Historical Thinking Essay #1: Digital History Project Proposal
An essential concept of this course is learning to use critical analysis to explore how
different people, events, organizations, groups, and even technological advances, to name
a few, have impacted life in the United States. Citizens and non-citizens alike have
worked to make this nation a better place, yet others have done much to oppress certain
groups. The period from Reconstruction (1877) to the present day provides an excellent
historical case to examine American society. For this course, your culminating
assignment will be a Digital History Project in which you will combine writing with
media (pictures, videos, social media) to produce a digital history project. Keeping that in
mind, the proposal that is due this week has the following aims:
• To state the topic or theme of your digital history project.
• State your thesis (argument). Will you argue in support of or against something?
• To explain why you are choosing the topic that you have chosen.
• Where will you gather your primary evidence?
Details • Your DHP proposal should be 1 – 2 pages (approximately 250-500 words).
• You must use Times New Roman, 12 pt Font, double spaced
• You must use at least five (5) primary source documents as evidence.
• HT Essay #1 is due to CC by 11:59 PM) on Sunday, Oct 18.
RECOMMENDATIONS(FOR(A(SOLID(PROPOSAL • Think Historically. Employ the strategies you’ve learned with respect to
sourcing, contextualizing, close reading, using background knowledge, reading
the sources, and corroborating.
• Think for yourself. Conduct the writing with your own brainpower, in your own
words. QUOTING OR PARAPHRASING MUST BE CITED.
• Assert your thesis, or main idea. You are required to introduce the main
argument of your response in the first paragraph and then provide evidence to
substantiate your assertions in the body of the essay. Last, your thesis statement
must be highlighted and underlined!
• Use evidence in your analysis. Provide ample evidence to support your
argument(s) by citing concrete examples and illustrations from your reading of
the source documents. Identify relevant people, places, events, and use quotes and
page numbers.
• Avoid referring to yourself. Do voice your perspective (after all, this
is your analysis of the documents and proposal) but do not use personal
sentiments such as “I feel that…” or “I believe that…” Your essay should make a
historical argument based on evidence in the primary source documents you
find—not based on your opinion or your own story. As such, refrain from the use
of writing in the first person. Historical work is NEVER written in the first
person. Doing so will result in a loss of points.
• Cite your work! Historians use the Chicago Style, however, for this proposal,
students can use either APA or MLA formats. (For more info, see CC Shell)
Welcome to Legit Writing
