documents from the second half of the course, our discussions, and your other secondary source readings and viewings from the class materials only.

Question

Did the changes in Western culture caused by the Renaissance, Reformation, and discovery of the Americas result in a more or less just society? At what points and in which places did people try to establish more just social, political and economic systems, and to what extent were they successful?