Historical Context Chart

Instructions

• Identify three secondary sources from your selected topic. The secondary resources will review three historical events that impacted your research topic. Complete the Historical Context Chart to explore the how these events inform the historical context of your topic and support your thesis statement.
• Download and complete the Historical Context Chart. Save this chart as a file on your computer. Submit this saved file for instructor grading and feedback.

HIS 100 Theme 3: Learning Block 5-3 Historical Context Chart

Prompt: Historiography is the practice of analyzing how the historical context of a time influences how historians write about and interpret historical events. First, choose three secondary sources that discuss three historical events that influence your research topic

Next, explain in the chart how the event impacted the historical context of your research topic. Then describe whether the historical context of the event supports your thesis statement for your research topic.

Historical Context

Short Response: Research Plan Preparation

4-2-1 Short Response: Research Plan Preparation

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

HIS-100-X4685 Perspectives in History 19EW4

April 19

My first question was: “How was the drafting of the United States constitution significant towards protecting the American people”

This should be revised to: “Did the drafting of the United States constitution assist in ensuring checks and balances among the powers of governance”

I decided to revise my topic because I wanted to be more specific on the exact choice of topic for discussion. (White, 2017) The drafting of the constitution plays an important role in protecting American citizens, however there are various ways it depicts its uniqueness: however, to be more specific the revised topic puts emphasis on the United States constitution and checks and balances.

I would discuss further on the importance of the United States constitution and how it ensured checks and balances are part of the government’s instruments for controlling powers of governance. My research aims at explaining specifically on how the founding fathers who drafted the constitution included checks and balances in order to override control of power which has to be monitored. (Urban, 2018)

Beeman, R. R. (2010). Plain, honest men: The making of the American Constitution. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. Primary source as part of the research would contribute significantly in bringing out my specific idea of the message I want to pass across.

The selected primary source for instance “Plain honest men” expounds further on the expertise involved during the drafting of the US constitution: furthermore it also gives information related to checks and balances during its drafting. Primary source would also create a firm foundation for the secondary source when it comes to supporting the research topic.

My second question was: “How did the founding fathers set up the US constitution guidelines?”

This should be revised to: “Did the framers of the U.S constitution include guidelines for dealing with future situations?”

The intention of revising my research question was to ensure the discussion topic was narrower in regards to getting results which are accurate in accordance to my choice of topic question. In trying to understand the process involved during the drafting of the constitution and their intention to offer guidelines; it is necessary to specify on how long it is supposed to protect the people.

The research topic I chose first was too general hence it could not bring out my intended purpose of selecting a research topic. In conducting my research I will try to understand better if the framers of the constitution created guidelines which were supposed to last for future generations. A good research topic is supposed to bring out the main purpose of the study, this is such as for instance in my study it is guidelines of the constitution and how it as meant for the future. (Browne, 2011)

United States & Important Books (Firm). (2014).The Constitution of the United States of America. Primary sources in this research question would enable me to have a deeper understanding in regards to the history of writing of the constitution by the founding fathers. Furthermore with the information received from the primary source I would try to understand in a critically how it contributes to my research topic. Moreover I would also integrate the secondary source with the primary source discussed hence compare and contrast the information explained.

References

Urban, J. B., & Van, E.-M. B. (2018). Designing and proposing your research project.

Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2011). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking. Boston: Pearson.

White, P. (2017). Developing research questions.

PROJECT 1:

TOPIC EXPLORATION WORKSHEET

HIS 100 THEME 1

Part 1

Select a research topic area for Project 1 based on which of the following areas interests you the most. You will explore the selected topic a little later in this theme. Mark your selection in the right-hand column.

Part 2

Now that you have identified your topic and described what you already know about the topic, what questions do you still have about the topic that you would like to know? Place your answers in the right-hand column.

Part 3

You are now ready to complete the final part of your Topic Exploration Worksheet. You have chosen a topic, posed some research questions, and are ready to start thinking about what kind of sources you will need to investigate your research questions further. Using the library guide in the Shapiro Library provided for your chosen topic, skim through the suggested resources (or find your own) and complete the following information for your research questions.

(Continued on next page)