A primary historical source is a document that was created during the past by a person (or persons) who lived during that period. Primary sources are the building blocks of history!
Select any ONE of the below primary sources that interests you and, after reading the source, write an analytical essay in which you summarize the main points of the article (this should take about 2/3 of your essay) and then analyze/critique the source (about 1/3 of your essay).

Try to answer at least some of the following questions in your essay:

Who is the author of your chosen source? What is the time period of the source and what is the topic? What might this article tell a researcher about the time period? What is he/she trying to say? What is his/her point of view? Does he/she make a convincing case? Why or why not? What does the author leave out (if anything)? Does the author exhibit a particular bias? Is there anything in this source that might be relevant to the world today?

Note: Depending on the source you choose, not all of the above questions may be relevant. Answer those which are relevant to your source.

Try to select a document/source that interests you. If it is a topic/person that you are unfamiliar with, be sure to do at least a little research to give you a better background for analyzing the source. If you would like to use additional sources (internet web sites, books, periodicals, etc.,) you are more than welcome to, as long as your focus is on the primary source. Your essay should consist of two sections: a summary of the article and then an analysis of the article.

In writing your essay, you should follow the below guidelines:

Your essay should be a MINIMUM of 800 words (it can be longer if you like).
Your completed essay should consist of a summary (about 2/3 of your essay) and an analysis (roughly 1/3).
All persons, events, concepts in your paper should be introduced/explained clearlyin other words, write your essay as if your audience was another student!
Your essay should follow the basic style guidelines for MLA, APA or Chicago (your choice).
Your essay should have a cover page and bibliography page in your chosen style (these pages do NOT count towards the essay length).
Your essay should be double-spaced with #12 fonts and 1-inch margins.
The essay needs to be written entirely in your own words. Use quotes very sparingly and only to highlight a point you are trying to make. Quoted material does NOT count towards the length of your essay.
Your essay needs to be neatly written and grammatically correct (points will be deducted for sloppy papers).
Your essay should be saved as either a Word (.doc or .docx) file or as a Rich Text File (.rtf). To submit your essay click on the blue hyperlinked title above. To be safe, you should upload your essay file and copy/paste your essay in the textbox on the submission page! It is your responsibility to submit a file that I can open and read. Late points will apply to files that I cannot open or that are in the wrong format.
Any essay submitted after the assignment has closed will be docked 10 points per day! ABSOLUTELY NO excuses (legit or otherwise) will be accepted! 
PRIMARY SOURCES (select one by clicking on the link next to it):

Erie canal source: source will be uploaded as a word document, check files.

In this reflection paper, you are to critically engage the topic of the social construction of identity in your life.

Message to the writer (information about myself):Female; 23years old; comes from the south part of China; have been in the US for 8year as an international student, including high school and university. My major is electrical engineering; no religious; heterosexuality.

Writing instruction: How is your perception of your own identity related to or affected by social and cultural structures, ideas or conventions?  Please discuss and provide examples of how at least one of your identities (i.e., religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual orientation, disability and/or age, among others) is shaped, or has been shaped, by cultural and societal influences within contexts of equality and inequality.  Please integrate course material (concepts, theories, discussions, lectures, readings). Please cite at least one course reading and one appropriate outside source.  (course material is uploaded below.)

Guidelines: Please review the rubrics before you start writing the paper.  Your paper should have a clear structure, including a thesis, body paragraphs with clear topic sentences and focused discussions, and a conclusion.  You can use any major citation format (APA, IEEE, Chicago, MLA); each paper should have in-text citations and a reference list.