E.

1. Your assignment is to write an analytical research paper on the topic of “Opening the West.”
Your paper should consider the motivations and
reasons how and why this region changed, what brought American settlers,
institutions, and cultural beliefs into the region, and how those events
impacted the region, its environment, and its indigenous peoples. Your
paper
should consider the following aspects:
a. Relationships, both peaceful and violent, with the Native
Americans;
b. Impact of the construction of railroad infrastructure (primarily the
“land grant” transcontinental railroads);
c. Impact of mining “rushes” or “booms” in the region;
d. Impact of changes in land use;
e. Causes and effects of changes in Federal policies;
f. Public observations or opinions (from the time) of events;
g. Modern opinions or analyses of relevant events, including but not
limited to environmental concerns.
There is no single conclusion or perspective on this topic. Your
research is intended for you
to arrive at your own conclusions (as long as
those conclusions are of academic quality, not fantasy). This is a research
paper. SIMPLY TELLING WHAT HAPPENED IS NOT SUFFICIENT! You
must
consider HOW and WHY things happened. You must consider “cause
and effect,” that is, why
things happened when and where they did, and how
those events impacted subsequent events.
2. Here are the style and format guidelines for this assignment. Please
follow these instructions:
a. Use the “Chicago” format, NOT MLA or APA formats for your
paper, including FOOTNOTES (not endnotes) for all citations. Refer
to Jules Benjamin, A Student’s Guide to History for important
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guidance on research (Chapter 7), paper organization (Chapter 8),
and correct citation formatting (Chapter 10). Your paper must have at least 5 FULL pages of text (longer is fine,
shorter is not)
plus a separate bibliography page.
b. In the text of your paper, use 12-point sized Times New Roman
type font, and double spacing.
c. Text margins are 1-inch on top, bottom, and both sides.
d. Number all pages of text, pages of images (if any), and
bibliography. Put the number in the
upper right corner of each page.
Page numbering begins with Page 1 on the first page of the text.
e. Footnotes are in 10-point type. Do not place an empty line between
separate footnote entries.
3. You MUST use and cite from at least THREE different primary and
THREE different secondary
research sources (more of each type are
acceptable, fewer are not). You are responsible for locating these sources
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yourselves as part of your research; if appropriate to your topic, you may use
primary sources from Kevin B. Sheets, Sources for America’s History, vol 2:
Since 1865, or from other sources as an alternative. Remember that
primary sources may include photographs taken at the time and newspaper
or magazine articles from the time; if uncertain, refer to Benjamin, Chapter
7. Secondary Sources may include government documents, research
reports, or opinion articles of academic quality. Use the JSTOR.org website
or similar sites of academic quality to find secondary source materials of
academic. Be aware that secondary sources which are not valid include
blogs, podcasts, etc.
4. I will consider the following things when grading your paper: Quality of
Research, Quality of Analysis (argument), and Quality of Format (following
style instructions).