Women in Colonial America

Context: The book First Generations discusses the lives of women who immigrated to America from other countries, and Native Americans that were here when the immigrations started. It follows through two centuries of life in America, to show how women’s lives changed, improved, and/or degraded during this time. This book details how people lived in the 17th and 18th centuries, and particularly how women lived. Berkin illustrates the everyday life in Colonial times from women of different ethnic backgrounds, financial circumstances, and areas. Assignment: For your final paper, answer the following question: How did race/ethnicity, religion, geography, and/or social class shape women’s lives in early America? • You are to examine or argue in what way did one or more of these factors affect women’s lives in early America. Requirements: You must select quotes about a minimum of 3 different women that Berkin illustrates in First Generations to use as evidence to support your thesis. • A successful essay will also turn to your textbook and class PowerPoints to provide background and context. You are required to cite the sources you use. ***This is NOT a book review/summary. Do not give me a play by play about what happened in the book. I read it. I know what happened. You are to develop an argument (thesis) and support your interpretation using First Generations and historical evidence. There is no single “right” answer for this essay. I am asking you to develop an argument or point of view and to support your interpretation using the book and relevant historical facts from class material. You are to use your critical thinking skills and weigh historical evidence to reach your own reasoned conclusions. Mechanics: Length: 4-6 pages. • In order for it to count as a page, it must be full with no unnecessary spacing. Meaning 3 ½ pages does not count as 4 full pages. There should be no additional spaces between your header, title, and introduction paragraph. • Your works cited page does not count as a page Remember, reaching the page requirement does not essentially mean you will receive a passing grade. It is the quality of your paper (content, argument, analysis) that will determine the majority of the points. Formatting: MLA format and citations. • Size 12 Font • Times New Roman Font • Double-spaced • 1-inch Margin • Last Name and Page Number on Upper Right-Hand Corner • Heading on Top Left: Name, Professor, Class, Date • Title • Works Cited Page Chicago style will also be accepted, and will be graded with the same expectations. Choose only one format and stay consistent. Do not plagiarize. Plagiarism is stealing the words, ideas, or thoughts of another person and treating them as your own. Changing a word or two in a sentence is not enough to avoid plagiarism. When in doubt, cite the source. If you plagiarize, you will be reported. No exceptions. Things to consider: • Do not use Wikipedia as a source! • Write history in past tense. • Write in third person (he/him/she/her/it/they/them). Avoid using first person or second person. • Use the active voice and avoid passive as much as possible. o (“Jody attacked the enemy,” rather than, “The enemy was attacked by Jody.”) • Read your essay before you submit it! Quotations: • Avoid using block quotes. (Quotes that take more than 4 lines) • Do not use quotes as replacements for your own analysis. • Do not stick quotes in your paragraph without an introduction or analysis after. Introduce your quotes: • According to Berkin, “Between 1621 and 1651, there were four single men for each single women” (25). • For Native American women, “it was publicly recognized as a transition, a movement between families and household, from youth to adulthood” (Berkin 66). Choose your words carefully. • For example, the Holocaust was not “unfortunate.” Spilled coffee is unfortunate. The Holocaust was horrendous, devasting, and deeply disturbing. • Words like “always” and “never” are very definitive statement and is difficult to prove when writing about history. • Avoid cliché phrases such as: “Since the beginning of history/time.” For help with citations: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html Book Citation: Berkin, Carol. First Generations: Women in Colonial America. New York: Hill and Wang. 1996