demonstrating how the United States since 1877 has been a place of freedom and opportunity but also one of exclusion, resistance, and oppression

demonstrating how the United States since 1877 has been a place of freedom and opportunity but also one of exclusion, resistance, and oppression. Your thesis will play off of this larger theme of the dual nature of the American narrative. Creativity is welcomed, but it’s more important to just lay out an argument that can be supported well in a paper of this length. Remember, you want to buttress your thesis with at least two primary and three secondary sources. On secondary sources, books and authored articles in historical journals are best, or are at least better support than information from something like The History Channel site or general encyclopedias (I mentioned this to some of you in my feedback on the prospectus). Additionally, you’re required to incorporate at least one peer-reviewed article. You’re shooting for at least 1,250 words (5-6 double-spaced pages), and more is usually better. Ideally you will have 6-9 fully developed and well-polished paragraphs, including an introduction and conclusion. Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling is expected. This is a research paper, so it goes without saying that all information that’s not common knowledge as well as all direct quotes must be cited numerically (end notes or footnotes, your choice). And don’t forget a separate bibliography. Both citations and bibliography must be be in CMS per Rampolla. When it comes to CMS, I’m not too concerned with cover page or margin width or etc., just be sure to follow Rampolla’s examples on citations and bibliographic entries. A good argument that reflects some of your own original thought, supported by solid sources cited correctly and consistently in CMS will win the day. 3 primary sources and 3 secondary sorces