Colonial Research
Paper
Guidelines and Using MLA Formatting
Topics to Research
O General background (founders/years)
O Economy (goods traded, crops grown, jobs,
O
O
O
O
O
other economic activities)
Geography (climate, soil, etc.)
Relations with Natives
Religion/tolerance
Diversity
Slavery
Thesis/Introduction
O Thesis statements typically appear at the
end of an introduction paragraph, and
contains your position/opinion [in this case,
which colonial region is best] and why [what
makes this region superior to the others]
Sample Introduction
The colonial states of America were grouped into
three geographical regions: the New England colonies,
the middle colonies, and the southern colonies. The
New England colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire were the
farthest north. They were rich in the natural resources
of fish, whales, lumber, and furs. Many of the colonists
living in New England had left Europe to escape
religious persecution. Because the settlers were able
to practice their religion, govern and educate
themselves, and most importantly make a living from
the abundant resources found in the Northeast, the
New England colonies were a great success.
Using Images
O You cannot copy and paste an image into
your paper, but you can use one as a source
EXAMPLE:
As shown in the engraving by
John Hall, captioned “William
Penn’s treaty with the Indians,
when we founded the Province
of Pennsylvania”, the colonists
in Pennsylvania had a positive
and peaceful relationship with
the local Native tribes.
Using Images
EXAMPLE:
The New England colonies did
not have a large Black
population and therefore did
not rely heavily on slave labor,
as evidenced by the “Population
of the New England Colonies,
1620-1750” graph.
Possible Outlines
O INTRO
O Background info about region
O Climate/weather
O Economy
O Religion
O Relations with Natives
O Negatives about other regions
O CONCLUSION
Possible Outline
O INTRO
O Background info about region
O Specific colony #1
O Specific colony #2
O Specific colony #3
O Specific colony #4
O CONCLUSION
Possible Outline
O INTRO
O Background about region
O Economy – compare/contrast
O Climate – compare/contrast
O Relations with Natives – compare/contrast
O Religion – compare/contrast
O CONCLUSION
MLA Format: Works Cited
Purdue OWL: MLA format
KnightCite: Citation maker