For your first writing assignment, you will be preparing an annotated bibliography of at least 5 scholarly articles, websites, books, or chapters that cover a theme relevant to American history, with proper citations. The theme does not have to be restricted to the period of this course, but may encompass the entirety of American history. You may choose a film, documentary or drama, but you must include in your annotated bibliography how it is applicable to your research and its shortcomings.
An annotated bibliography means that each reference must have a brief (250-300 words) abstract summarizing the gist of the article, book, etc., including the author’s methods and conclusions. Some articles may have an abstract included – your abstract must NOT be copied directly from that, but should be in your own words. You may write informally with the goal of informing the reader what the article is about, so they can decide if it is worth reading or relevant to their research.
This assignment will challenge you to find, analyze and summarize resources to begin deeper research on a topic.
Some sample themes include:
Native American Experiences with European Settlers
Salem Witch Trials
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
The American Revolution
Life in the Antebellum South
Politics of the 19th Century
The Debate and Compromises Over Slavery
Medicine in the American Civil War
Industrialization in 19th Century America
Social Reforms in American History
Labor Movements and Unionization
Women’s Suffrage/Women’s Rights
American Involvement in World War II
Psychological Impact of the First World War
The Great Depression
Conscription in American Wars
Controversies of the Cold War
The Presidency of John F. Kennedy
Major Battles of the Second World War
Manifest Destiny and the Oregon Trail
Operation Overlord/Allied Invasion of Normandy
Immigrant Experience in American History
The Civil Rights Movement
For reference on how to create an annotated bibliography, please refer to this website:
https://libguides.enc.edu/writing_basics/annotatedbib/definition
