Analyze how a historian constructs an argument and supports that argument with evidence.
-
First, you should give the primary argument of the reading. This is the thesis or claim that the author is trying to support with historical evidence (“This essay claims that…”), not the topic of the essay (“This essay is about…”). This should be about a sentence.
-
Then you should explain the evidence that the historian uses. This requires looking at the footnotes. What primary historical documents does the author reference? What about secondary sources? Provide a general overview of the kinds of sources the author uses, and then identify at least two primary sources, explaining what evidence the author draws from them. This will be about a paragraph.
-
Finally, you should evaluate the efficacy of the author’s argument. Is it convincing? Does the author acknowledge possible counterarguments? If not, can you think of counterarguments of your own that would merit further exploration? This will be a few sentences
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT
