TOPICS:
1. Steven Ozment makes a controversial argument about marriage and the family in past times. What is it? Does his evidence in Magdalena and Balthasar convincingly support his argument? Date due: February 27.
2. In his own day, Erasmus had to spend a lot of time distancing himself from Luther and defending himself from charges that he had laid the groundwork for the Reformation. Is it accurate to make such a connection between Erasmus and Luther, or are Luther's fundamental ideas -- and the reasons for the Reformation break -- largely different from those of Erasmus and Renaissance humanists? Date due: March 22.
3. King James and Philip Mornay offer differing explanations of the limits on royal power and how a king can be held accountable for his actions. What are their arguments? How effectively does Mornay counter King James's argument? Date due: March 29.
4. John Locke wrote about such things as education and government, but in ways that show he was profoundly influenced by the new scientific thinking of his time. What can you identify in his views on education and government that seem indebted to the Scientific Revolution? Date due: April 16.
5. In the case of Louis XIV, what did 'absolute monarch' mean? In other words, how absolute was Louis XIV's power? How great a role did image and the illusion of power play in his authority? Date due: April 26.
6. Emperor Joseph II of Austria-Hungary banned production of the play The Marriage of Figaro. Why do you think that was? What in the play would be seen as threatening to a ruler like Joseph II? Date due: May 17.
COMMON EXPECTATIONS:
Purpose: Regardless of the specific topics on which you write, your papers are always expected to be primarily analytical; in other words, you must make an argument supported by evidence.
Audience: Although I may be the only person who reads your papers, you should write not specifically for me but for an intelligent reader who may be unfamiliar with the material that you read. A good test for whether or not you have done this is to have a friend or roommate read your paper. If it's not clear to her/him, then you need to revise it before turning it in.
Format: Papers must be
-at least c. 900 words long (c. 3 full standard pages) and usually no longer than 1200 words;
-typed using a standard reader-friendly 12 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins;
-written in standard, grammatical English; and
-stapled (not clipped) together.
In addition:
Do not provide a separate title page.
Number every page, preferably in the upper right corner.
In the upper left of the first page, please provide the following:
Your Name
HIS-110
The Date, 2004
Papers that do not follow this format in other than minor ways will be returned ungraded.
Citing sources: You must cite your sources for all quotations and borrowed ideas. Refer to your writing handbook for examples of what must be cited. The format you will use is the MLA in-text citation method–not footnotes/endnotes. Example: According to Carlson, "Historians should make more money than heart surgeons" (Carlson 45). Note that you do not use a comma or a 'p.' in this format; the parentheses go outside of the quotation marks, but inside the period at the end of the sentence. For these assignments, since you will only be using books from the syllabus or handouts that I provide rather than doing library research, you do not need to make a list of works cited. Failing to cite your sources adequately is plagiarism. As required by college policy, you may receive an F for plagiarism. If you have any questions about citing sources, ask me!
Language: All papers are to be written in standard formal English. Note that I expect you to use impersonal language for the most part. When writing history papers, it is conventional to avoid the first person (I, me, my, us, we, our) and not to address the reader directly ("as you will see", for example). While some historians are moving away from these conventions, most still try to minimize if not altogether avoid these usages.
Proofreading: You should never turn in a paper that has not been carefully reviewed for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Due dates: The due dates for each paper are given next to the topic. I expect papers to be turned in on time. I always grant extensions in exceptional cases (e.g., serious illness, a death in the family, tornado), but since you have many options here I would prefer that you simply write on a later topic rather than ask for an extension. I accept late papers without extensions for up to 4 days beyond the due date -- and with a grade penalty that increases with each day.
GRADING:
In assigning grades to your papers, I will apply the following general standards:
A The argument demonstrates a very high level of understanding of the material. A great deal of thought went into this paper. Use of evidence is excellent. The paper is well-organized, and it is nearly free of errors in grammar, spelling and word choice.
B This is a solid paper. It demonstrates a reasonably good grasp of the material and some thought seems to have gone into it. It is not as sophisticated as an A paper will be and/or may not use evidence as well. It is generally well-executed but may have some relatively minor problems with organization, grammar, spelling and/or wording. (A paper with an excellent argument and use of evidence will get a B if it is marred by excessive errors in grammar, spelling and word choice.)
C There are some significant flaws with this paper, either in its argument, use of evidence, or execution. There is enough of merit in it to demonstrate that the author made some effort but it is not as effective as a college history paper should be.
NC A paper that appears to have been thrown together with little or no reflection, uses no evidence or uses it incorrectly, and/or is riddled with technical problems is a waste of paper, toner, and time for all concerned. No credit will be given to such papers.
Given these criteria, it is my expectation that every student should be able to get at least a B on every paper. The comments that I make on your paper are intended both to explain the grade and to point out what you should do on future papers -- both things that you did right that you should keep doing and things that need to be improved. I am eager to talk with you privately about papers as well. Please don't hesitate to ask if you would like to meet with me!
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