Name __________________________
Date: ________________
Section: 11.1
11.2
(circle one)
U. S. History II
Frequently Asked Questions: Jim Crow Essay
This document attempts to answer some questions that many students have asked me in
the first day of writing conferences. Please read it carefully – it will save you some time and
worry!
How do I write an introduction?
Most successful introductory paragraphs have three main elements: a hook, some
background, and a thesis statement.
 The hook should get the reader interested in the essay and establish the “so what” of
the essay – in other words, why should anyone read your paper?
o This might be a striking quote, an interesting story/event, or a connection
between the topic of your paper and the present day.
o In history papers, successful hooks often link the paper topic to a larger
historical theme – Jim Crow to the struggle for racial equality, World War 2 to
the rise of American power on the international stage, etc.
 The background should establish the context that the reader needs to understand
your essay.
o Think about what someone who hasn’t taken this class would need to know
in order to understand your argument.
o This is often the place to present a succinct summary of historical concepts –
for instance, what was the Jim Crow era?
o Don’t go into exhaustive detail here – a broad overview is usually better.
 The thesis statement is provided – it is completely acceptable to copy what I’ve given
you; you are also welcome to tweak it slightly.
Are the claims also topic sentences?
Yes. I’ve provided you with four claims, which will be the topic sentences of your four body
paragraphs. You can copy these exactly, or you can modify them slightly if you like. The
topic sentence will usually be the first sentence of each body paragraph, but sometimes you
will want to add a transition sentence before the topic sentence – that’s fine, too.
How much DRT should I use?
I don’t have a fixed requirement for how much DRT you need to use in this essay. The
handout titled “When to Use DRT” (which should live in the “Writing” section of your
binder) offers some helpful suggestions. As a rule of thumb, you should only use DRT when
the quote you’re using captures your point much, much better than you could by
paraphrasing.
How should I cite my sources?
I do not expect full bibliographic citations for this assignment (you don’t have much of this
information), but “HW 1.7” is not enough! For written documents, use the author’s last
name and, if available, the year in which the document was published (for instance, “Wells,
1899”). Otherwise, try to make the source clear in the context (for instance, “A table
showing the number of lynchings by state and race between 1882 and 1968 indicates
that…”, or, “A picture of a segregated drinking fountain reveals that…”).
Do I need a bibliography?
Not for this paper.
How should I cite lecture notes?
For this paper, you don’t need to cite notes from my lectures. (Be careful with this in other
classes – other teachers may have a different rule about this.) In addition, you should not
directly quote lecture notes. Your notes are a paraphrased version of what I’ve said in
lecture, so there is no established source to be quoted.
How should I format my paper?
Some guidelines:
 Include a proper heading, or your paper will end up on the Wall of Shame! Name,
date, section number.
 The title of the assignment should be “Jim Crow Essay,” “The Origins of Jim Crow,” or
something similar.
 Use a professional font – Times New Roman, Cambria, Garamond, Calibri, Arial, and
Helvetica are all fine options.
 Use 12-point font.
 Double-space your paper.
Can I use Comic Sans?
No. (This isn’t a frequently asked question, but I feel very strongly about it.)
Can I email you my paper?
No. Bring a printed copy to class.
Help! I’m panicking and the paper’s due in 24 hours!
I am available in room 205 after school on Monday and Tuesday if you need extra writing
conferences or reassurance. However, I can’t guarantee that I will have laptops available
during that time. I will be most helpful if you have some writing – whether draft
paragraphs or your outline – for me to review.