History 151 Fall 2016

Essay Assignments
For Essays # 1 and # 2, you are asked to read primary source materials and explain
insights gained from these readings. You have a choice of primary readings (all linked to
the web) related to historical periods we cover; you choose the topic and readings which
interest you the most and respond to question(s) asked about the documents in a formal
essay. Please look at specific assignment pages below for more details related to each
assignment.
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Required Essay Format (points will be taken off for not following these essay
format guidelines)
You respond to the specific question or set of questions related to chosen readings in a
formal College essay. Both essays should be sent as an attachment, not as email text
(to maintain formatting). Your attachment must be in WORD format.
* As a formal essay it must include a title, your name as author and it should be doublespaced and carefully proofread. Your response must:

start with a clear outlining introduction paragraph indicating document(s)

analyzed and key points asserted and supported in response to the question (in
other words - your thesis points)
be structured as distinct paragraphs making up the body of the essay; each
paragraph or group of paragraphs addresses one of your key points, then you
begin a new point with a new paragraph
end with a summary concluding paragraph which restates and summarizes key
thesis points asserted and argued in the body of the essay

You must make a concerted effort to comply with this basic structure of a formal essay;
increasingly students are writing sloppy unstructured essays (a reflection of blogging
styles perhaps) which fail to include structuring introductions and conclusions, and/or
have unfocused paragraphs.
* DO NOT write in the first person (I think, I believe etc.). This is a formal analysis essay
and should be written in the third person (one can see etc.)
* All quotations taken from primary sources readings must be properly cited
using MLA or Turabian format. (See HCC library guide to different citation styles.
http://libguides.hcc.hawaii.edu/citingsources)
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Help With Writing Improving your writing is only accomplished by practice, by doing
formal writing every semester. Writing is a skill honed by doing. I strongly encourage
you to do early drafts of essays and submit them to me for initial comments and
suggestions. This enables you to learn how to improve specific aspects of your writing,
as well as improve your grade on that essay. Once you have submitted the final draft
and receive a graded returned copy, be sure to read the comments given. Only then do
you learn and improve, instead of making the same mistakes the next time. Drafts
should be sent to me via email, making clear it is a draft for comment and would need to
be sent no less than two days before the due date. You should only post the final
version of the essay on Laulima.
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Explanation of Primary vs Secondary Sources

PRIMARY SOURCES come directly and unfiltered FROM a particular time period.
Examples include: personal letters or treatises produced by people living during the
period being studied, religious writings, governmental documents, law codes or records
from that period, as well as other texts from a past era in areas such as religion,
philosophy, science or literature. Artwork is also a valuable source of primary material;
sculptures, paintings, carvings and architecture convey much about attitudes, emotions
and experiences of people in the past, in particular ancient periods of history. Even
maps are primary sources IF they come from the time period and culture being studied;
ancient or past maps, though often inaccurate, show how people viewed the world at
that time. In recent centuries, newspaper articles from the time period studied are
invaluable primary sources which help us understand what people were thinking and
feeling at that time.
Be clear we do not identify a source as primary because it is the best or most
important source. Primary materials are not necessarily balanced or accurate they are
simply voices from the past. Indeed, primary sources often reflect past biases,
ignorance and misperceptions. As such, they give us a fuller picture of past attitudes
and understandings and misunderstandings. Primary sources should always be read
with a critical eye never just accepted as straight accurate reporting. Yet even if flawed
by biases of an age or reflecting only a narrow perspective e.g. an elite male, or devout
religious believer or angry rebel, primary material is foundational evidence on which all
historical analysis is ultimately based. The strongest historical conclusions are based on
several primary sources, achieving a fuller picture from multiple perspectives.
Primary sources provide raw information on which historical stories and conclusions are
based. Reading primary materials can sometimes be challenging due to differences in

vocabulary and writing styles, but these sources allows one the most direct, unfiltered
and engaging way to understand an era. When you read a primary document or look at
work produced from a past era, no one is interpreting this work for you, no one is
stepping in between you and the past. No one has filtered, digested or analyzed
material for you. You are the one drawing conclusions from this material.
SECONDARY SOURCES do represent someone's interpretation - opinion or analysis
of material by someone not there -usually a scholar or historian. Most materials read or
used in studying history are secondary sources. Textbook readings are secondary
sources, as is the webtext for this class. Secondary sources include survey textbooks
as well as focused books on a specific subject (monographs), and articles and essays
explaining a particular issue or period in history. In a secondary source, someone is
interpreting information and presenting historical conclusions for the reader to accept or
disagree with. The key point is analysis has already been done. You as reader and
historian learn from analysis of someone else and react to it. Secondary sources are
important and *extremely useful* in gaining a general understanding of topics,
resources provided by those who have devoted time to studying and analyzing the past
and who are sharing their interpretations of the past. Based on a foundational
understanding of the past from secondary sources, you can dig deeper and frame your
own understanding through reading primary sources. Since most readings you do in a
history class are secondary, the purpose of both Essays is intended to have you
experience the kinds of insights gained by analyzing primary materials.
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ESSAY ONE: Primary Documents (brief readings)

Due: October 12
Minimum: 3 pages
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There are links to five sets of primary documents referenced below, related to five
societies covered in class in the period leading up to the Midterm Exam. You choose
just *one* of these topics, one set of sources, and answer questions related to this
reading in an essay response. I have chosen primary materials which are (relatively
speaking) easy to read and accessible, somewhat of a challenge when dealing with
ancient cultures. While you might want to skim these now to make your choice, you can
do more focused analysis after we cover the related civilization.
For a few choices, there are multiple questions to address as you analyze the primary
source; address all in a focused manner and tie these different topics together in one
cohesive essay. For all essay responses, you are required to use (and cite)
relevant passages from the chosen source to support your conclusions. You can
use any citation format you are comfortable with, although the preferred format for
historical writing is Turabian (see earlier instructions on using citation format.)

While Essay # 1 is not due until October 12, I encourage you to get an early start on
this. If you wish to give me a draft of your essay for feedback and comments prior to
final submission, I strongly encourage doing this.
1. Topic: Mesopotamian civilization
Document: Code of Hammurabi
Weblink: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp
(read opening introductory remarks and then scroll down to look over all the laws)
Essay Question to be addressed:
* Based on these laws, describe four specific issues or problems ancient
Mesopotamians were clearly dealing with in this new urban lifestyle.
Provide supporting quotations from this document of specific laws on which you
base your conclusions.
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2. Topic: Egyptian Civilization
Documents:
1. The Declaration of Innocence from the Book of the Dead (The Negative
Confessions)
Weblink: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/negative_confessions/index.html
2. Hymn to the Nile
Weblink: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/hymn_to_the_nile.htm
Essay Questions to be addressed be sure to tie answers to both questions together
as an integrated discussion of Egyptian religion.
* Based on the prayers (confessions) in primary source # 1, discuss two examples of
moral values or behaviors that were desired and/or condemned in ancient Egyptian
society and religion.
* Based on the Hymn to the Nile, what *rewards* did Egyptians expect for pleasing the
gods? In other words, what did Egyptians hope from the Nile as a result of obedience
and pleasing the gods?
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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3. Topic: Chinese Civilization

Document: Read explanation, then excerpts from the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching)
Weblink: http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html
Essay Questions to be addressed - be sure to tie answers to both questions together as
an integrated discussion of Chinese religion.
* Summarize two examples of defining qualities of 'the Dao' (the Tao) as described 'The
Dao'.
* Explain two examples of how one must behave to be in alignment and harmony with
The Dao.
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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4. Topic: Indian Civilization
Document: Rock Edicts of Ashoka
Weblink: http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html
(read the introduction/prefacing information and then the Fourteen Rock Edicts)
Essay Question to be addressed:
* Identify and describe three examples of Ashoka's legal edicts which convey an
emphasis on compassion, and/or religious tolerance, and/or a paternalistic view of the
role of the state.
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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5. Topic: Greek Civilization
Document: Pericles Funeral Oration (as reported by Thucydides 431 BCE)
Weblink: http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111pericles.html

Essay Question to be addressed:

* Identify and summarize three elements of Athenian society Pericles identified as
admirable, defining characteristics of the community which Athenians should be proud
of. Where indicated - make clear the *comparisons* he made between Athens and other
Greek societies.
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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ESSAY TWO: Analysis of Longer Primary Source Readings
Due: November 28
Minimum: 3 pages
For this essay, there are four longer primary documents linked to and discussed below
related to societies covered throughout the semester. Choose *one* of the choices
below, one primary work from a specific culture. Answer the question as an essay
response. For some topic readings, the essay assignment requires you to respond to
more than one question in analyzing the primary source. Address each of the questions
in a focused manner and tie these points together in one cohesive essay. Essay # 2 is
due *no later* than November 23. If you wish to send me a draft of your essay for
feedback and comments prior to final submission, I am very glad to do this.
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I. Ancient China
Document: The Art of War, Sun Tzu (unclear date, likely during 6th or 5thcentury the
Era of Warring States: 400 - 320) Link:
https://sites.ualberta.ca/~enoch/Readings/The_Art_Of_War.pdf
(This is the entire book you do not have to read all of it. But review at least 5-10
pages of this source.)
This is a classic treatise on military strategy. The blunt lessons expressed regarding
political leadership and waging of war are still studied, ancient observations still seen as
relevant and applicable. This document reflects the violence of the age in which it was
composed, violence resulting from political fragmentation and competition. Interestingly,
though Sun Tzu provides detailed and insightful discussion of how to win a battle, a
campaign and/or a war - his clear emphasis is on war only as a last resort.
Essay Questions to be addressed:
* This treatise contains many insightful observations about human nature and how to
use that knowledge to be victorious, for example evaluations of how soldiers behave,
how leaders should behave, even the impact of war on the populace (peasants).
Describe in some detail three significant lessons on warfare and leadership put forth by
Sun Tzu.
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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II. Ancient Greece
Document: The Apology (composed by Plato as a record of the trial of Socrates)
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Link: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html
The Apologia (The Apology) is a powerful summary of philosophical assertions of
Socrates, one of the profoundly influential philosophers of Greece's Classical Age. It
contains purported statements and arguments made during his trial when he was
charged with 'refusing to recognize the gods of the state, introducing new divinities and
of corrupting the youth of Athens'. In his statements, Socrates defended himself against
these charges, and also identified and criticized underlying reasons his enemies
brought charges to trial. Later in the document, he responded to the verdict and
sentence of the citizen jury. In these pronouncements, Socrates summarized many key
elements of his philosophical tenets and also revealed important aspects of ancient
Greek culture.
Essay Questions to be addressed:
* Summarize two points he made in defense of himself explicitly rejecting charges
made against him?
* What do his comments reveal about political maneuvering and realities of ancient
Athenian society?
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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III. Medieval Europe
Document: Excerpts from The Decameron, Giovanni Boccacio 1351
You are only required to read the Introduction (this is only the first part of this long work)
Link: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/decameronintro.asp
The classic work of The Decameron was finished by author Giovanni Boccacio in 1351.
The structure of the novel is presented as a collection of stories told during Late Middle
Ages when the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) ravaged Europe. In the story, faced with
threat of the plague, a party of revellers retreats to a villa outside the city of Florence,
isolating themselves from the disease ravaged city (as indeed many elite did throughout
Europe). They bide their time by telling stories ranging from bawdy to tragic; all the
stories center on defining aspects of human nature and experiences. Many of these
stories echo the fears and stark truths about the human condition made so evident by
the plague-ridden society they shut out. You are only asked to read the introduction to
this work which describes the context the ravages of the plague. This introduction is
considered the best *contemporary* description (a description by someone at the time)
of effects and experiences of the bubonic plague. This introduction is all you are
required to read for this assignment though you are encouraged to read the entire work
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on your own. (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23700/23700-h/23700h.htm#Day_the_First)

Essay Questions to be addressed:
* Describe two examples of ways people tried to protect themselves from the
'pestilence'?
* What were two vivid examples described of the *break down* of society, social chaos
and instability which occurred as a result of this epidemic?
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions.
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IV. Islamic World
Document: Ibn Battuta, Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325 1354
Link: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1354-ibnbattuta.html
Ibn Battuta was a Muslim Berber from Morocco. He became a famed writer due to his
travelogues, stories in which he shared knowledge gained from *substantive* and wideranging travels undertaken during the 14th century. He went on several journeys over a
period of 30 years, traveling to cities and sites throughout much of the Islamic world
which in the 1300s included North Africa, West Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe,
and regions throughout the Middle East. Battuta also ventured across Asia, including
treks into India and throughout Central Asia to China. He travelled farther and wider
than any known figure of his age, surpassing even the exploits of Marco Polo (his
contemporary). He is famed as one of the greatest *world* travelers in history.
You are to read excerpts from just one of his famed travel descriptions, Travels in Asia
and Africa, 1325 1354. These excerpts include descriptions of travels during religious
pilgrimages taken across North Africa and parts of the Near East to Mecca, as well as
other treks through Iraq, along the coast of Africa to the Swahili cities, into Anatolia
(Turkey), to the great city of Constantinople (whilst it was still capital of the Byzantine
Empire), as well as into Spain and the African kingdom of Mali.
Essay Questions to be addressed:
* What were some dangers experienced at this time when travelling across such
significant distances? Describe two examples.

* Ibn Battuta was intrigued by new foods, goods, animals and customs he encountered.
Describe two example of anecdotes/descriptions he shared about the wonders he
observed?
Provide supporting quotations from this document to support your conclusions