The Rise and Fall of Plains Indian Horse Cultures Author: Pekka Hämäläinen Source:The Journal of American History, Vol. 90, No. 3 (Dec., 2003), pp. 833-862
Criticism does not have to be negative; you should evaluate objectively both the strengths and the weaknesses in the author’s argument.
Does the overall argument work? Explain why or why not.
Does the conclusion logical?
Are there parts that seem not sufficiently developed or compellingly proved?
Is evidence well analyzed and integrated in the argument? Is the author biased in the way he/she interprets primary sources?
Is the argument persuasive?
Does the author deal in a convincing way with counterevidence, and/or with counterarguments to the points he or she makes?
Is the work readable?
Discuss here the style and how well the author reaches his/her targeted audience.
In a history paper, you must keep all verbs in the PAST TENSE.
The only times when you will be using the present tense is:
When quoting from your sources, if the original is in present tense
When introducing/discussing scholars views