13 March 2020 Saddleback College Spring 2020 English 1B Patton Essay III – Historical Analysis Research Essay: (200 points) Due dates: Proposal/thesis/brainstorming notes: 03/06 Pre-write / annotated bibliography 03/13 Draft (full length): 03/27 Peer Review: 03/27 Final Draft: 04/03 The final submission includes all pre-writing material, including notes on research, a hard copy submitted to the instructor and to Turnitin.com. Note: Grades for papers with high rates of “similarity” will be penalized severely. Analyzing historical events and their consequences is common research practice. In this essay, choose an historical event that is interesting to you, one that you may even be passionate about. Choose a topic that is debatable and has extensive sourcing. Prior knowledge of the event may be useful, even necessary. This assignment will require that you conduct a reasonable search for documentation and support. Start early and keep good notes. Start with an internet and library search. Good pre-writing protocol requires that you take notes as you read and that you document your sources accurately. Develop a thesis statement that is narrow enough to cover in a short (1700 – 2100) word paper and debatable—make a claim of value, fact, or policy. Choosing a topic: You may deal with various aspects of the topic: artistic, geo-political, scientific, moral, aesthetic, cultural, social, or economic. The following suggestions on the attached list may help you choose a topic. You may wish to take a conservative or a liberal stance on a topic. Be sure that the essay is thesis driven. The essay should be developed according to the methods discussed in class and in the textbook. The paper should be 6 - 8 pages. The paper is worth 200 points. You will be responsible for all phases of the writing process. Research is required (6+ sources cited; websites/magazine/newspaper articles are OK but much less valuable). Directions: Write a 6 to 8-page historical analysis research paper (including a Works Cited page) in MLA format on the topic of an historical event. Follow the writing process as discussed in class and in the textbook. Be prepared to show every step of the process in class. Show evidence of brainstorming, note taking, outline and rough draft. Write a thesis driven analysis of the topic. The thesis, preferably a divided thesis, should make a strong statement or claim about the event. Write a multi-paragraph essay analyzing the historical event that you have chosen. The essay should be expository, with some description and narration where appropriate. Historical Analysis Essay Rubric (200) 40 pts. Structure SLO #1 – divided thesis with debatable claim, coherence, organization, unity, transitions, topic sentences, paragraph structure – SEE, logical, academic and scholarly, embedded sources 60 pts. Content Development SLO #2 – debatable issue; enough content; rhetorical strategies; skillful use of summary, paraphrase, and quotation ...

1. 13 March 2020 Saddleback College Spring 2020
English 1B Patton
Essay III – Historical Analysis Research Essay: (200 points)
Due dates: Proposal/thesis/brainstorming notes:
03/06
Pre-write / annotated bibliography 03/13
Draft (full length): 03/27
Peer Review: 03/27
Final Draft: 04/03
The final submission includes all pre-writing material,
including notes on research, a hard copy submitted to the
instructor and to Turnitin.com.
Note: Grades for papers with high rates of “similarity” will be
penalized severely.
Analyzing historical events and their consequences is common
research practice. In this essay, choose an historical event that
is interesting to you, one that you may even be passionate
about. Choose a topic that is debatable and has extensive
sourcing. Prior knowledge of the event may be useful, even
necessary. This assignment will require that you conduct a
reasonable search for documentation and support. Start early
and keep good notes. Start with an internet and library search.
Good pre-writing protocol requires that you take notes as you
read and that you document your sources accurately. Develop a
thesis statement that is narrow enough to cover in a short (1700
– 2100) word paper and debatable—make a claim of value, fact,
or policy.
Choosing a topic:
You may deal with various aspects of the topic: artistic, geo-

2. political, scientific, moral, aesthetic, cultural, social, or
economic. The following suggestions on the attached list may
help you choose a topic.
You may wish to take a conservative or a liberal stance on a
topic. Be sure that the essay is thesis driven. The essay should
be developed according to the methods discussed in class and in
the textbook. The paper should be 6 - 8 pages. The paper is
worth 200 points. You will be responsible for all phases of the
writing process. Research is required (6+ sources cited;
websites/magazine/newspaper articles are OK but much less
valuable).
Directions:
Write a 6 to 8-page historical analysis research paper (including
a Works Cited page) in MLA format on the topic of an historical
event. Follow the writing process as discussed in class and in
the textbook. Be prepared to show every step of the process in
class. Show evidence of brainstorming, note taking, outline and
rough draft. Write a thesis driven analysis of the topic. The
thesis, preferably a divided thesis, should make a strong
statement or claim about the event. Write a multi-paragraph
essay analyzing the historical event that you have chosen. The
essay should be expository, with some description and narration
where appropriate.
Historical Analysis Essay Rubric (200)
40 pts. Structure SLO #1 – divided thesis with debatable
claim, coherence, organization, unity, transitions, topic
sentences, paragraph structure – SEE, logical, academic and
scholarly, embedded sources
60 pts. Content Development SLO #2 – debatable issue;
enough content; rhetorical strategies; skillful use of summary,
paraphrase, and quotations; concrete details; integrated
research; academic and scholarly; insightful/thoughtful

3. analysis; engages in synthesis with sources; engages in a
conversation with sources-- extensive research is required for
maximum credit!
20 pts Sentences/Style SLO #3 – clear and varied style;
academic; scholarly; formal; objective; concise; uses MLA style
tags for authors and sources; uses coordination; relative clauses;
participial phrases; adverbial subordinate clauses
20 pts. MLA/ Presentation SLO #4 - MLA format; in-text
citations (uses appropriate tags); spacing; and style
30 pts. Information Literacy SLO #5 – evidence of
extensive research; using longer sources; peer-reviewed
journals; academic sources
15 pts. Process Pre-writing (brainstorming; free writing;
diagramming; clustering; outline); Hook and TS; Rough Draft
and Peer Review; Final Draft proofread
15 pts. Mechanics punctuation; spelling; capitalization;
syntax and grammar
+10 pts. Uniqueness / creativity 10 points bonus for fresh,
innovative, thoughtful research
A - The student clearly understood the assignment and devoted
a lot of time and effort to the writing process. The essay
synthesizes a clear view using personal commentary; and
additional common knowledge and research; fluently and
logically. The essay must contain a thesis statement (divided),
clear organization and unity. The essay presents six or more
sources on the Works Cited page, the author proofread
carefully; as there are very few in MLA format; mechanics;
creativity and uniqueness.
B - The student understood the assignment and devoted
sufficient time and effort to the writing process. The essay
synthesizes a clear view using personal commentary and some
additional information; clearly; clear and valid attempt to
synthesize research with analysis. The essay must contain a
thesis statement or claim. There are few errors in mechanics;

4. usage; grammar; or spelling.
C - The student mostly understood the assignment and devoted
some of time and effort to the writing process but did not
clearly follow the writing process.
The essay synthesizes a clear view using personal commentary,
and mostly cursory and superficial research. There are errors in
mechanics; usage; grammar; or spelling.
Research Paper - Exhibit Proposal
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ARTS 1304 5002
APRIL 9: Draft due. Upload your draft as an attachment to the
Research Paper Discussion.
Remember that you are required to peer review TWO papers (by
April 14).
APRIL 28: Final draft due, uploaded to D2L assignment folder.
WORD COUNT: 500-800
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Imagine that you have found Isamu Noguchi’s plaster models
and other materials associated with
his proposal for a memorial to the victims of the bombing of
Hiroshima. The models had been lost
for decades. You tell the Curator of Japanese Art at the Museum
of Fine Arts Houston about your
discovery, and the curator, Akito Tanaka, suggests that you
submit a proposal for an exhibit that
broadens the context of Noguchi’s models. You have already
found one argumentative source about
the models, “The Rejection of Isamu Noguchi's Hiroshima
Cenotaph,” by Bert Winther, which is
available through the Academic Search Premier database. You

5. can access that database here.
Mr. Tanaka is requiring that you find a background source, two
exhibits, and one more
argumentative source to round out your research before you
write your proposal (an explanation
for those sources is below). Mr. Tanaka suggests that there are
several ways you could add context
to Noguchi’s models:
1. Investigate the history of memorials
2. Look further into Japanese ancient art discussed in Winther’s
article, like the haniwa.
3. Investigate Noguchi’s art
4. Look into the art of New York or Japanese artists who
worked at the same time as him.
5. Research ways that other artists have explored some of the
themes that Noguchi did, such
as: mother goddesses or nuclear war
6. Any other connection you can think of
Mr. Tanaka strongly suggests that you only investigate one
connection, and certainly not all of
these. He reminds you that the word count for the proposal must
be between 500-800.
Your essay should include:
● An introduction that briefly lays out the problem, summarizes
your summaries of the two
argumentative sources, and introduces your thesis. (I
recommend that you write the
introduction after you have written most (or all) of the rest of
the paper.)

6. ● A paragraph explaining the background/context. You can
draw upon the background source
and the argumentative sources here.
● A paragraph summarizing the first argumentative source.
● A paragraph summarizing the second argumentative source.
● A discussion paragraph that brings together your ideas about
the two exhibits and the two
argumentative sources (this may end up being more than one
paragraph)
● A separate works cited page (do not include this page in the
word count)
http://www.lonestar.edu/library/14627.htm
Explanations of sources:
Background source: A source, assumed to be noncontroversial,
used to provide context--what
writer and reader can stipulate as shared facts and information.
Exhibit: Documents, data, visual images, or other artifacts that
the writer analyzes.
Argument source: The conversation of critical views and
relevant scholarship surrounding the
writer’s question. Scholarly articles.
Rubric for the Research Paper
Your Research Paper should include an organized introduction
with a clear thesis, a

7. paragraph that establishes the context, summary paragraphs for
both argument sources,
and a discussion paragraph.
In order to do well on this paper, you need to do these things:
1. Have an organized introduction with a clear thesis that
explains the way you have
added context to Noguchi’s proposal.
No thesis or unclear thesis
Clear thesis
4 8 12
16 20
2. Have a paragraph that establishes the background (the
context).
No or unclear explanation of context
Clear context
2 4 6
8 10
3. Have a thorough and organized summary of your first
argument source
Incomplete, unclear, or missing summary
Clear summary
2 4 6
8 10
4. Have a thorough and organized summary of your second
argument source
Incomplete, unclear, or missing summary
Clear summary
2 4 6
8 10

8. 5. Have a discussion section that brings together the argument
sources and your
ideas and explores the exhibits (the artworks)
Unclear or missing discussion
Effective discussion
6 12 18
24 30
6. Accurate mechanics: grammer, spelling, punctuation,
neatness
Poor mechanics
Exceptional mechanics
2 4 6
8 10
7. Have a correctly formatted MLA 8 works cited page
Very poor formatting, missing sources
Correct
formatting
2 4 6
8 10
Essay III Topics
The following is a list of possible research paper topics. Thesis
topics are meant to be suggestions. A research paper is not a
report. Instead, it must deal with a specific issue, and should
prove a specific thesis. The following topics provide ideas for
the focus of a paper, but they are not thesis statements.

9. Remember to be as specific as possible when writing your
thesis.
* Denotes topics that may be more challenging to research
and/or organize.
1. *Native American religion: What was its relationship to the
environment?
2. Native Americans: What was the impact of European
colonization on Native Americans?
3. The lost colony of Roanoke: What are the theories to explain
its disappearance?
4. *Salem Witch Trials: What were the possible causes?
5. Women in Colonial America: What was the role of women?
Address the concept of the “republican mother” and its impact
on the movement toward revolution.
6. American Revolution: What were the key causes? What was
the role of Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense in promoting the movement for independence?
7. American Revolution: What factors contributed to an
American victory?
8. The United States Constitution: How did it remedy the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
9. The United States Constitution: Did the framers really
represent the American people? (Aristocracy or Democracy?)
10. Federalists vs. Anti-federalists: What were the main
arguments prior to ratification of the Constitution? What was
the outcome of the debate?
11. *The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794: What were the causes and
effects?
12. Marbury v. Madison: What was the impact of this case on
the American judicial system?
13. Cotton gin: What was its impact on the American economy
and the use of slaves labor on plantations in the South?
14. *Utopian colonies: What were their goals and methods?
Why did they fail? (e.g.: Amana colony, Brook Farm, Oneida
colony, Bishop Hill)

10. 15. Indian Removal Act: What were the reasons for its passage?
What was the impact of the Trail of Tears that resulted?
16. Mexican War: What were the causes and/or effects? Did the
U.S. provoke the war?
17. Manifest Destiny: What were the causes of westward
expansion?
18. Oregon Trail: Why was the motivation to move to the West
so strong that people were willing to take enormous risks?
19. Mormons: Why did they encounter opposition in Illinois?
What motivated their migration to Utah? What has been their
impact on western development and American society?
20. Gold Rush: What was its impact on the development of
California?
21. Slavery: What was its impact on the economy of the South?
What were its effects on African American families?
22. Lincoln-Douglas debates: Compare and contrast the views
of each regarding slavery and governmental power. What was
the impact of the debates?
23. Abolitionist movement in the United States: Who were the
key leaders, and what were their contributions? What was the
impact on the tensions leading to the Civil War?
24. The Underground Railroad: What were the methods used?
What was the impact?
25. Pre-Civil War conflicts over slavery: What were the causes
and effects of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry?
24 February 2020 Saddleback College Spring 2020
English 1B Patton
26. Pre-Civil War conflicts over slavery: What were the causes
and effects of the Nat Turner Rebellion?
27. Dred Scott decision: What was its impact on the slavery
issue?
28. Civil War: What were the key issues that caused conflict
between North and South? (Remember that there were many
sectional differences in addition to slavery.)

11. 29. Civil War: What were the strengths and weaknesses of the
North and the South, and how did these factors contribute to the
outcome of the war? (Especially focus on economic factors.)
30. Civil War: Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation
Proclamation? How did it influence the decision of European
nations not to recognize the Confederacy?
31. Women in the Civil War: How did they contribute?
32. African American soldiers in the Civil War: How did they
contribute? What kind of discrimination did they face in the
Union army?
33. Abraham Lincoln’s assassination: What did Booth and his
co-conspirators hope to achieve? How did Lincoln’s
assassination impact the reconstruction of the nation after the
Civil War? *Was Mary Surratt actually a part of the conspiracy?
34. *African Americans after the Civil War: How were they
affected by Reconstruction policies? How were they affected
after the return of white supremacy? Discuss social, legal, and
economic factors.
35. *New York draft riots during the Civil War: What were the
causes? What were the effects?
36. Transcontinental railroad: What was its impact on westward
expansion?
37. *Legend vs. reality in the West: Focus on myths and
realities surrounding a particular figure (e.g.: Buffalo Bill,
Wyatt Earp, George Custer, etc.)
38. Native American conflicts in the West: Specify tribe(s) and
conflict. (e.g.: The Battle of the Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee
Massacre, etc.); What were the causes and effects?
39. United States and Native American policy: What was the
impact of the Dawes Act and/or other pieces of legislation?
What was the impact of the reservation policy?
40. Electric power and related inventors: Analyze the impact of
the harnessing of electric power and/or discuss the competition
among the inventors who played a role (e.g.: Edison, Tesla,
Westinghouse)
41. Inventors/inventions of the 19th Century: Choose a

12. significant inventor or invention and examine the challenges of
developing the item or the impact of the invention on the
American society/economy.
42. Wealthy industrialists in the late 1800s: “Robber Barons” or
“Captains of Industry”?
43. The Gilded Age: Discuss the origin of the term and why it is
an appropriate metaphor for the United States in the late 1800s.
44. Labor unions in the 1800s: What economic, social, and
philosophical factors contributed to their formation?
45. Labor conflicts/strikes in the late 1800s: What was the
federal government’s attitude toward organized labor, and how
and when did it change?
46. Haymarket Riot: What were the causes and effects?
47. Pullman Strike: What were the causes and effects?
48. Immigration in the late 1800s: What were the difficulties
faced by immigrants, and how did they adjust to life in
America?
48. Immigration in the late 1800s: Discuss the “melting pot” vs.
“salad bowl” metaphors.
49. Chinese immigrants: Why did they come to the U.S.? What
discrimination did they face? (Chinese Exclusion Act)
50. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871: Why was it so severe?
What was the impact on the city (especially architecture)?
51. Urban political machines in the late 1800s: What were the
reasons for their development? Why were they successful? What
is their legacy?
52. The political cartoons of Thomas Nast: What was their
influence on public opinion? How did they contribute to the
downfall of Boss Tweed?
53. Settlement house movement of the late 1800s: What
prompted the development of the movement? What was its
impact on urban neighborhoods? Specify area (e.g.: Chicago’s
Hull House)
54. Child labor in the late 1800s/ early 1900s: What was the
impact on society? How were reforms made?

13. 55. Galveston hurricane of 1900: What were the effects on the
city? How did city government change after the hurricane?
56. The San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906: What were
the effects on the city, especially on the Chinese residents?
57. Muckrakers: What was the impact of this journalism on
progressive reforms?
58. *The Springfield Race Riot of 1908: What were the causes
and/or effects?
59. *Imperialism in the late 19thand early 20th Century: Was it
justified? (Focus on one region.)
60. Yellow journalism: What was its role in causing the
Spanish-American War? (Hearst and Pulitzer)
61. Spanish-American War: What were the causes and/or
effects?
62. *The automobile: What was its impact on America’s
economy and society?
63. World War I: What were the reasons for U.S. involvement?
64. *Anti-German sentiment in the United States during World
War I: What policies were developed as a result? What was the
impact on German-Americans?
65. Black Sox scandal: What caused the players to participate?
Was “Shoeless Joe” Jackson part of the conspiracy?
66. *Women’s suffrage movement: Who were the founders and
what methods did they use? What were their successes and/or
failures?
67. Red Scare of the 1920s: What were the causes? What was
the impact on immigrants and/or radicals? What was the role of
A. Mitchell Palmer and/or J. Edgar Hoover?
68. Sacco-Vanzetti case: What role did discrimination play in
the trial and verdict?
69. Prohibition: What were the causes? What was its impact on
the development of organized crime?
70. *Harlem Renaissance: What were the causes? What were the
effects?
71. Mississippi River Flood of 1927: How did it affect farmers?
How did it impact racial issues in the South? What was the

14. government response?
72. Stock market crash of 1929: What economic factors caused
it?
73. *The Bonus Army: What prompted this protest? What was
the outcome and impact?
74. Dust Bowl of the 1930s: What were the causes and/or
effects?
75. *Scottsboro Trial: What was the impact of racism on the
outcome?
76. *New Deal: What was its impact on the arts? What was its
impact on farming? (Or choose another area)
77. Lindbergh kidnapping: Who kidnapped the Lindbergh baby?
Was Bruno Hauptmann wrongfully convicted?
78. Amelia Earhart: What happened to Amelia Earhart?
79. Tuskegee Airmen: What obstacles did they face? How did
they influence the struggle for African American rights?
80. Pearl Harbor: Could it have been predicted? Would the U.S.
have entered World War II without it?
81. World War II: What was the impact of propaganda and its
use in the United States?
82. World War II: What was the significance of the Battle of
Midway?
83. World War II: What were the reasons for the success of the
D-Day invasion?
84. World War II: What contributions were made by Americans
on the home front?
85. Japanese Internment: Why did it occur? How did it affect
Japanese-Americans?
86. World War II: What were the contributions of women? How
did it affect women’s employment?
87. World War II: What were the contributions of African
Americans?
88. Manhattan Project: What were the reasons for/methods of
secrecy?
89. Bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki: Was it necessary? Argue

15. one side.
90. *Cold War: How and why did it originate? What were its
effects on U.S. foreign policy? How have attitudes toward
communism changed since it ended?
91. Truman’s containment policy: How was it implemented by
the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the Berlin Airlift?
92. *Korean War: What caused the No Gun Ri massacre, and
why was it kept secret?
93. McCarthyism: What were its causes? What were its effects?
94. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg: Were they guilty of spying?
95. *Baby Boom: What was its impact on American society?
(1950s-present)
96. Brown v. Board of Education case: What was its impact?
97. Blacks in Baseball: How did it affect/mirror the removal of
other barriers for African Americans in society in general?
98. U-2 incident: What was the effect on U.S.-Soviet relations?
99. JFK and the Cuban missile crisis: What were the reasons for
the U.S. response? Evaluate the consequences of JFK’s actions.
100. JFK and the Bay of Pigs invasion: Why did the U.S.
sponsor it? Why did it fail?
101. JFK: Evaluate his presidency. Was he an effective
president, or simply a nostalgic hero?
102. JFK’s assassination: Who was responsible? Were the
Warren commission’s findings accurate?
103. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s: Evaluate the tactics
and accomplishments.
104. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom of 1963: What
was its impact?
105. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination: Was James Earl
Ray responsible?
106. *Social protest in the 1960s: What forms did it take? What
was its impact on American society?
107. *Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society: What were its
successes? What were its failures? What was the impact of this
program on the creation of a welfare system in the United
States?

16. 108. Vietnam War: How did the U.S. get involved?
109. My Lai Massacre: What were the causes? Who was
responsible?
110. *Vietnam War: What was the role of the anti-war
movement in changing American opinions toward the war? How
was public policy influenced? (Or, What was the role of the
media?)
111. Kent State shootings: What were the contributing factors?
Who was responsible?
112. *Vietnam War: Why did the United States lose? Evaluate
goals, policies, decisions, and/or the role of geography and the
nature of guerrilla warfare to analyze the failure.113. Vietnam
War: What were the social consequences? Analyze the treatment
of veterans
returning from the war.
114. Agent Orange: Evaluate its use during the Vietnam War
and its effects.
115. 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago: What were the
reasons for the protests, and why did violence erupt? Evaluate
the city’s response and the impact on public opinion.
116. American Indian Movement (AIM) and the 1973
occupation of Wounded Knee: What motivated the takeover?
What was its impact on relations between Native Americans and
the government?
117. *Watts riot: What were the causes? What were the effects
on race relations in America?
118. Iran Hostage situation (1979): What were the causes?
Evaluate President Carter’s handling of the situation.
119. Iran-Contra scandal: Who was really responsible?
120. *Affirmative action in education or the workplace: Is it
still necessary? Why or why not? Be sure to focus the historical
implications.
121. *African Americans in the military: What significant
contributions did they make? How have they overcome
discrimination?

17. 122. *Women in the military: What significant contributions did
they make? How have they overcome discrimination? Should
women serve in combat positions?
123. *Women’s rights: How have changes in women’s
employment affected their role in society? Focus on one time
period.
Oklahoma City Bombing: What motivated Timothy McVeigh to
plan and carry out the attack?
124. *Sept. 11, 2001 attacks: How did the attacks affect
American security policies? How did they impact U.S. foreign
policy? How did they impact American views of Islam? Other
narrow topics may be approved—see your teachers.
125. Hurricane Katrina (2005): What caused the flooding in
New Orleans to be so severe? What was the impact of the
government’s response? How has the city/region changed since
then? What was the political impact?
126. Key people in American history: chose an individual (i.e.:
a President, First Lady, leader of a movement, etc.) and discuss
that person’s impact on the United States. Get help formulating
your thesis so that you do not simply write a report.