Please read these instructions carefully. If you have a question or confusion, l

Please read these instructions carefully. If you have a question or confusion, let me know it sooner rather than later.
For this online essay you will choose ONE question from those given below. Your essay must be 1,500 words long at minimum. I will only count the main body of your answer in determining the word count, not the title page, references, footnotes, or bibliography. If you write more than 1,500 words, I will stop reading your essay after 1,800 words and grade only what I have read. The deadline for this assignment is April 7, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. PST. No late work will be accepted.
Upload your work for this assignment in ONE file on this page. That file must be in ONE of the following file formats: txt, doc, docx. You will be able to enter this page as many times as you wish before the assignment deadline. Upload that ONE file on this page by clicking on the ‘Submit’ button on this page. Waiting until the last moment to upload your paper, when many others may be doing the same, is not recommended. I will not accept papers submitted outside of our Canvas course platform. They must be submitted on this page and by the posted deadline. What Am I Looking For in Your Work for this Essay Assignment? (it’s no secret):
Has the student in their essay –
Demonstrated factual and chronological knowledge of the key events, themes, and people that we have covered so far in our assigned work.
Avoided using AI content.
Taken a position and argued their position or thesis on the question posed. Arguing a position means supporting your thesis by drawing on the assigned textbook and at least TWO of the primary sources assigned up to and including the week when the essay is due. Demonstrated the ability to interpret historical information by using analytical skills, such as using primary sources skillfully, contextualizing, and comparing and contrasting sources.
Cited (given proper credit to) the sources used by using quotation marks to set off quoted material from the assigned sources and citing all sources immediately after the quoted material with parenthetical citations or footnotes? (for example: Mr. Van, “The Principal Themes in our Class,” http:smc.canvas.3495968)
Used no other outside sources other than the assigned readings, primary sources, and the discussion assignments — unless otherwise directed by the instructor? (Papers using non-assigned materials will receive a Zero Grade.)
Written a clear, grammatically correct, well-organized essay, free of misspellings and basic writing rules? Has s/he punctuated properly? Do they announce their thesis in the first paragraph and argue that thesis in the body of the essay? Is that thesis strong (arguable)? Do they finish their essay with a conclusion? That is, have they written college-level work? (To learn how to write a good history essay, refresh your memory HERE.)
The Questions
Choose ONE question for this assignment among those below. If you submit answers to more than one question (please don’t), I will grade only the first essay.
For each essay, you must take a position and argue your position or thesis on the question posed. Arguing a position means supporting your thesis by drawing on the assigned textbook and at least TWO of the primary sources assigned up to and including the week when the essay is due. Then citing what you’ve borrowed or used.
Assess this claim: “When Europe colonized the ‘New World’ in the period from 1492 to 1700, the native peoples it encountered in the Americas responded to European colonization in several different ways.” What were those ways? How did each of the ways of each nation state differ from those of its rivals (who were those rivals?)? Fashion a thesis in which you support this claim, then back all you write with the material assigned so far in our course. Include at least the significant use of two primary sources that were given in the modules. A main theme in our course is Race and Ethnicity. Assess this statement in light of our assigned readings, both the primary and secondary sources presented in our course so far: “…in general, the history of race in the U.S. from 1680 to 1820 was marked by almost continuous discrimination and setbacks for racial minorities, such as African Americans and Native Peoples.” Do you agree with this statement? Fashion a thesis in which you take a position on this claim, then back all you write with the material assigned so far in our course. Include at least the significant use of two non-textbook assigned primary sources that are given in the modules for the time period of this question. Finally, for the sake of fairness, be sure to answer the chief criticisms or counterclaims that can be made against your thesis. Assess this statement in light of our assigned readings: “…in the period from 1607 to 1820, women’s roles in the colonies and (afterward) the young Republic were radically transformed, a process that brought them near political equality with men.” Do you agree given the period we’ve looked at so far in our course, up to 1820? Fashion a thesis in which you take a stand on this claim, then back all you write with the material assigned since the First Essay. Include at least the significant use of two non-textbook assigned primary sources that were made in this period. Finally, for the sake of fairness, be sure to answer the chief criticisms or counterclaims that can be made against your thesis.