Research Paper

History 219: Illinois and Local History

Professor Edstrom

Research Paper

Due November 5 and December 10, 2009

The purpose of the research paper assignment is to examine and investigate an issue, event, or person in Illinois history, preferably using a combination of primary and secondary sources. Pick a topic that you find interesting and compelling. Here are some possible examples:

· Did slavery truly end in Illinois in 1818 with the first constitution, in 1848 with the second constitution, or in 1865 with the repeal of the state’s “black laws?”

· Was the French settlement of Illinois more or less successful than that of the English?

· Was there any possibility that Illinois could have seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy during the Civil War?

· Who were the Mound Builders in prehistoric Illinois?

· Should the state of Illinois have left the Dickson Mounds open to view rather than closing them in 1992?

· Was Governor John Peter Altgeld right in pardoning the Haymarket anarchists?

· Who was truly at fault in the sequence of events leading to the departure of the Mormons from Illinois?

· How has the geography of Illinois influenced its development and history?

· Select a governor of Illinois and evaluate his career.

· Evaluate the career and influence of Senator Paul Simon.

· How did the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 establish Lincoln as a national figure?

· Compare and contrast some of the following millennial movements: the Icarians, the Mormons, the Bishop Hill colony, the English settlement at Albion.

· Would it have been possible for Mayor Richard J. Daley to have handled the protesters at the 1968 Democratic Convention in a different way?

The paper should:

· Run 7-10 pages.

· Include both footnotes and bibliography. You may use any style with which you feel comfortable (MLA, APA, etc.—I personally use the Chicago style), but the most important point about citation is that anyone reading your paper should be able to follow up on your research. There are various style manuals available in the Library.

· Be double-spaced on typed pages using a font no larger than 12 point and margins of 1 inch all the way around.

For extensive information on historical research and writing, look at Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students (Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004), which you can find at http://academic.bowdoin.edu/WritingGuides/.

Your draft proposal for your paper is due on November 5^th. Students must hand in this draft proposal in order to be eligible for the full 100 points that the paper is worth; the draft is worth up to 10 points, and the final paper is worth up to 90 points. You should include the following in that proposal:

· Your draft thesis statement.

· A list of some of the sources that you plan to use. Try to include at least one primary source.

I will look over each student’s proposal and return it with suggestions and additional resources for research. I will be happy to help you at any point in the process, so please contact me if you need assistance. The final paper will be due on December 10^th. Good luck!

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Last updated August 21, 2009