EUH 3205: Paper #1 

Based on one (1) of the topics below, write a 1500 word paper (minimum 1300 words, maximum 1700 

words). The paper should be double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font, with 1-inch margins. 

The purpose of this paper is to develop a clear and persuasive historical argument using the available 

class materials (lecture videos, assigned books, online readings from Blackboard). Each paper is 

required to cite at least three written primary sources (from among those assigned for the class) 

and at least one visual primary source (from among those made available on the class’s 

Blackboard website). No outside sources are required or expected for this paper: use only the 

assigned materials. 

Because this is a Gordon rule class, writing will form a component of the paper grade. All papers should 

demonstrate proper grammar, punctuation, and style. If you have questions on matters of writing, 

you are encouraged to consult your section leaders in their office hours or the staff at FSU’s 

Reading Writing Center (http://wr.english.fsu.edu/Reading-Writing-Center). See also my Style 

and Grammar hints handout (in the Assignments folder on Blackboard). 

This paper should be your work and your work alone. All text and any ideas that are not your own should 

be properly cited (for a description of plagiarism and advice on how to avoid it, see the following 

website: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml). When citing from a text, use 

the following format: “cited text” (Sieyès, 119). Do not include footnotes or a bibliography. 

Papers are due Thursday, February 20th at 10pm. Note: papers will be penalized 3 points for each day 

or a portion of a day that they are late. If you have questions about how to proceed with the paper, 

please contact your T.A. well in advance of the deadline. 

Papers should be submitted electronically to the turnitin link in the Assignments section of the course’s 

Blackboard website. 

Papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria: 

• Does the paper have a clear and persuasive argument? 

• Is this argument backed up with evidence from the primary sources? 

• Does the paper demonstrate a mastery of the relevant primary and secondary sources? 

• Does the paper demonstrate an understanding of the broader historical issues at stake? 

• Is the paper well organized, with a clear and discernible structure? 

• Is the paper well written, with proper use of grammar and few errors of grammar, spelling, tone, 

word choice, etc.? 

Paper topics (choose one): 

1. Edmund Burke’s trenchant critique of the French Revolution remains influential to this day. Is his 

critique accurate and fair? Using both the text of Burke and other documents relevant to this 

question, evaluate the accuracy and fairness of Edmund Burke’s critique of the French 

Revolution. 

2. Historians have long debated whether the Terror of 1793-1794 was an inevitable consequence of the 

French Revolution or instead an aberration that departed from its original principles and guiding 

impulses. Which side is right? Using the available sources, develop an argument that addresses 

this question. 

3. On the one hand, Caspar David Friedrich’s paintings show landscapes largely devoid of human 

influence. On the other hand, they were the product of a very definite place and time. How do 

Friedrich’s paintings reflect the revolutionary era in which he lived and the cultural, social, and 

political forces that shaped this era? Your argument should make use of not only the Friedrich 

paintings but also at least three other primary sources. [Be sure to consult the written sources on 

Friedrich and the text by Novalis in writing this paper.]