*+Reading+and+Outlining

One way to improve our writing is to closely examine the work of others to see how historians structure their essays and use that as a model for your own works. Read one of the two articles below the article and **then answer the following questions and outline the article**. María E. Montoya, “ The Roots of Economic and Ethnic Divisions in Northern New Mexico: The Case of the Civilian Conservation Corps**”** // The Western Historical Quarterly //, Vol. 26, No. 1. (Spring, 1995), pp. 14-34. Jordan “Change in the Political Alignment of Chicago Negroes during the New Deal,” Journal of American History, v 56, n. 3, December 1969, 584-603.
 * Reading and Writing **

Most scholarly articles by historians begin with some sense of the context (place, time, big issue), the historiographical issue (how historians have looked at this in the past and what they have missed, omitted, neglected), an explanation for why this issue, new approach or set of sources is so important, an answer to the “So What?” question about the topic and the issue, and the thesis for the essay (which often includes a sense of the direction of the article), but not necessarily in that order.

A. Answer the questions. Use your own words and limit your use of quotes.


 * 1) What is the historical context for this essay?  What is happening in society, politics or economics that the author needs to explain in order to help the reader understand the issues of the essay?
 * 2) What does the historian tell us about the state of the historiography on this issue?  What has been the standard interpretation or approach?  What is her evaluation of past historical studies on this issue?
 * 3) What is her approach to that issue in this article and how is it new or valuable in relation to earlier studies?  This does not mean her conclusion but how she goes about examining this issue – does she focus on cultural issues, oral histories, one particular region or does she have new kinds of sources?
 * 4) How would she answer the So What? on this issue and article?  Why does she believe this is important or valuable to know and learn about?
 * 5) What is her thesis?  What are the supporting arguments?
 * 6. an we tell the direction of the essay from these opening pages? From the first few pages what do you think will be the parts or organization of this essay?

B. Once you have answered these questions you will understand the goal and direction and perhaps the supporting arguments. With this in mind outline the article. Remember to pay attention to the topic sentences that introduce a paragraph or a section – they are keys to the skeleton of the essay. The headings for the outline should be in full sentences and the outline itself should be no more than 2 pages. I would like to have an electronic version as well as hard copy.