The Core Assignment Of This Course Is A Documented Re 803499

The Core Assignment Of This Course Is A Documented Research Paper 150

The core assignment of this course is a documented research paper (words in length = approx. 6-8 pages double-spaced, 12-point font). The paper should support a thesis statement with information gained from research or investigation. The paper will not be just a report presenting information but will be a paper that carefully examines and presents your own historical interpretation of the topic you have chosen and your interpretation of the information you have gathered. The paper may include consideration of problems and solutions, define key terms, or refute arguments against your thesis statement.

It will be important to choose a topic of interest to you. Approach this assignment with an open and skeptical mind, then form an opinion based on what you have discovered. You must suspend belief while you are investigating and let the discoveries shape your opinion. (This is a thesis-finding approach.) Once you have found your thesis, write the paper to support it. You will use some of the following critical thinking skills in this process: Choosing an appropriate topic, limiting the topic Gathering information, summarizing sources Analyzing and evaluating sources Defining key terms Synthesizing information, comparing and contrasting sources Testing a thesis, making a historical argument, using refutation Amassing support for a position Documenting sources.

Because this may be a longer paper than you have written before and a complex process is involved, it is recommended that you complete this paper using the following steps: Choose a topic related to U.S. History up to 1877 (Chapters 1-15) that you would truly like to explore and that you are willing to spend some time on. Your chosen topic should be focused. Pose a question that you really want to answer. You may want to begin with more than one topic in mind. Do some preliminary reading on the topic(s).

You may begin with the textbook, then further explore the information available. Refine your topic. Summarize your topic, your interest in the topic, the questions you want to answer, and a hypothesis you want to test. Gather information from a variety of sources. Use a minimum of four sources for your paper, and at least one must be a primary source. Examples of primary sources are ones that are used in our discussion forums 2-8. They are sources that are contemporary to the times under investigation. An example of a secondary source is our textbook, though the textbook also contains excerpts of primary sources, which you may use as a source in your paper.

Outline the results of your research and the plan for your paper (you are not required to submit the outline). Write the final draft and be sure to include a Works Cited List, and use the correct MLA documentation style.

Paper For Above instruction

The historical development of American identity during the colonial and revolutionary periods exemplifies the evolving nature of national consciousness shaped by social, political, and economic factors. Focusing on the impact of the Enlightenment on revolutionary ideals, this paper examines how philosophies of liberty and equality influenced the American colonies' push for independence and the formation of their emerging national identity.

My primary research question centers on how Enlightenment ideas, particularly those related to liberty and republicanism, shaped colonial resistance movements and contributed to the creation of American political thought. To explore this, I will analyze primary sources such as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” the Declaration of Independence, and writings by John Locke, alongside secondary sources that contextualize the spread of Enlightenment principles in colonial America.

The thesis of this paper posits that Enlightenment ideology significantly influenced the American Revolution by fostering a revolutionary mindset rooted in concepts of natural rights and republicanism, which led to the development of a distinct American political identity. This thesis underscores the role of philosophical underpinnings in mobilizing colonists against British authority and in inspiring the founding principles of the United States.

The development of American political thought was deeply intertwined with Enlightenment principles. John Locke’s theories of natural rights, the social contract, and the right to revolution provided a theoretical framework for colonial grievances. These ideas found practical expression in the Declaration of Independence, which articulated the colonies’ justification for independence based on unalienable rights and government’s role in securing these rights. Likewise, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” popularized the notion of independence and republican government, emphasizing the moral and pragmatic imperatives for revolution.

Furthermore, the spread of Enlightenment ideas was facilitated by the proliferation of print media, which helped disseminate revolutionary ideas beyond the political elites to a broader colonial audience. The influence of Enlightenment thought fostered a sense of shared purpose and collective identity among colonists, emphasizing liberty, self-governance, and resistance to tyranny. This emerging political consciousness was instrumental in rallying support for independence and shaping the founding principles of the new nation.

In conclusion, the Enlightenment was pivotal in shaping the ideological foundation of the American Revolution. Its emphasis on natural rights, the social contract, and republicanism profoundly influenced colonial resistance and the development of American political identity. Understanding this philosophical heritage offers critical insight into the principles underlying American democracy and the enduring legacy of revolutionary ideas in the formation of the United States.

References

• Locke, John. (1689). Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge University Press.
• Paine, Thomas. (1776). Common Sense. Philadelphia.
• Wood, Gordon S. (1992). The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage.
• Bailyn, Bernard. (1992). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press.
• Hutcheson, David. (2009). "Enlightenment and American Independence." Journal of American History, 96(3), 693-713.
• Maier, Pauline. (1997). American Scripture: The Making of the Declaration of Independence. Vintage.
• Maier, Pauline. (2010). From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain. New York University Press.
• Foner, Eric. (2017). Give Me Liberty!: An American History. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Nassau, John. (2002). The Enlightenment and the American Revolution. Oxford University Press.
• Cohen, Joshua. (2019). Revolutionary Ideas: An Intellectual History of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press.