History 200 - Doing History: An Introduction
Fall 2014: MWF 10:00-10:50am (Wyatt 204)
Professor Katherine Allen Smith
email: kasmith2@pugetsound.edu
phone: (253) 879-3906 (campus ext. 3906)
office hours: Wyatt 142: Mon. 11:00-1:00 & Thurs. 12:30-1:30
(and other times by appointment)
“The memory delights in brevity, yet the events of history are nearly infinite.”
- Hugh of Saint Victor, medieval theologian (d. 1141)1
“[Historians] choose the data. We draw the conclusions. We choose to speak. And
this choice involves us in responsibilities, as we are all aware. We need to ask
ourselves: to whom are we speaking? But let me put that aside for the present. We have another, overriding
responsibility. The dead have no voice but ours. How best can we find the voices of our dead, and speak of
patterns and principles to which they would have assented, however shruggingly?”
- Eleanor M. Searle, American historian (d. 1999)2
“An acute sense of history, the feeling of being in the middle of a story fraught with meaning, which must
have had a beginning somewhere and will somewhere have an ending, in which the pattern will be completed and
revealed, is characteristic of a highly self-conscious culture. […] Fully and humanly against reason, we are
determined to work out the pattern of our plot, even after we realize that no one dies at the end, but in the
middle of everything, and is born into the middle as well.”
- Nancy F. Partner, American historian3
Description: This course is intended to serve as an introduction to history for prospective or recently
declared majors or minors, and to prepare them to succeed in upper-division courses in the History
Department. In the first unit of the course, students will learn about the craft of history, including its history
as a discipline, the rise of various schools of historical thought and their methodologies. In the last three
units of the course, students will practice the craft of history, learning to read primary sources closely and
critically, identify and engage with modern historians’ arguments, and diving into a research project on a
topic developed in consultation with the instructor. Since my own training and research focuses on the
history of Western Europe in the medieval and early modern periods, we will read many sources related to
that period, and research projects will address some aspect of European history pre-1650. There is no
expectation that students will have any background in premodern or European history.
Course Objectives: All students will have the opportunity to
• become familiar with the kinds of primary and secondary sources commonly used by
historians, and with the methods of analysis that can be applied to these sources;
• gain experience with the kinds of writing assignments often encountered in college-level
History classes, including close readings of primary sources, reviews, and research papers;
• acquire the research skills needed to locate and assess the value of historical sources and
other resources, such as reference works, books, journal articles, databases, and websites;
• and carry out research on a subject of special interest to them, culminating in a final paper
showcasing the historical research and writing skills developed over the semester.
“The Three Best Memory Aids for Learning History,” in The Medieval Craft of Memory: An Anthology of Texts and
Pictures, ed. and trans. Mary Carruthers and Jan Ziolkowski (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 39.
2
“Possible History,” Speculum 61/4 (Oct. 1986): 779-86 (quoting 779).
3
“Making Up Lost Time: Writing on the Writing of History,” Speculum 61/1 (Jan. 1986): 90-117 (quoting 90-91).
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Texts: The required texts listed below are available for purchase at the campus bookstore. Additional
readings may be found online or on our course’s Moodle page.
• Steven Bednarski, The Life and Times of Margarida de Portu, a Fourteenth-Century Accused Poisoner
(University of Toronto Press, 2014)
• John H. Arnold, History: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2000)
• Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 7th edn. (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012)
• History 200 Course Reader (= ‘CR’ in schedule of readings)
Requirements and Evaluation:
1) Class Participation (including attendance): I may give short lectures from time to time,
but our class will be primarily discussion driven. Class discussion is not a spectator sport! In a discussionbased class, everyone shares responsibility for making each meeting a success. I will do my part, and
expect each of you to do yours by coming to class with reading done, notes, questions, and any
assignments in hand, prepared to listen and share your ideas. Your participation grade reflects not only
your physical presence in the classroom, but your level of engagement. Please come prepared to think
and talk about history, and be kind enough to refrain from texting, reading for other classes, surfing the
web, or anything else that constitutes rude or distracting behavior during class time. Finally, since you
cannot participate if you are not in class, regular attendance is essential to your success in this course
(on which, see more under ‘Other Policies’ below).
2) Eight Preps: In the schedule of classes below, you’ll see that nearly every class has an
associated prep (marked ), designed to help you get the most out of that day’s assigned material or
to help you make progress on your research paper. These are not busy-work; all the exercises are
designed to help you master specific skills and complete major assignments in a timely fashion. I will
collect and grade eight of the preps on a scale from 1 to 10. Graded preps, which must be typed,
double-spaced, and proofread, with Chicago-Style citations, are due: Sept. 5th, Sept. 10th, Sept. 26th,
Oct. 10th, Oct. 22nd, Oct. 27th, Nov. 14th, and Dec. 1st. These preps are due at the beginning of class. I will not
accept late or emailed preps except in cases of documented serious illness or other emergencies.
3) Three Short Essays: In addition to the preps, there are three formal short essays: a 3-page
response to Steven Bednarski’s Poisoned Past, due Sept. 22nd; a 3-4-page response to the debates
surrounding Richard III, due Oct. 6th; and a 3-4-page review of a scholarly article, due Oct. 31st.
Detailed handouts of each assignment will be distributed in class well in advance of the due dates.
4) Research Project: The culmination of your History 200 experience will be a research
paper based on primary sources and informed by secondary scholarship. The second half of the
semester will be dedicated to the research and writing process. The first draft of your paper (8 pp.
minimum) is due on Nov. 24th and the final draft (10 pp. minimum) on Dec. 15th in lieu of a final
exam. I will provide a number of handouts on the research project, including details on exactly what
should be included in each draft.
Breakdown of Final Grade:
class participation: 13%
8 short writing exercises: 12%
3 short essays: 5%, 15%, 15%
final paper, first draft: 15%
final paper, final draft: 25%
______
100%
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Grading Scale: All assignments and participation will be graded on a 100-point scale from A to F. Here
are the numerical equivalents of each grade: A (94-100); A- (90-93); B+ (87-89); B (84-86); B- (80-83);
C+(77-79); C (74-76); C- (70-73); D (67-69); D (64-66); D- (60-63); F (0-59).
Help with Research and Writing: I am available to discuss readings and assignments, offer
research advice and discuss writing strategies during office hours and by appointment. Once we
move into the fourth and final unit of our course, there will be designated research or writing days
(not ‘days off’) when we will not meet as a group. I will be available in my office on these days during
our usual class time and I encourage you to stop by to discuss your research progress.
I encourage you to make use of two additional resources this semester: the staffs of Collins
Library and the Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching. We will have library workshops with our
liason librarian, Peggy Burge, but feel free to make an individual appointment to meet with her to
discuss your research. I guarantee she will help you find sources you would have otherwise missed! In
addition, Peggy will offer an on-demand workshop on Zotero, a great research management tool. She
may be reached by email (pburge@pugetsound.edu) or phone (ext. 3512), and you can arrange a
research consultation with Peggy by filling out an appointment request form at
https://pugetsoundhostmaster.wufoo.com/forms/research-consultation-request-pb/. Our archivist,
Katie Henningsen (khenningsen@pugetsound.edu), is another great resource for students interested in
working with original materials (not just in History 200, but in History 400, summer research, etc.).
The Writing Center (located in Howarth 109) is an excellent resource for anyone who wants
to improve their writing, is learning to write in a new discipline, or who just needs help getting started
on an assignment. You can make an appointment with one of the peer writing advisors by emailing
writing@pugetsound.edu or calling ext. 3404.
Other Policies:
Attendance: Regular attendance is essential to your success in this course, and you will find that I
take attendance at every meeting. I understand that illness and emergencies occur in the course of the
semester, and will not penalize you for missing up to two classes. If you miss more than this generous
allotment, be advised that I will deduct ½ letter grade from your participation grade for each additional
absence. I reserve the right to withdraw any student from the class for excessive unexcused absences, normally defined as
more than 6 absences over the course of the semester. If you become gravely ill or have an emergency that will take
you out of class for several days, please contact me so we can arrange for you to stay on track.
Disability-Related Accommodations: If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning
disability that may impact your course work, please contact Peggy Perno (105 Howarth, ext.3395). She
will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and
documentation is confidential.
Academic Honesty: All students are expected to abide by the guidelines concerning academic
honesty outlined in the Logger Handbook (at http://www.pugetsound.edu/student-life/studentresources/student-handbook/academic-handbook/academic-integrity/) Violations of honesty in research
(i.e., inventing or falsifying sources or data) or writing (i.e., borrowing the arguments or words of others
without attribution), or the defacing or destruction of library materials will result in a grade of ‘0’ for the
assignment in question and, at the instructor’s discretion, dismissal from the course.
Emergency Information: Please review university emergency preparedness and response
procedures posted at www.pugetsound.edu/emergency/. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and
the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings. If building evacuation becomes
necessary (e.g., earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she/he can
account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or
classroom until advised by an emergency response representative. If confronted by an act of violence,
be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the
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source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom
or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Stay low, away from doors and
windows, and as close to the interior hallway walls as possible. Wait for further instructions.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES (readings listed below the class for which they are due)
Unit I. What is History? What do Historians Do?
In this class we will move from the abstract to the concrete, and the first few weeks will accordingly be dedicated to big
questions about the nature of historical knowledge. We will begin by tackling (notice I didn’t say ‘answering’) the biggest
question of all: ‘What is history?’ Is history an art or a science? When we speak of the ‘historical record,’ are we talking
about a universally agreed-upon set of facts, or something more elusive? We will consider the issue of historical objectivity, and
explore how historians have addressed the problems of bias and presentism. This unit will introduce you to various strategies
historians have used to get at the past, as well as the assumptions upon which these are based. By the end of the unit, you
should have gained a sense of ‘historical-mindedness,’ and be starting to think like a historian.
(W) Sept. 3rd - Introductions
*No reading due today!
In class: History Department Questionnaire
(F) Sept. 5th - The Historian’s Responsibilities
History 200 syllabus (read it carefully, please!)
(CR, 1-12) Margaret MacMillan, “History Wars,” in Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History
(Random House, 2008)
(CR, 13-32) David Lowenthal, “Changing the Past,” in The Past Is a Foreign Country (Cambridge, 1985)
 MacMillan and Lowenthal describe various ways in which individuals and speicial interest groups have (often
unintentionally) done violence to history. As you do the reading, consider: What roles should professional
historians, students of history, and the general public should play in conserving and publicizing knowledge
about the past? Write a thoughtful 2-3-paragraph response to the work of MacMillan, Lowenthal, or both.
*Graded prep #1.
(M) Sept. 8th - Historians, Truth, and the Search for the Past
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 1-5
Arnold, Very Short Introduction, ch. 1-3
 Arnold insists that ‘history’ and ‘the past’ are different things. Think about how he defines history’s
relationship to the past and present. How does history relate to truth, imagination, rhetoric, and philosophy?
What are the most important qualities for historians to possess? Is there a difference between ‘composing’
and ‘doing’ history?
(W) Sept. 10th - Sources, Sleuthing, and Interpretation
Arnold, Very Short Introduction, ch. 4-5
(CR, 33-39) Shannon McSheffrey, “Detective Fiction in the Archives: Court Records and the Uses of
Law in Late Medieval England,” History Workshop Journal 65 (Spring 2008)
(CR, 40) The Case of Agnes Wellys v. William Rote (1475), ed. and trans. Shannon McSheffrey in Love
and Marriage in Late Medieval London (TEAMS, 1995)
 Using the discussion in Arnold’s Introduction as a framework, write a thoughtful 1½ - 2-page assessment of
McSheffrey’s article, focusing on her use of evidence. What kind of history is she doing – political, economic,
social, cultural – and how can you tell? What kinds of sources (primary or secondary) does she use, and how
does she deal with their limitations? *Graded prep #2.
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(F) Sept. 12th - Objectivity, Relativism, and the Challenge of Postmodernism
Arnold, Very Short Introduction, ch. 6-7
(CR, 42-49) Hayden White, “The Fictions of Factual Representation,” in Tropics of Discourse: Essays in
Cultural Criticism (John's Hopkins University Press, 1978)
 Arnold identifies two sorts of modern historians: “those who believe that people in the past were essentially
the same as us; and those who believe that they were essentially different (p.96).” How does adherence to one
of these viewpoints shape how the historian ‘does history?’ White presents a postmodern challenge to all
claims to historical truth. What is your response to his piece?
(M) Sept. 15th - One Extraordinary Story
Bednarski, Poisoned Past, intro, ch. 1-2, and appendix III
 Be able to describe the origins of microhistory and assess the advantages and weaknesses of this approach.
What does the story of the inquest following Johan Daponcii’s death tell us about the social structures, legal
workings, and values of fourteenth-century society? In what ways was Margarida, Johan’s wife, unusual? To
what extent was she ‘normal,’ and why is Bednarski so concerned to establish this?
(W) Sept. 17th - Setting the Story in Context
Bednarski, Poisoned Past, ch. 3-4
 What methodological choices has Bednarksi made to produce his admittededly selective and subjective
account of the events of 1394-95? How does he justify interpretive leaps regarding the personalities and
motives of Raymon Gauterii and Margarida? What do we learn about the different kinds of questions different
kinds of historians (social, cultural, legal, political) ask of their sources?
(F) Sept. 19th - Witnesses, Memory, and Speculation
Bednarski, Poisoned Past, ch. 5
 Is the ending Bednarski gives his story a satisfying one? What does it reveal about the limits of narrative
technique in historical writing? How convinced are you of the general conclusions Bednarski draws about
medieval society on the basis of Margarida’s experience?
Assignment: Bring in the typed draft of your introduction and first body paragraph for the essay due
on Monday, Sept. 22nd, since we will be working with these in class.
Unit II. Working with Primary Sources
Why are primary sources of such value for ‘doing history?’ What are the limitations and even dangers of certain kinds of
primary sources? What is the difference between close reading and forcing a source to say what we want it to? In this unit we
will work with archival, edited, and electronic primary sources and cultivate the close reading skills that allow historians to
make the most of their evidence. By the end of the unit, you should be able to read primary sources closely and critically, and
transform a close reading of a source into a written piece of historical analysis.
(M) Sept. 22nd- Library Visit: Meet the Primary Sources (meet in Library, Shelmidine Room)
(WEB) Video: “Making Manuscripts” (J. Paul Getty Museum, 2010), 6 min., available at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDHJu9J10o
(CR, 50) Overview of a Book of Hours, from The British Library
(CR, 51-63) Lawrence R. Poos, “Social History and the Book of Hours,” and Virginia Reinburg,
“Prayer and the Book of Hours,” both in Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life,
ed. Roger S. Wieck (Walters Art Gallery, 1988)
 Today we’ll explore the raw materials of history, focusing on a single type of source, the book of hours.
We’ll examine medieval manuscript leaves and facsimiles with archivist Katie Heninsen, and Peggy Burge will
give us a tutorial on finding the modern editions and translations that make these types of sources more
accessible to historians. Please note that food, drink, and ink pens are not permitted in Shelmidine!
Short essay #1 on Bednarski’s Poisoned Past (3 pp.) due Sept. 22nd at the beginning of class
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(W) Sept. 24th- Library Visit: Primary Sources for the English Civil War (Library, Shelmidine Room)
(CR, 64) Overview of the English Civil War from Clifford R. Backman, The Cultures of the West
(Oxford, 2013)
(CR, 65-74) Sharon Achinstein, “Texts in Conflict: The Press and the Civil War,” in The Cambridge
Companion to Writing of the English Revolution, ed. N.H. Keeble (Cambridge, 2001)
(CR, 75-77) Vivienne Larminie, “Herle, Charles (1597/8-1659),” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,
61 vols, gen. eds. H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Howard Harrison (Oxford, 2004)
(Moodle) Charles Herle, A fuller answer to a treatise written by Dr. Ferne… (1642)
 Today we’ll examine an original 1642 pamphlet by Charles Herle dealing with the right of subjects to resist
kings, in light of some complementary electronic archival sources. To prep for class, be sure you understand
what happened in England in the early 1640s, what role the popular press played in the outbreak of civil war,
and what factors might have encouraged Herle to take the side of the Parliamentarians against King Charles I.
(F) Sept. 26th - ‘Documents of Practice’ vs. ‘Documents of Theory’
Documents of practice are records that purport to convey facts or describe actual occurrences. Such
documents include legal, economic, and institutional records, such as charters recording land transactions,
letters, chronicles, wills, and inventories. Documents of theory are prescriptive or hortatory records that show
the world as their writers thought it should be, and promote particular values, beliefs, or models of behavior.
Such documents include law codes, political or theological tracts, sermons, and works of literature.
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 6-14, 29-33
(CR, 78-83) Documents of practice: 1) a charter from the monastery of Cluny and 2) coroners’ rolls
(CR, 84-87) Documents of theory: 1) a poem on war and 2) procedures for isolating lepers
 Write a 1-2-page close reading of one source you find interesting. What are this source’s strengths and
weaknesses (i.e., what kinds of questions can/can’t it answer)? What can you extrapolate about the outlook of
the person who wrote it, their values, hopes, fears? What could you do with a large number of similar sources?
What other kinds of sources might enrich your reading of this source? *Graded prep #3.
**Optional Extra Credit Assignment** Attend a history-related session of the Race and Pedagogy
National Conference and write a 1-2-page reflection on one or more of the presentations
(M) Sept. 29th - Case Study: The Enigma of Richard III
(CR, 88-94) Lacey Baldwin Smith, “The Wars of the Roses,” in This Realm of England, 1399-1688
(Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
(CR, 95-104) John Gillingham, “Interpreting Richard III,” in Richard III: A Medieval Kingship (St.
Martin’s, 1993)
(CR, 105-07) The Richard III Society, Mission Statement & History
(CR, 108-13) Primary sources for Richard III’s character and usurpation of the throne, in Richard III:
A Sourcebook, 2nd edn, ed.. Keith Dockray (Sutton, 1997)
 The controversial reign of Richard III offers lots of scope for historical debate. Compare the assessments of
Richard by Smith, Gillingham, and the Richard III Society: to what extent are these based on historical
evidence, versus something less tangible? Now read the primary sources edited by Dockray, evaluate their
reliability, and develop your own historically minded assessment of Richard’s character and usurpation.
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(W) Oct. 1st - Case Study: The Enigma of Richard III, cont.
(CR, 114-39) Primary sources for Richard’s reign, the Princes in the Tower and the Battle of
Bosworth, in Richard III: A Sourcebook, ed. Dockray
(WEB) Portrait of Richard III, c.1520, Royal Collection Trust, at
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/403436/richard-iii-1452-85
(WEB) Statue of Richard III by James Walter Butler, 1980, in Castle Gardens, Leicester, at
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/growth-andhistory/statuesandsculpture/kingrichardthird/
 How much historical evidence is there for Richard’s role in his nephews’ disappearance? Why has this debate
so bitterly divided modern scholars? Do the accounts of the Battle of Bosworth shed any light on Richard as a
person and a king? What historical arguments do the two representations of Richard make?
(F) Oct. 3rd - Richard III: Archaeology, Science, and Historical Revision
(CR, 140-41) “Richard III: DNA Confirms Bones are King’s,” BBC News-Leicester, Feb. 4, 2013
(CR, 142) Sean Lang, “The Discovery of Richard III: A Propaganda War,” History Today blog, Feb. 6,
2013
(CR, 143) P.A. Warzynski, “MPs in heated debate over final resting place of king's bones,” Leicester
Mercury, May 7, 2014
(CR, 144-48) N.H. Bramwell, and R.W. Byard, “The Bones in the Abbey: Are They the Murdered
Princes?” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 10 (1989): 83-7.
(CR, 149-50) Alan Travis, “Why the Princes in the Tower are Staying Six Feet Under,” The
Guardian, Feb. 5, 2013
 How have modern scientific and archaeological discoveries complicated the debates about Richard III
and the lost princes? Would you support the exhumation and DNA-testing of the skeletons found in the
Tower? Why or why not? Assignment: Bring in a typed draft of your second paper’s introduction.
**Sign up for individual meetings on research topics
Unit III. Working with Secondary Sources
In addition to reading primary sources, historians use each other’s work (in the form of scholarly articles,
monographs, essay collections, etc.) to develop their own pictures of the past. Historians often disagree, and this is
reflected in the secondary sources on a given topic; scholars who approach the same question through different sources
might arrive at opposite conclusions, or scholars might read the same body of sources and come away with quite
different interpretations. Sometimes the dominant interpretation of a particular historical question changes
dramatically over time, as historians uncover new evidence or develop new methods of interpreting old sources. In this
unit, you will become a more critical reader of secondary sources, able to assess their usefulness and reliability, and to
identify and critique an author’s thesis.
(M) Oct. 6th - Reading Secondary Sources like a Historian
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 16-21
(CR, 151-64) J. Russell Major, “’Bastard Feudalism’ and the Kiss: Changing Social Mores in Late
Medieval and Early Modern France,” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 17/3 (Winter 1987):
509-35.
 Summarize Major’s thesis in 1 sentence, then note one aspect of his article that you admired, and identify at
least one possible criticism or weakness of the thesis or the manner in which he presents his evidence.
Short essay #2 on The Enigma of Richard III (3-4 pp.) due Oct. 6th at the beginning of class
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(W) Oct. 8th - Casting a Wider Net (aka Cliometrics)
(CR, 165-72) Christiane Klapisch-Zuber, “The Cruel Mother: Maternity, Widowhood, and Dowry in
Florence in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries,” in her Women, Family, and Ritual in Renaissance
Italy (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985), 117-131.
(CR, 173-85) Barbara A. Hanawalt, “Violent Death in Fourteenth- and Early Fifteenth-Century
England,” Comparative Studies in Society and History 18/3 (Jul. 1976): 297-320.
 What was the stated goal of each article? How did the authors use their sources to achieve these (or not)?
Compare Hanawalt and Klapisch-Zuber to other historians we’ve read. What is gained and/or lost by a
quantitative approach?
(F) Oct. 10th How to ‘Gut’ a Book
(WEB) Peggy Burge, Guide to distinguishing monographs from other kinds of secondary sources,
available at our library course page: http://research.pugetsound.edu/hist200Smith.
 Set aside time before today’s class to find a book on your research topic. Locate several possible titles, then
browse nearby shelves when you go to pick them up. The book you select should be a monograph (i.e., a
study of a single subject, normally by a single author), with footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. Next,
spend no more than two hours ‘gutting’ it, and fill out the gutting worksheet. Then, find at least one book
review and compare it with your impressions. Bring your book, completed worksheet, and review(s) to class.
*Graded prep #4.
TIP: Find book reviews by searching for the book’s author and title (in quotes) in the following
databases: JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, and ProQuest Research Library Complete.
**Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair: Sat. Oct. 11th- Sun. Oct. 12th (optional extra credit assignment)**
(M) Oct. 13th Using and Writing Reviews
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 36-37
(WEB) “On Writing Book Reviews,” a guide by Prof. Catherine Lavender of the City University of
New York: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/review.html
(CR, 186-92) The following reviews:
1) Reviews of Dyan Elliott, Spiritual Marriage: Sexual Abstinence in Medieval Wedlock: by Penelope
D. Johnson in American Historical Review 99/1 (Feb. 1994): 172-73; and by Glenn Olsen in
Speculum 70/2 (Apr. 1995): 363-64.
2) Reviews of Jay Rubenstein, Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse, by
James Naus, in The Historian 75/1 (2013): 212-13; and by Jonathan Riley-Smith in The
Catholic Historical Review 98/4 (2012): 786-87.
3) Reviews of R.I. Moore, Formation of a Persecuting Society: Power and Deviance in Western Europe,
950-1250, by Miri Rubin in Speculum 65/4 (Oct. 1990): 1025-27; and by Robert E. Lerner
in The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 19/4 (Spring 1989): 659-60.
 Which reviews did you find the most (and least) helpful? Why? How closely did the various reviewers follow
the guidelines for writing reviews outlined by Rampolla and Lavender?
Unit IV. Research Project
In this final unit of the class, you will put the historical tools you’ve acquired to use in a research project culminating in
a substantial piece of written work. Research is a craft, and you should think of yourself as an apprentice, mastering
the tools of the researcher’s trade so you can produce a polished final product. Producing a convincingly argued, solidly
researched, and well written piece of historical scholarship takes lots of time and energy – in fact, the two months or so
left in the semester is not much time for this kind of project! Expect to run into roadblocks: you may not be able to
find sources you were counting on, materials ordered from SUMMIT or ILL may take longer to arrive than you
anticipate, and you may need to revise your working thesis several times. To keep things manageable and help you stay
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on track, we will break down the research process into stages: an initial stage where you cast a wider net, followed by a
period of reading and following up new leads, and finally several weeks of outlining, drafting, and revising your paper.
(W) Oct. 15th - Getting Started: Finding a Topic and Defining a Problem
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 77-81
 Do some process writing to brainstorm research topics. Write down subjects, events, and figures you are
interested in, and the question(s) you hope to be able to answer. Bring what you’ve written to class.
(F) Oct. 17th - Library Research Workshop (meet in Library, room 118)
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 81-93
At today’s workshop, Peggy Burge will provide an overview of important reference tools and show us how to
locate sources on Primo and use research databases to find scholarly articles. You should come away with
some promising references to follow up next week.
 Before our session, locate an entry in a subject encyclopedia that is relevant to your research, read the entry,
and bring a copy of it to our library class. Start by consulting the list of subject encyclopedias Peggy Burge has
compiled on our course webpage: http://research.pugetsound.edu/hist200Smith
*If you have a wireless enabled laptop, please bring it to today’s workshop.
Reminder: if you are interested in setting up an on-demand class to learn how to use Zotero to manage
your research, email Peggy Burge this week with possible meeting times!
**Fall Break: No classes Oct. 20th-21st**
(W) Oct. 22nd - Keeping Track of Your Research
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 93-95
 By now you need to choose a method for taking and organizing notes on your research. If you have not
already done so, choose a note-taking format and create two notes that reflect two sources (primary sources,
articles, monographs, etc.) in their entirety. If you are taking notes electronically, print out two hard copies of
two complete notes to bring to class, one set to work with in class and one set to turn in to me. *These notes
= Graded prep #5.
(F) Oct. 24th - Academic Honesty and the Effective Use of Sources
(WEB) Puget Sound Policy on Academy Honesty, in The Logger, at http://www.pugetsound.edu/x4718.xml
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 98-105
(CR, 193-95) David D. Kirkpatrick, NY Times articles on the Stephen Ambrose plagiarism scandal
(CR, 196-97) Richard Goldstein, “Stephen Ambrose Dies at 66,” NY Times, Oct. 14, 2002
(CR, 198) Joanne Meyerowitz, “History’s Ethical Crisis: An Introduction,” Journal of American History
90/4 (Mar. 2004): 1325-26.
(CR, 199-200) Joyce Seltzer, “Honest History,” Journal of American History 90/4 (Mar. 2004): 1347-50.
 What is your reaction to the 2002 scandal involving popular U.S. historian Stephen E. Ambrose? Would
Ambrose have been guilty of plagiarism as defined by the Logger? Why or why not?
(M) Oct. 27th - Citations and Bibliographies (and why they are so important!)
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 112-145 and 27-30
 Create three annotated bibliography entries for sources, including at least one primary source, which you
have found and read as part of the research for your final project. Each entry should contain a complete
citation in Chicago Style, as well as an accompanying annotation. See Rampolla, p.29 for an excellent sample
annotated bibliography entry. These citations = Graded prep #6.
(W) Oct. 29th - Individual Research (No Class)
 If you haven’t yet selected a scholarly article to review for the assignment due Nov. 1st, do this today. If
you’ve already found your article, work on your review or use the footnotes to identify additional sources.
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(F) Oct. 31st - Engaging with Other Scholars
*No reading today: your only responsibility is to come to class on time with two hard copies of your
completed article review, which we will work with in class.
Short essay #3: review of a scholarly article (3-4pp.) due Oct. 31st at the beginning of class
(M) Nov. 3rd - Individual Research (no class)
 Get your working bibliography in order, focusing on locating primary sources, and fleshing out any other
category of sources (e.g., monographs, journal articles) where your bibliography looks thin.
(W) Nov. 5th - Working with the Language of Your Sources
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 106-111
 Bring in a hard copy of one of the primary sources you will use for your paper (or part of the source if it is
very long) to work with in class today.
(F) Nov. 7th - Individual Research and Writing (no class)
 Read, take good notes, and continue to follow up new leads. If you are stuck, make an appointment to see
me or Peggy Burge for research help.
(M) Nov. 10th - From Research Question to Thesis
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 53-59
 Type up your working thesis in 1-2 sentences and bring it into class.
(W) Nov. 12th - Individual Research and Writing (no class)
 If you aren’t happy with your working thesis, revise it with colleagues’ suggestions in mind. Also spend time
hunting for new sources, targeting gaps in your research. Read footnotes and bibliographies, browse the
stacks, and search WorldCat to fill in holes in your working bibliography of primary and secondary sources.
(F) Nov. 14th - Developing Your Outline
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 96
 Write up a draft outline, making it as detailed as you can, and including your draft thesis and at least one
quotation from a primary source you plan to use in your paper. Bring two copies of the outline with you to
class, and be prepared to explain your organizational choices. *This outline = Graded prep #7.
(M) Nov. 17th - Tackling the First Draft
(CR, 201-09) Robert C. Williams, “Narrative and Explanation,” in The Historian’s Toolbox: A Student’s
Guide to the Theory and Craft off History, 2nd ed. (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2007), 90-109.
 Revise your outline, noting at least one place where you might use narrative to good effect. Using Williams’
example, write out a chronology of significant dates and corresponding events related to your project.
(W) Nov. 19th - Revisions, Introductions, and Conclusions
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 59-67
 Revise your paper’s introduction and bring two typed, double-spaced copies with you to class.
(F) Nov. 21st - Individual Writing (no class)
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 Push ahead with your rough draft, fleshing out the main body of the paper before returning to your
introduction and tackling the conclusion. Remember to cite your sources as you write – it will be much harder
to reconstruct all these citations at the end!
(M) Nov. 24th - Exchange of Drafts
 Your only assignment is to finish your draft and print out 3 copies (1 for me and 2 for peer reviewers).
**3 copies of your rough draft (8 pp. min.) due at the beginning of class on Nov. 24th**
**Thanksgiving Break: No Classes Nov. 26th-Nov. 28th
(M) Dec. 1st - Revisions: Workshop with Peer Reviewers
 Today I’ll return my copy of your draft with comments, and you’ll be able to exchange feedback with your
authors and editors. Bring in the two drafts you’ve edited, along with two copies of your typed comments for
each draft. (You’ll return the papers and one set of comments to each author, and one set of comments to
me). *Your 2 peer reviews = graded prep #7. *Sign-up for individual meetings
(W) Dec. 3rd- Individual Meetings and Writing Time (no class)
 Read my comments and those of your peer reviewers carefully before we meet, and come to our meeting
prepared to talk about your concrete plans for revising the first draft in the next two weeks.
(F) Dec. 5th - Writing Workshop
Rampolla, Pocket Guide, 70-76
 Use Rampolla’s suggestions to rewrite at least two pages of your paper, paying careful attention to sentence
structure, active/passive verbs, and pronoun usage. Bring a copy of the revised pages to class.
(M) Dec. 8th - Individual Writing and Revising (no class)
 Keep working on your revisions: fill gaps in your evidence, make sure your argument is clear and consistent
throughout, and polish your language. Be sure you have footnotes wherever you need them!
(W) Dec. 10th - Last Class: Final Revisions and Polishing
 Revise your introduction one more time. Be sure it makes a claim, positions your argument within the topic’s
historiography, and addresses the ‘so what’ question. Now tackle your conclusion, so that it restates your claim
as clearly as possible and suggest its wider implications, Finally, assess the title you have chosen: Is it clear?
Accurate? Suggestive of your claim? Intriguing?
**Final Papers due Monday, Dec. 15th by noon in my office**
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