Assignment Instructions 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 your research paper. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper and adequate research and write a short paper and prepare you for writing the research paper. 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. Bibliographies and citations will be in the Chicago Manual of 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 or footnotes. 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. Written Assignment 2 Topic Choose a person or event that had significant impact on American history during the time that we are studying. Explain what happened or the person you chose, why they were influential, and what were the long term consequences, intended or otherwise. Choose something or someone we studied in this course, rather than something you learned in High School. The highest grades will go to original ideas that are well supported with facts and evidence. This should be fun, especially for students of military history. For example, most of us learned in High School that Gettysburg was the turning point of the American Civil War. It makes sense that it was a great victory for Northern forces and that the heavy Confederate casualties, their failure to exploit the penetration of Northern lines during Picketts Charge and the withdrawal of Lees Army southward, was certainly significant. However, noted historian of the war Gary Gallagher points out that defeat at Gettysburg did not mark a decisive turning point of the war. He believed at least a couple of reasons supported this view. 1. We see this battle today as a turning point because we know how it turned out. We know that Lee never again attacked in Northern territory and he was hard pressed to replace the manpower lost. Further, Lincolns Gettysburg Address influenced our thinking about the importance of the battle, and the fact that the National Park site is now the most visited site of the war seems to elevate its importance as a turning point. All of these facts were not known at the end of the battle, but were yet to come. 2. The battle was not seen as a significant southern defeat at the time. Meades failure to pursue Lees Army failed to inflict as much damage as it could have otherwise done. Moreover, the Confederate Army was not driven from the field, but rather withdrew of its own accord. Thus, Lees reputation as a formidable general, in fact, the idea that he remained unbeaten was left intact despite the battles outcome.[1] 3. In addition, my own experience and research at Appomattox, and the realization that the war intensified for another year and nine months suggests that Confederate morale remained high until the end of the war. Of course, Ive made all these allegations that I would want to support with detailed facts and evidence. I would want to give sources and reference citations for those facts. Your argument may not be as complex as all this, but the essential elements should be there to complete the assignment. I hope you have some fun with this paper and the research.

Assignment Instructions 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 your research paper. With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper and adequate research and write a short paper and prepare you for writing the research paper. 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. Bibliographies and citations will be in the Chicago Manual of 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 or footnotes. 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. Written Assignment 2 Topic Choose a person or event that had significant impact on American history during the time that we are studying. Explain what happened or the person you chose, why they were influential, and what were the long term consequences, intended or otherwise. Choose something or someone we studied in this course, rather than something you learned in High School. The highest grades will go to original ideas that are well supported with facts and evidence. This should be fun, especially for students of military history. For example, most of us learned in High School that Gettysburg was the turning point of the American Civil War. It makes sense that it was a great victory for Northern forces and that the heavy Confederate casualties, their failure to exploit the penetration of Northern lines during Picketts Charge and the withdrawal of Lees Army southward, was certainly significant. However, noted historian of the war Gary Gallagher points out that defeat at Gettysburg did not mark a decisive turning point of the war. He believed at least a couple of reasons supported this view. 1. We see this battle today as a turning point because we know how it turned out. We know that Lee never again attacked in Northern territory and he was hard pressed to replace the manpower lost. Further, Lincolns Gettysburg Address influenced our thinking about the importance of the battle, and the fact that the National Park site is now the most visited site of the war seems to elevate its importance as a turning point. All of these facts were not known at the end of the battle, but were yet to come. 2. The battle was not seen as a significant southern defeat at the time. Meades failure to pursue Lees Army failed to inflict as much damage as it could have otherwise done. Moreover, the Confederate Army was not driven from the field, but rather withdrew of its own accord. Thus, Lees reputation as a formidable general, in fact, the idea that he remained unbeaten was left intact despite the battles outcome.[1] 3. In addition, my own experience and research at Appomattox, and the realization that the war intensified for another year and nine months suggests that Confederate morale remained high until the end of the war. Of course, Ive made all these allegations that I would want to support with detailed facts and evidence. I would want to give sources and reference citations for those facts. Your argument may not be as complex as all this, but the essential elements should be there to complete the assignment. I hope you have some fun with this paper and the research.