History 20 Historical Defense Paper Guidelines
1)Pick a historical person from the list below.
2)Get to know them well! Look at secondary sources (sources written about them after their time) and primary sources (sources written during their time). You’ll need at least 3 sources overall, and 1 has to be a primary source.
a.These sources can come from academic books, journals, articles, and educational Internet websites with .edu only. Special permission can be given for certain sources.
b.You cannot use textbooks for one of the 3 main sources (but they can be used for your background info) and no children’s books or historical novels are allowed
c.If a source has no author/editor, publication place or year of publication, it won’t be accepted; full website addresses are needed if citing .edu Internet sources. No other Internet sources allowed.
d.Try not to use sources older than 1970; do NOT use sources older than 1950 unless they are primary sources
*A FULL GRADE DROPS FOR EACH MISSING OR INVALID SOURCE
3)Step “into their shoes” and take a stance on their reputation (see list below)
*Be sure you argue your stance as THEY would, NOT as YOU would. You must consider things as if you were from that person’s time and place.
*When you “sit down” to write your defense, do it at a time in his/her life when they have a moment and have done enough things. (At the end of their lives works best, or right after event discussed)
*You must have these people write while they’re alive, though; they cannot have knowledge of the future and no ghosts, vampires, or zombies are allowed!
4)Write the defense
a.Papers must be anywhere from 3-6 pages long (if only 3 pages, content MUST reach the bottom of page 3. Grades drop for papers that are too short, even by half a page)
b.Sentences must be double-spaced and words must be size 12 in Times or Times New Roman fonts
c.No footnotes/endnotes are needed, but if you choose to include them as the person quoting themselves, your quotes CANNOT be longer than two lines.
d.Pages must have one-inch margins on all sides
*NO PRINTING BACK TO BACK!
e.Pages must be numbered and points will drop for unstapled papers
- Points will drop for bad grammar and bad spelling. PROOFREAD YOUR WORK!
*THESE PAPERS MUST BE STUDENTS’ OWN WORK! This is NOT a group project and papers that are plagiarized from sources or other students’ papers will receive a ZERO GRADE
*These papers are worth 100 pts. and must be submitted in hardcopy AND electronically through Turn-It-In (via Canvas) to get full credit.
*Paper format: 1) a cover page; 2) the defense; and 3) a bibliography/works cited
1) Cover Page
- A title
- Your name; date; instructor; class; etc. (This can be in any style; pictures are welcome)
2) Body––the defense
- Using your sources and knowledge acquired from class, analyze the life of the historical person in first person narrative (i.e. “I was king…”). Their self-reflection is crucial, but it must be done according to his/her own times and beliefs.
- This paper is too short for lots of detail, but students MUST mention some important moments/deeds in the person’s life as they defend themselves (i.e. Julius Caesar should mention his reforms/new laws and profitable conquests like the Gallic Wars to help him argue why he should be dictator for life…).
*If, based on research, you think the person regrets their actions by the end of their life, you can defend their previous reason for the action and then explain why it was a mistake
*Most importantly: ALWAYS keep in mind your person’s values and prejudices from their eras; do not answer a question the way you would, answer the question the way THEY would
*The idea behind this defense is to show your understanding of the person and their times; try to make this as “real” as possible, but it’s important to also have fun with this!
3) Bibliography/Works Cited––>it gets its own page
- For academic book, provide: authors, titles of works, cities of publication, publishers, years of publication, and editors or translators if applicable, must be provided for each source.
- For academic journals, provide: authors, titles of articles, names of journals, publishers, cities of publication, years of publication, volume number, and pages of articles.
*Sources that lack authors or editors, publication years, or publishing houses will not be accepted
Example:
Works Cited
Primary Sources:
Russell, John. The Croyland Chronicle, 1459-1486. England: Croyland Abbey, 1486.
Secondary Sources:
Fraser, Antonia. The Wars of the Roses. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,
Gravett, Christopher. Bosworth 1485: Last Charge of the Plantagenets. Oxford: Osprey, 1999.
Kendall, Paul Murray. Richard the Third. New York: WW Norton and Co., 2002.
*Please note that the first line where the authors’ names should stick out on the left side and the rest of the information is indented, and last names are in alphabetical order
*If you have any questions, feel overwhelmed, or are unsure how to get yourself started, feel free to email me or see me!
Historical People Choices:
(Pick one)
As Alexander the Great: justify his destruction of the Persian palace at Persepolis
As Genghis Khan of the Mongolian Empire: justify the overwhelming devastation caused by his
conquests
As William the Conqueror: justify his conquest of England
As Thutmosis III of Egypt: justify his destruction of Hatshepsut’s legacy and statues
As Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia: justify the impalement of his own people
As Hannibal Barca of Carthage: justify his decision not to besiege the city of Rome
As Qin Shi Huangdi of China: justify his harsh Legalist policies over his empire
As Isabella the She-wolf of France: justify her rebellion (and usurpation) against her husband,
Edward II
As Richard III of England: argue his innocence and explain (if possible) the disappearance of
his nephews
As Julius Caesar of Rome: justify his declaration of civil war against his people (his
crossing of the Rubicon River in 49 BCE) and his destruction of the Roman Republic
As Queen Cleopatra of Egypt: explain her worth as a Ptolemaic ruler, that she was more than a sexual
object for Roman men
As Joan of Arc of France: defend that she wasn’t crazy when she heard voices from angels and her
mission to save France
As Nero of Rome: defend his innocence in not starting the Great Fire of Rome and how he handled it
As Xerxes of the Persian Empire: justify his decision to not conquer Greece in the end
As Eleanor of Aquitaine: justify her and her sons’ rebellion against her husband, Henry II
As Socrates: defend how he wasn’t corrupting young men
As Philippe IV the Fair of France: justify his destruction of the Knights Templars
As Empress Wu of China: justify her ruthless rule over China
As Ramesses II of Egypt: defend his victory at the Battle of Qadesh