History 128 Chicanx Response Paper 1 Fall 2021 prep and study guide
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Dec 6, 2023
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Dr. Grace Peña Delgado
History 128 — Fall 2021
Response Paper 1—Thursday, October 7
Preparation, Prompt, and Study Guide
I.
Some Good Advice on Preparation
All Response Papers are open book, open note. However, this does not mean you organize your answer while writing your response
at the same time. This approach is a failed one, as students do poorly on the response papers.
Instead, prepare an outline a few days before the exam. To be successful, create an outline containing your argument or thesis
statement and a
sketch
of the evidence you will use to flesh out your answer to the prompt. Over time, the most successful students
spend a few days and several hours preparing an RP outline. We designed your discussion sections to help you prepare for the
response papers, so please keep this in mind as you think about how you might design your outline. You may use your outline during
exam time, along with books, articles, and lecture notes.
Importantly, do not pre-write your entire response paper in advance. This
action violates the student honor code and the spirit of community in the classroom. Alas, this may be a bit too much preparation on
your part. If you'd like to discuss this more, please email me to set up a Zoom meeting—and let's talk!
Logistics: On designated days (see syllabus), you will write your response in the comfort of your residence (favorite café, tree, etc.).
NO ZOOM link is necessary because we will not meet over Zoom on response paper days. All students will turn in their completed
response paper to Assignments on Canvas at the end of class or another pre-approved time. Your completed Response Paper will
stand as your second poll in terms of attendance for that lecture.
Accommodations: If you should require DRC accommodations, it is up to you to provide the documentation. If official
documentation is delayed, please reach out to me to understand your needs and attend to them promptly and satisfactorily. Please see
the statement on accommodations on pages 3-4 of the syllabus.
Response Paper Conventions:
Parenthetical citations, ex. (Rodriguez, p. 101) (Delgado, title of lecture or date of lecture)
Minimum length: 1200 words (or more if you want but should not exceed 1500), typed double space.
Word document files only, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, Times Roman font is ideal. All response papers will be
due at the end of class or another designated time via Canvas Assignments.
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II. The Prompt
A.
Prompt: Consider this quote by William Walker as referenced in Sarah Rodriguez’s article, ““The Greatest Nation on Earth’”:
“With these and a thousand other advantages I repeat that Mexico cannot fail, under the influence of a wise and liberal
government, to become the greatest nation on earth.”
B.
Now that you have considered this quote, consider why Walker (and others) may have made such a declaration, and
importantly, why Mexico could not course a path toward greatness.
Reflect on the history we studied regarding the importance of land, nationalism, sovereignty, governing structures, the new
Mexican nation, the Monroe Doctrine, and Anglo immigration to Texas. Now A specific answer to this question is your thesis
statement; that is, your argument. Your thesis statement comes from your understanding of the history we have discussed in
lectures and sections, and your own opinion about it. Your thesis also comes from your reading of both primary and secondary
sources
.
Importantly, the prompt is asking you to reflect on the complex political and social history of mid-nineteenth century
Mexico and the United States, using course materials to construct your own opinion or argument. We are seeking your voice,
your argument, your assessment of history and this quote!
C. Let’s break it down:
In constructing your argument to the prompt, you must take a step back to consider critically the
political and social events that led up to the Texas War or the Texas Separatist Movement of 1836 and the Mexican American War
(1846-1848). Closely reflect on the challenges of the new national projects of both the United States and Mexico from the early
1820s to the mid-1840s,
before
the Mexican American War. What was the status of both Mexico and the United States as new
nations; consider Walker’s characterization of Mexico and compare it with other competing ideas about Mexico (Manifest Destiny).
What historical events, processes, and individual decisions shaped both nations before the War in 1846? Were the United States and
Mexico, respectively, weakened or strengthened by internal and external forces, including those that involved violence?
How do I Begin:
In constructing your response, you must refer to relevant and appropriate lectures and reading materials. However,
t
his does not mean you must use all
reading and study material to get an ‘A’ on the Response Paper. Your thesis statement will
determine which materials you will use, the degree to which you will use them, and how you will use them. Likewise, your thesis
statement will dictate which sources you will not use because they are irrelevant to your argument. Choose thoughtful and relevant
sources.
How many sources do I need:
You must use at least two separate lectures, three-chapter readings from
War with Mexico
(including
Mier y Teran’s document), and at least two references to Sarah K.M. Rodriguez, “The Greatest Nation on Earth:’ The Politics and
Patriotism of the First Anglo American Immigrants to Mexican Texas, 1820-1824.”
7 sources, at least.
Of course, you may use more
material if you want such as the Inman article and the Monroe Doctrine.
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Read all relevant course material. Without reading, you will not have the ability to address the quote and, therefore, fulfill the RP
requirements.
Sources:
Delgado Lectures; Weeks 1-2
Sarah K.M. Rodriguez, “The Greatest Nation on Earth:’ The Politics and Patriotism of the First Anglo American Immigrants to
Mexican Texas, 1820-1824,”
Pacific Historical Review
, Vol. 86, No. 1 (2017): 50-83. (Canvas Files)
Ernesto Chavez:
War with Mexico:
(Chapters 8, 9, 10, 12)
The Monroe Doctrine, 1823 (Primary Source in Canvas Links)—optional
Samuel Guy Inman, “The Monroe Doctrine as an Obsolete Principle” (Canvas Readings Week 1)—optional
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