Writer’s Choice
For this project, you must “assume” the role of one of the historical characters listed on the following page. Using a minimum of three (3) primary sources write a three-to-five (3-5) page historical fictional narrative. This narrative must be a first-person account (I, me, we, us, etc.) told from the perspective of the historical character. For example, if someone were to select Member of Sons of Liberty, they would write a journal entry or diary or letter or other narrative form from the perspective of the character. Use historical facts from primary sources to fill in your narrative, but make sure to try and step into the character’s shoes and give descriiptions and such as they would (this should help fill some of the required page count).
The goal of this project is to show how things are changing during the time period of the character’s “life,” and also how that fits into the larger arc of American history. The concepts the project should address are freedom and rights. Overall, students should demonstrate their understanding of change and continuity over time (how things changed and/or how they stayed the same). Students are encouraged to “have fun” with the assignment; this is an opportunity to be creative rather than simply demonstrating memorized information. However, this is a history course and not a creative writing course, and therefore students will not be penalized based on creativity. Because students are writing original narratives, copying-and-pasting is only acceptable in limited forms and have to be presented in the form of quotes. To repeat, THIS IS NOT A PROJECT APPROPRIATE FOR COPY-AND-PASTE, AND STUDENTS MUST WRITE IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
Parameters: 3-5 pages in length; 12-point, Times New Roman font; double-spaced; standard margins
Theme: Freedom and rights (could be human rights, voting rights, property rights, etc.)
Learning outcome: Students will demonstrate that they understand change and continuity over time (how things changed/were changing, or how things did not change/were not changing); individual responses should each show change, and when put together (placed back-to-back chronologically) they should add up to a larger demonstration of change over time.
Cover page: Projects must have a cover page that includes: your student’s name; your character; the course name and CRN (HIST 2111: US History to 1865); and the instructor’s name (McCready). The cover page is not included in the project page count (i.e., the cover page does not count as one of the 3-5 pages).
Bibliography and citations: Projects must have a bibliography located at the end of the project. Bibliographies and citations will use the Turabian-Chicago Style. The bibliography is not included in the project page count ((i.e., the bibliography does not count as one of the 3-5 pages).
Primary sources: Students must use at least three primary sources in writing their project. Students should contact the instructor as early as possible if they are not familiar with what a primary source is (we went over it at the beginning of the semester).
Due date: December 1, 2022
Submissions: Project will be turned in through the Assessments, Assignments dropbox tab on D2L
Potential characters (by time period)
1600s
Boston settler
Chesapeake free laborer
Jamestown settler
Southern longshoreman (dock worker)
Pennsylvania settler
Salem colonist
1700s
British tax collector
Colonial soldier, Seven Years War
Loyalist during American revolution
Member of Sons of Liberty
New England merchant
Spouse of Revolutionary War soldier
Philadelphia printer
1800s
Ohio farmer
Solider in 1812
1800-1820 middle-class housewife
1820s northern
Northern factory worker
Northern abolitionist
Southern free laborer
Southern shipping worker
Union soldier
Union nurse
Post-Civil War freedman