American history

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to secondary sources and the components of historical thinking and writing, including the identification of the historian’s thesis, her contribution to the historiography, and her analysis or interpretation of the topic. You will also see how changing ideas of geography have influenced history, how the Atlantic Ocean has facilitated the main events and human interactions of very early American history, and the multiculturalism of early American history.

Task: First, read the short essay by historian Joyce E. Chaplin, "The Atlantic Ocean and Its Contemporary Meanings, 1492-1808" (this link will take you to the essay in the ProQuest Ebook Central database on GALILEO; if prompted to log in, enter "Georgia State University" in the institution field and follow any instructions. If you have trouble accessing the reading, contact your professor immediately!) Second, as you read this essay (and any secondary source in the future) there are a set of questions that you should always be trying to answer. We’ll start practicing this here. Consider the following:

Is the author qualified to write on this topic? Should her words be considered expert? (You may not be very good at this yet, and determining this usually requires a little bit of extra research. You can often find this information on the back of the book or in the byline of the essay. In this case I’ve already "googled" her and found her for you. Is this a historian writing about history? or a journalist? or an actor? or a meteorologist? Get the point? This will be a vital skill for you throughout your life as people try to influence you to make decisions based on their self-proclaimed "expertise" and self-interests, but I digress!)
What is the author’s thesis or main argument?
What contribution does the author claim to be making to the historiography? In other words, what does she have to say about other historians’ views on her topic and where or how do her interpretations fit? Is she agreeing with them, or attempting to correct them?
What is significant about the date range of her study, in this case, 1492 to 1808? Why are these seemingly random years, and what happened between them, important?
What kinds of sources is she using to support her argument and illustrate her points (check the notes at the end of her essay)? Are they primary or secondary or both?
Third, THIS IS IMPORTANT (MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION), now that you’ve read the essay and answered those questions, consider the following:

How did different people conceptualize the Atlantic Ocean in the period under study? How do you think these conceptualizations will shape American history in the periods after 1808 (you may not be very familiar with comes after 1808, and that’s OK for now)?
As you answer all these questions, be sure to cite the source of your information. In this assignment, it’s sufficient to just include the page number in parentheses (although historians don’t normally use MLA style, it’s fine here). Fourth, type your answers to all the questions presented above and submit the file below (in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format). Click on "Add File" and attach your file. It’s similar to attaching a file to an email. You must press the blue "Submit" button to submit your work. If you have any trouble with this let your professor know immediately!

Criteria for Success: Submit your answers to the first 5 questions and, in 250 to 400 words, the final question on conceptualizations. Your responses should be well written (correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and organized using paragraphs). Poor submissions (0–5 points) will only answer some of the questions or only part of a question, be less than 250 words, and contain "googled" information that does not come from the reading (terrible submissions will be copied and pasted from the Internet, and be given a zero for violating the Academic Honesty Policy). Good submissions (6–8 points) will answer all of the questions with brief, generic responses. Excellent submissions (9–10 points) will answer all the questions and every part of the question while containing expanded analysis and elaboration of your thoughts with supporting evidence and examples cited from the reading, either as brief quotations or paraphrases.

Citation tip: In your work cited page, the reading should look like this:

Chaplin, Joyce E. "The Atlantic Ocean and Its Contemporary Meanings, 1492-1808." In Jack P. Greene and Philip D. Morgan, eds. Atlantic History: A Critical Appraisal. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 35-51.
In the future, you’ll need to do this on your own.

The paintings posted below were described in your reading. After you’ve submitted your answers reflect on their imagery and how the natural world is presented as an actor in historical events.

Watson and the Shark (1778) by John Singleton Copley
The painting Watson and the Shark (1778) by John Singleton Copley

The Slave Ship (1840), originally titled Slavers Throwing overboard the Dead and Dying—Typhoon coming on by J. M. W. Turner
The painting The Slave Ship (1840) by J. M. W. Turner