For this course, you will submit a research paper based on primary source research relating to a topic in U.S. history between the end of the Revolution and the start of the Civil War.
Your paper must make use of at least three primary sources, and at least eight secondary sources, including one book that was not used in class. Primary sources are the firsthand evidence of history, materials like letters, photographs, official records, or artifacts created during the time being studied. They offer direct insight into the past. In contrast, secondary sources interpret, analyze, or explain those events later, often using primary sources as their foundation.
| Abolitionist Movement |
Immigration (Irish, German, Chinese) |
The Second Great Awakening & German Awakening American Lutheranism revivalist movement in late 18th & 19th centuries) |
|
Cotton Kingdom |
Indian Removal/ Trail of Tears |
The Sectional Crisis |
|
Industrialization (Technology; Expansion of Transportation; Growing Labor Force) |
Manifest Destiny | Slavery |
In using primary sources, it is important to remember that these materials are first-hand accounts from a particular time in history, so they, generally, tell one side of a story and can be biased.
It is important to think about:
You may want to consider finding additional primary sources to show what and who is missing?