A Short Paper Assignment allows you, early in the course, to demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you when you write research papers for future courses. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper research and write a short paper. You are allowed to choose your own topic, as long as it pertains to the subject of this course. If you have any questions on subject matter, please contact your instructor. This is your opportunity to look a little deeper at a subject that interests you. This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Your bibliography and citations may be in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style format. Students majoring in history must use Chicago Style format. The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using endnotes, footnotes, or parenthetical citations. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information. The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper, check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way you talk is not the way you write a paper. Please label your paper as follows: lastnamefirstnameHIST102ShortPaper. List of possible topics: 1. Grant as President 2. “Jim Crow” 3. Boss Tweed 4. J.P. Morgan 5. The Transcontinental Railroad 6. The Steel Industry 7. J.D. Rockefeller 8. The American Labor Movement 9. The New Immigration 10. Booker T. Washington 11. The Growth of American Cities 12. The Suffrage Movement 13. The Indian Wars 14. The Settlement of the West 15. The Populist Movement 16. William Jennings Bryan 17. The Spanish American War 18. Theodore Roosevelt 19. The Conquest of the Philippines 20. Theodore Roosevelt and the Monroe Doctrine 21. The Building of the Panama Canal 22. The Great White Fleet 23. The Conservation Movement 24. Woodrow Wilson 25. The United States in World War I 26. The Sinking of the Lusitania 27. Wilson’s Fourteen Points 28. Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference 29. The United States and the League of Nations 30. The Roaring Twenties 31. Prohibition 32. Al Capone 33. The Scopes Monkey Trial 34. The Rise of Professional Sports 35. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 36. Interwar U.S. Foreign Policy 37. The Washington Naval Treaty 38. Franklin D. Roosevelt 39. The New Deal 40. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) 41. The Dust Bowl 42. The America First Movement .

1. A Short Paper Assignment allows you, early in the course, to
demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to
receive feedback that will benefit you when you write research
papers for future courses. With this assignment, you will learn
how to do proper research and write a short paper.
You are allowed to choose your own topic, as long as it pertains
to the subject of this course. If you have any questions on
subject matter, please contact your instructor. This is your
opportunity to look a little deeper at a subject that interests you.
This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text
(Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a
minimum of two academically credible sources.
Your bibliography and citations may be in APA, MLA, or
Chicago Style format. Students majoring in history must use
Chicago Style format.
The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment
section for grading. If you use any of the information from your
sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using
endnotes, footnotes, or parenthetical citations. If you read the
information and write it in your own words and it is not
common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you
are paraphrasing someone's information.
The short paper must include a cover page with your name,
course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You
must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While
composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use
abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second
person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper,
check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way
you talk is not the way you write a paper. Please label your
paper as follows: lastnamefirstnameHIST102ShortPaper.
List of possible topics:
1. Grant as President

2. 2. “Jim Crow”
3. Boss Tweed
4. J.P. Morgan
5. The Transcontinental Railroad
6. The Steel Industry
7. J.D. Rockefeller
8. The American Labor Movement
9. The New Immigration
10. Booker T. Washington
11. The Growth of American Cities
12. The Suffrage Movement
13. The Indian Wars
14. The Settlement of the West
15. The Populist Movement
16. William Jennings Bryan
17. The Spanish American War
18. Theodore Roosevelt
19. The Conquest of the Philippines
20. Theodore Roosevelt and the Monroe Doctrine
21. The Building of the Panama Canal
22. The Great White Fleet
23. The Conservation Movement
24. Woodrow Wilson
25. The United States in World War I
26. The Sinking of the Lusitania
27. Wilson’s Fourteen Points
28. Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference
29. The United States and the League of Nations
30. The Roaring Twenties
31. Prohibition
32. Al Capone
33. The Scopes Monkey Trial
34. The Rise of Professional Sports
35. The Stock Market Crash of 1929
36. Interwar U.S. Foreign Policy
37. The Washington Naval Treaty

3. 38. Franklin D. Roosevelt
39. The New Deal
40. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
41. The Dust Bowl
42. The America First Movement
43. U.S. Neutrality 1939-1941
44. Lend-Lease
45. The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
46. George C. Marshall
47. Any U.S. Military Leader of World War II
48. Individual Battles and Campaigns of World War II
49. The U.S. Army in World War II
50. The U.S. Navy in World War II
51. Allied Grand Strategy in World War II
52. The United States and the Atomic Bomb
53. Women in the Military: World War II
54. The Battle of Midway
55. Douglas MacArthur
56. The Truman Doctrine
57. Post War American Society
58. The Early Days of the Cold War
59. The Civil Rights Movement
60. Martin Luther King
61. The Occupation of Germany
62. The Korean War
63. MacArthur in Japan
64. The Red Scare
65. Senator Joseph McCarthy
66. Eisenhower as President
67. The Sixties
68. John F. Kennedy
69. The Bay of Pigs
70. The Cuban Missile Crisis
71. Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society
72. Any Aspect of the Vietnam War
73. Nixon and Vietnam

4. 74. Nixon and China
75. Watergate
76. The Arab Oil Embargo of 1973
77. Feminism
78. Jimmy Carter as President
79. The Reagan Revolution
80. Arms Control Treaties
81. Reagan and the Soviet Union
82. George Bush and the End of the Cold War
83. Desert Shield/Desert Storm
84. The Impeachment of Bill Clinton
85. The United States in the Post Cold War World
86. The 2000 Presidential Election
87. September 11, 2001
88. The War on Terrorism
89. Immigration in the 1990s
90. Minorities in Contemporary America
91. The Changing American Family
92. The Drug Wars
93. The United States and the Global Economy
94. PAX Americana
95. Contemporary American Foreign Policy
96. The United States Military in the 21st Century
97. U.S. Policy Toward Cuba
98. Operation Iraqi Freedom
99. The War in Afghanistan
100. Kosovo Crisis 1999
Basic Grading Criteria for General Education and (Lower Level)
Written Assignments in History
1
2
3

5. 4
Indicate the points and explanation of how the grade was
determined
100 pts. or %
Unsatisfactory
(D+ or below)
Satisfactory
(C- to C+)
Good
(B- to B+)
Excellent
(A- to A)
Format and Submission:
Paper submission is correctly formatted according to syllabus
and assignment instructions on length and word count
Paper formatted with numerous errors and guidelines not
followed; no title page; paper saved with incorrect file name.
Length and word count not met
(0 – 6.9 points)
Paper formatted with 3 or more errors; title page missing is two
or more required elements; paper saved using incorrect
filename.
Length and/or word count not met
(7.0 – 7.9 points)
Paper and title page formatted correctly with fewer than 3
errors; saved and submitted with correct filename.
Length and word count met
(8.0 – 8.9 points)
Paper and title page are correctly formatted with no errors;
saved and submitted with correct filename. Length and word
count met.
(9 – 10 points)
10
Introduction and Thesis Statement:

6. Topic selection and thesis offer clear argument and analysis
appropriate for an academic paper
Topic is considerably too large /narrow for paper length and/or
marginally related to the course; no discernible thesis or
argument; many logical and factual errors; significant problems
with understanding of historical content.
(0 – 13.9 points)
Topic is considerably too large /narrow for paper length and/ or
marginally related to the course; thesis or argument is not clear;
some logical and historical errors; paper organized more toward
chronology than analysis and argument.
(14 – 15.9 points)
Topic is appropriate but too large /narrow for paper length;
thesis is clear and argument is supported by facts in most
paragraphs; historical context and causality are logically
presented in the analysis.
(16 – 17.9 points)
Topic is appropriate for paper length; thesis is focused and
argument is fully supported by carefully chosen and weighed
facts in each paragraph; evidence of comprehension of
historical context and causality.
(18 - 20 points)
20
Organization and Body of Essay:
Organization of the paper ( introductory, supporting, concluding
paragraphs) designed to present factual material logically and
clearly to the reader
The paper is not logically organized in paragraphs; ideas fail to
make sense and the reader cannot identify a line of reasoning
and loses interest; little evidence of coherent organization and
use of factual material.
(0 – 17.4 points)
The paper appears to be logically organized, but ideas fail to

7. make sense in paragraph structure and inadequate coverage; the
reader is unclear about what the writer intends due to poor
organization and major omissions of factual material.
(17.5 – 19.9 points)
The organization of the paper generally supports the purpose or
argument in the introduction, body, and conclusion; ideas are
usually logically sequenced so that the reader can follow the
line of reasoning and use of factual material.
(20.0 – 22.4 points)
The organization of the paper logically supports the purpose or
argument in the introduction, body, and conclusion; ideas are
logically sequenced from one paragraph to another and clearly
linked to each other; the reader can easily follow the line of
reasoning.
(22.5 – 25 points)
25
Historical Analysis:
Research demonstrates evidence to support thesis statement and
argument made and recognition of historical significance
No sources are used for research related to thesis; only textbook
and/or encyclopedias used; research is not evident in the
argument in paper; use of information provides no support for
the argument and displays little evidence of analysis; author
appears to have gained little or no knowledge about the topic
and significance of events.
(0 – 17.4 points)
One source is used demonstrating research related to thesis;
textbooks and/or encyclopedias used; research is not evident in
the argument in paper; use of information provides partial
support for the argument and displays little evidence of
analysis; author appears to have gained some knowledge about
the topic and significance of events.

8. (17.5 – 19.9 points)
Two or more sources used demonstrating research related to
thesis; no textbooks or encyclopedias used; research is partly
incorporated into the argument in paper; use of information
provides reasonable support for the argument and displays
evidence of analysis; author gained some knowledge about the
topic and significance of events.
(20.0 – 22.4 points)
Two or more sources used demonstrating in-depth research
related to thesis; no textbooks or encyclopedias used; research
clearly incorporated into the argument in paper; use of
information clearly supports the argument and shows, in-depth
analysis of a significant topic; author gained new knowledge
about the topic and significance of events.
(22.5 – 25 points)
25
W
riting Style and Grammar:
Writing and grammar demonstrates e
ffective use of language, and punctuation and spelling
The writing has substantial errors in grammar and style so that
the basic ideas are lost; the writing lacks clarity and sentence
structure is confusing; errors in spelling are frequent enough to
be a major distraction to the reader.
(0 – 6.9 points)
The writing has more than three grammatical and stylistic
errors; paper requires additional proofreading, as some errors
impede the flow of the reading; sentences are not varied and
passive voice is used often. More than three spelling errors.
(7.0 – 7.9 points)
The writing has one to three grammatical and stylistic errors;
sentence structure is generally effectively; sentences are varied
but awkward at times or passive voice is apparent. No more than
three spelling errors
(8.0 – 8.9 points)
The writing is free of grammatical and stylistic errors; sentence

9. structure is used effectively; sentences are varied and precise;
prose style is appropriate to the subject.
Active voice is apparent. No spelling errors
(9 – 10 points)
10
Use of Citation
and Bibliography:
Citations and bibliography credit sources correctly using
Chicago/ Turabian or APA or MLA citation rules
Footnotes/endnotes are not used and /or bibliography is not
included in paper.
(0 – 6.9 points)
Footnotes/endnotes are cited and bibliography follows the
correct rules for citing sources with more than three errors.
(7.0 – 7.9 points)
Footnotes/endnotes are cited and bibliography follows the
correct rules for citing sources with one to three errors.
(7.0 – 7.9 points)
Footnotes/endnotes are correctly cited and bibliography follows
the correct rules for citing sources.
(9 – 10 points)
10
Checklist for Basic Grading Criteria for General Education and
(Lower Level) Written Assignments in History
Format and Submission
Is your paper formatted in the proper file format (MSWord .doc
or docx or .rtf file)?
Does your paper include a separate cover page that includes
assignment name, student name and student number, course
name, professor name, date and institution?
Is your paper formatted with one inch margins and using New

10. Times Roman 11 or 12 point font?
Is your file submitted using last name first name course and
assignment? Example:
SmithWilliamHIST101ShortPaper
).
Introduction and Thesis Statement
Did you restate question verbatim
to be answered before beginning of main essay? You may cut
and paste question before introduction.
Did your essay include an introduction and clear thesis
statement at the end of the introduction?
Organization and Body of essay
Is your essay well-organized with topic sentences and
supporting detail that reinforces your thesis?
Did your essay meet narrative word count requirements?
Narrative word count is word count without citation and
bibliography.
Pl
ace word count requirement here.
Historical Analysis
Did you construct your essay using quality academic sources
(specifically book or peer-reviewed sources from our Online
Library or other university, governmental, museum, or research
websites)?
Place primary and secondary source requirements here
.
Did you include relevant historical support, including historical
examples that reinforce your thesis?
Did you include chronological context in your essay and include

11. important dates or date spans?
W
riting Style and Grammar
Is your essay composed using formal English (no use of slang)
and using proper capitalization, grammar and spelling rules?
Is your essay presented in academic third person (does not use
“I”)?
Did you refrain from using abbreviations and contractions in
your analysis (use “do not” instead of “don’t”)?
Use of Citation
and Bibliography
Did you consistently follow the citation and bibliographical
requirements of one style manual (Chicago or Turabian, MLA,
or APA)? If you are familiar with a style, please use that style
consistently throughout your essay. Do not switch between
styles. History majors are strongly encouraged to use Chicago
or Turabian citation as this is a requirement in upper-level
courses.
Did you cite your sources in the narrative of your essay using
parenthetical citation or computer-generated footnote/endnote
numbering? Remember citation takes place immediately after
each use of direct quote and after paraphrasing of information.
Did you include a separate bibliography with your essay?
Is the bibliography alphabetized and includes all relevant
information depending on source type? Remember accessed date
for online sources.