Extended Research paper in American history – 6 pages

Short research paper: The MLA-formatted 5-7 page research paper that includes a

clearly defined position, argument, and evidence (from primary and the secondary

sources 10 authored sources minimum including Zeschs title).

Topic: The topic of the paper is based on the required reading/book titled The

Captured: A True Story of Abduction on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch. Note, that

this is not a book report, and the individual research, research question of hypothesis is

needed.

Framing theme: Author Scott Zesch uses the story of Indian captives to open a

window into the experiences of Texas pioneers. For this paper you must place the

stories of Adolf Korn and the others who were taken as captives within a larger

historical context. What do their experiences tell us about Native American culture?

What do they tell us about pioneer culture? Why did the Comanches take captives?

Assess how the stories of the captives and their captors fit into larger patterns in the

history of the United States West. Conclude your paper by explaining what The

Captured tells us about the American frontier.

This is not a book report. You cannot write this research by summarizing only one

source, namely, Zesch’s Captured. You need to come up with a research question or

hypothesis based on the theme of the book assigned, research other authored sources, and

possibly answer your research question. For instance, research the following question:

“Why did the captured European immigrants prefer to remain ‘captured’ with the

Comanches on the 1840s-1860s Texas Frontier?” or “How successful was the process of

integration into the White Society for the Native American children in the late the 1870s

United States?”

In order to conduct a well-researched project, you must research these themes apart

from the assigned book and incorporate these findings in a greater attempt of answering

your own research question or hypothesis.

• Topic: The topic of the paper is based on the required reading/book titled The Captured: A True Story of Abduction on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch.
• Author Scott Zesch uses the story of Indian captives to open a window into the experiences of Texas pioneers. For this paper, you must place the stories of Adolf Korn and the others who were taken as captives within a larger historical context. What do their experiences tell us about Native American culture? What do they tell us about pioneer culture? Why did the Comanches take captives? Assess how the stories of the captives and their captors fit into larger patterns in the history of the United States West. Conclude your paper by explaining what The Captured tells us about the American frontier.
• This is not a book report. You cannot write this research by summarizing only one source, namely, Zesch’s Captured. You need to come up with a research question or hypothesis based on the theme of the book assigned, research other authored sources, and possibly answer your research question. For instance, research the following question: “Why did the captured European immigrants prefer to remain ‘captured’ with the Comanches on the 1840s-1860s Texas Frontier?” or “How successful was the process of integration into the White Society for the Native American children in the late the 1870s United States?”
• In order to conduct a well-researched project, you must research these themes apart from the assigned book and incorporate these findings in a greater attempt of answering your own research question. See the syllabus for details.