Question:
Conquest is “the act of conquering, defeating, or subjugating,” while contact is the “intimate or close interaction between two items or among many.” Conquest suggests dominance. Contact suggests exchange. Is American history from 1492 to 1763 best understood as an era of conquest or contact?
Your essay must have a central argument (or thesis) and use evidence from Major Problems in American History, the HIST textbook, the CPS compilation, and lectures to support your views. DO NOT use other outside sources. To receive the best grade possible, your essay should be free of grammatical errors. Write with clarity and excellence. The best essays will use 2-3 specific examples in each body paragraph. You should use evidence from numerous sources in Major Problems in building your arguments. Aim at 7+ different primary sources for your essay. Note that it is fine to use primary sources more than once in the essay. Many sources are relevant to a number of possible arguments and points of discussion.
Useful primary sources for this essay include, but are not limited to: Major Problems Ch. 1 (Sources 4, 5, 6. 7, 8), Ch. 2 (1, 4, 6, 8), Ch. 3 (1, 2, 3, 7, 8). The HIST textbook also contains many fine primary sources in the AD section at the end of each chapter. You will find images and short text excerpts from the period (which are also primary sources) embedded in then narrative of HIST.
The secondary-source essays in MP by Salisbury, Appleby, Merrell and Herrmann should prove helpful for context and detail. Note that these essays, as well as the introductory sections to MP chapters, are NOT primary sources.
Chicago/Turabian parenthetical citations must be used as you cite sources. For instance: Due primarily to infectious diseases from Afro-Eurasia, central Mexico lost up to 95% of its population in the century following the arrival of Cortes (Schultz, 30).
Note that in the e-versions of both HIST and Major Problems, the current page number is listed in the “Jump to Page” box (in the lower left of the interface on a computer).
Here are examples of correct parenthetical citations for the major source types:
HIST: (Schultz, 44)
A primary source in Major Problems: Chapter 2, Source 7, page 42 would be cited: (MP 2-7, 42).
A secondary source essay in Major Problems: (Merrell, 47).
A primary source in HIST: (Aztec Account, HIST 2-AD).
Lectures: (Tarpley Lecture, 2/7/24).
Some Points to Keep in Mind for Your First Essay in HIST109:
The essay is due via Canvas by 2 p.m. on Wed, Feb 21. I do not accept late essays without a compelling, documented medical excuse. Of course I hope that you will write excellent essays, but please prepare to turn in SOMETHING. A zero on an assignment worth 20% of the total can be very hard on your overall grade.
–Your introductory paragraph should include a thesis sentence that informs me whether you understand this period as primarily one of contact or conquest. This sentence should also lay out the aspects of the argument that you will explore in the paper. Example: “American history between 1492 and 1763 is typified by contact, with noteworthy exchange of peoples, goods, and ideas between the Americas, Europe and Africa.” (Of course, there are many other kinds of exchange and intimate contact that can be drawn from the sources. Be creative!)
–Your thesis dictates the organization of the essay. Following the example above, your paper would have three major sections — peoples, goods (physical items), and ideas/culture. These sections need not be of equal length and will often be more than one paragraph in length.
–In each section, in an organized manner lay out your argument on that particular topic; note changes over time if you see them; support your framework with citations from secondary sources (my lectures, essays in Major Problems, and HIST). Above all, SUPPORT WITH EXAMPLES FROM PRIMARY SOURCES. Use Major Problems liberally! For example, if discussing exchange of goods, a quick glance at the Table of Contents in Major Problems (pp. vi-xv) reminds me that I might be able to support my argument from a number of sources: Columbus (MP 1-5), early English trading in North America (1-7), sugar and slaves in the Caribbean (2-4), tobacco cultivation in North America (2-4) . . .
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