Voices of Freedom

Voices of Freedom
Order Description
Documents 128 in the book Voices of Freedom.
Professor LaBau’s Paper Assignment for Hist 202
Three times during the quarter you will write a paper analyzing one of the documents in
Voices of Freedom. Your paper will be composed of two parts:
1) Your answers to the four Historian’s Questions.
2) Your answers to Foner’s questions (listed after each document in Voices of Freedom).
The text of your paper (including answers to all six questions) must be 400-500 words. Most of
those words should be devoted to Historian’s Questions 2-4.
You will be assigned three specific documents to analyze in your papers during the
course of the quarter. A list of which documents you are assigned to write about will be posted
on Blackboard at the conclusion of the add/drop period.
A printed copy of each paper is due before class on the date that the document is
assigned. Papers turned in after the beginning of class will receive a 10% penalty until the end
of class. Papers turned in by the beginning of the following class meeting will receive a 50%
penalty. No assignments will be accepted later than that. Your four document analysis (three
papers and the final document analysis during our final exam time) will cumulatively count for
40% of your overall grade.
The key to doing well on these papers is developing and demonstrating the skill of
historical document analysis. That means identifying specific links between the text of the
document and the historical context. These links (surprises, puzzles, doc connections) should
be specific at both ends (specific passages from the text, specific details from the context). Your
paper should include many such specific references throughout (all with appropriate citations).
To earn an A on a document analysis paper, you must demonstrate the skill of historical
document analysis and follow all other content, style, and formatting standards provided here.
You may earn an opportunity to drop your lowest document analysis grade if you: (a)
demonstrate a good faith effort on all three document assignments and (b) visit me for a oneon-
one discussion of how to improve in the skill of analyzing documents in their historical
context. For this conversation, bring at least one graded paper so we can discuss specific areas
of improvement.
There will be no extra credit of makeup opportunities for these assignments.
Professor LaBau’s Formatting and Style Guidelines for Hist 202
The following guidelines apply to your papers. Because good style is essential to good writing,
and good writing is essential to making a written argument, style is an inseparable element of
historical analysis. Before you turn in your paper, make sure your paper conforms to the
standards below. If you have additional questions about the standards, you may wish to refer
to the sample paper that will be provided on Blackboard.
Style
Citations: Always provide a citation for any thought, idea, or example taken from another
author’s work. (In other words, your paper should be full of citations.) When citing
Voices of Freedom, simply include the page number in parenthesis at the end of the
sentence. When citing Give Me Liberty, simple include the word “Liberty” and a comma
before the page number. (See the sample paper for examples.)
Quotations: With such a limited word count, it is usually best to paraphrase. Only quote when
the specific words used by the author are significant, and only quote those few words.
Then provide analysis that explains the significance of these words.
Tense: Historians are interested in the timeliness (not timelessness) of texts. Use the past tense
when writing about people, events, and documents (“she wrote” not “she writes”).
Directness: Do not hide your argument behind uncertainty. Watch out for words like “seem(s),”
“appear(s)” and “might be.” These undermine confidence in your assertions.
Edit: Do not turn in written work that you have not first read aloud and edited accordingly.
Many (perhaps most) grammatical and stylistic errors can be identified with this simple
technique.
Formatting
Paragraphs: Your answers to the Historian’s Questions should be in paragraph form.
Numbered: Your answers to Foner’s questions (listed after your document in Voices of
Freedom) should be in paragraphs, numbered 1 and 2. Do not include the text of the
questions.
Word Count: Include the word count at the bottom of your paper.
Double-Spaced, Single-Sided, & Stapled: Submit work in a double-spaced format, printed on
one side of the page, with pages stapled together.