How the “Progressive Essay”
Works:
For this course, you will write a long paper in three separate segments as the course progresses. You will write three essays: two short essays (2-3 pages) and one long essay (10 pages). All three essays are part of a larger project and all three of your essays will answer the question below. Think of it as a "progressive" essay assignment: each part is a working draft (or perhaps a chapter) of the larger final project.
The two short essays will cover discrete time periods corresponding to the lessons covered in the course to that point. Thus, the first essay analyzes your theme from approximately 1877 to 1919; the second essay covers from approximately 1919 to 1945. Your final essay will cover the entire course, 1877-2000. When composing the final essay, you will revise and incorporate your two short essays into the longer paper and you will add a third section covering the final period of the course.
By incorporating your short essays into the longer essay, however, you should not simply "cut and paste." Most of you will revise your work considerably from your first essay, and in some cases you will develop a thesis that looks quite different from your first attempt. The object of the “progressive essay” assignment is for you to produce a final essay that argues a single thesis. The essays are “progressive” in order to give you an opportunity to rewrite and revise, to learn from your mistakes, and to profit from my comments.
The progressive nature of this essay thus seeks to emphasize to you the critical importance of revision to the craft of writing: revise, revise, revise! In addition, the essays seek: (1) to help you become "active" historians; (2) to develop your writing and critical thinking skills; (3) to teach you how to devise, develop, and prove a thesis; and (4) to teach you to critically analyze historical writings.
Subject of the Essays:
For your essay assignments, you will become American history critics. All three essays will essentially answer the following question about each particular period:
Compare and contrast Howard Zinn’s and Paul
Johnson’s interpretations of American history. How do they approach U.S. history differently? Which interpretation do you find most
compelling, persuasive, or thought-provoking? Why?
As you prepare for
your essays, ask yourselves the following questions:
For example:
For the first essay,
you will write a three-page paper that compares Zinn’s and Johnson’s
interpretations of U.S. history from 1877-1900. Of course you cannot cover everything, so focus your essay
on a key point or two, such as how each deals with industrialization or
imperialism.
For the second
essay, you will write a three-page paper which compares Zinn’s and Johnson’s
interpretation of the years between WWI and WWII. For this essay, you might focus on how each addresses U.S.
involvement in the world wars; or how each assesses the “roaring twenties” and
the Great Depression.
For the final essay,
you will revise and incorporate the first two essays into a larger essay which
analyzes Zinn’s and Johnson’s interpretations of U.S. history through the
entire course.
Confused? Don't worry, we will discuss the essays at length as the quarter progresses. Please do not hesitate to ask questions—lots of them!
NOTE: Essay Formatting Guidelines:
All essays must conform to the essay guidelines handed out in class. These guidelines are also posted here.
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