The War of 1812 History Argumentative Essay

In this assignment, you will analyze primary and secondary sources in constructing your argument, interpreting qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate historical events. You will demonstrate your ability to interpret both primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument that uses them, as appropriate, for support. Be sure your work demonstrates an understanding of through current analytical categories of race, class, gender, or ethnicity.


Construct your own thesis addressing the elements of the prompt below.

Construct and argument and make a point. Be sure to make specific references to the course materials and contrast those ideas with your own, the text, and the voices in your primary source annotations. Remember, you must have an argument and support it with evidence.

Here is a ‘how-to’ in terms of structure.


Select One Lecture:

    1. Colin Calloway, “Native American History,” Dartmouth College.
    2. William Fowler, “Early Atlantic Exploration,” Northeastern University.
    3. James Horn, “Jamestown, Virginia, Settlement in 1619,” Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
    4. Katherine Gerbner, “Slavery and Quakers in 17th Century Barbados,” University of Minnesota.
    5. Timothy Shannon, “Colonial Diplomacy and the Iroquois Confederacy,” Gettysburg College.
    6. Daniel Richter, “Native Americans and Colonial-Era Power Struggles,” the University of Pennsylvania.
    7. Jared Hardesty, Black Lives, Native Lands, White Worlds: A History of Slavery in New England, book discussion, Hingham Historical Society.
    8. John Coombs, “Colonial America and the British Empire,” Hampden-Sydney College.
    9. David E. Narrett, “French and Indian War,” the University of Texas at Arlington.
    10. Paul Mapp, “Colonial West,” College of William and Mary.
    11. James Broussard, “Colonial America Before the Revolution,” Lebanon Valley College.
    12. Karl Watson, “George Washington in Barbados,” Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
    13. Gene Allen Smith, “George Washington’s Character,” Texas Christian University.
    14. Benjamin Carp, “Revolutionary War Military,” Brooklyn College.
    15. John Ferling, Apostles of Revolution, book discussion, Massachusetts Historical Society.
    16. Mary Beth Norton, 1774, book discussion, Smithsonian Institution.
    17. Vincent Phillip Muñoz, “Natural Rights and the Constitution,” University of Notre Dame.
    18. Alan Taylor, “Alcohol Use in the Early American Republic,” University of California Davis.

Address the following prompt:

WIth your primary and secondary sources assigned in this course, analyze how race, violence, and economy impacted American Native people during the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, identifying and analyzing life from the pre-Columbian era to the end of the American Revolution.

What consequences did tensions of race, violence, and economy have on other racial/ethnic groups, and how does it continue to affect contemporary issues of diversity and civil rights?

Here are some helpful “Thesis Starters”

A. How did Indian culture change over time and what influences evoked change within Native American communities?

B. How did Spain defeat the empires of the New World and what legacy did the early Spanish Conquistadores leave in the New World?

C. Why did the Spanish, Dutch, French, and English treat Native peoples differently and what were their motivations for doing so? Compare and contrast the approach by at least two of the aforementioned groups.

D. What explains the differences between Virginia and New England? Identify at least two of their religious, social, economic, and racial differences.

E. How did political turmoil in 17th century Britain influence life in the colonies and did the British understand how those in the colonies perceived their rights and standing as British citizens?

F. How did geography influence slave life and how did slaves influence their geography, regional culture, agriculture, and/or economy?

G. What caused the Consumer Revolution, and how did it change American life? What ramifications would it have in terms of British control of colonists and the economy?

H. How did Indian life change in the 18th century and what evoked that change? Identify at least two examples, each example must reside in different regions (those in the west in contrast with those in the south)?

I. Why did the United States declare independence and were those sentiments shared by all classes of colonists? What were some of the unifying and disunifying factors of the early American Revolution?

J. How did the United States win the war and how did their generations of knowledge contribute to their victory over the British? Identify specifically at least two examples.

K. How radical was the American Revolution and were the Founding Fathers terrorists or freedom fighters? Identify two groups (racial, ethnic, social, etc.) affected by the revolution.

L. Was the United States founded as a Christian nation or was is defined by political ideology? Give specific examples and compare the differences between the two.

M. Did the United States draw more from the vision of Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson? Who do you believe to be more influential, giving at least three specific examples as to why you believe that.

N. What were the causes and consequences of the War of 1812? Did it help or hurt progress in the United States? In what ways did it or did It not.


Here is what you will need in your Argument:

    • You will need to develop an argument based on the prompt.
    • ❗️Use at least two of your primary sources to reinforce your argument.
    • You will need to make copious use of the assigned sources.
    • This is not a summary, you must ❗️argue a point.
    • Limit your quotes, speak through your own words, only use quotes to emphasize.
    • ❗️No use of outside sources

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