80 Chapter 3 | enLiGhtenMent anD eMpire | period two 16 07–175 4 putting it all together^81Step 1 Understand the prompt, and identify the key words
As you remember from Chapter 1, you must first understand your question.
Draw a square around your topic (“colonial thinking”). Draw a line underneath
your task (“Consider which had a greater influence”). Draw a circle around the
events in the question (“religious thought” or “secular thought”).Step 2 Generate a working thesis
To generate a working thesis to a historical prompt, begin by brainstorming what
you know. Review the prompt’s topic above, and create a list of potential ques-
tions, such as this one:•
Causation: What were the influences on colonial thinking?•
Comparison: How do the religious and secular ideas of this era compare?•
Contextualization: What were the key contexts that shaped colonial life during
each period?Your thesis statement to this question will benefit from subordination. For
example, if you write, “Colonial thinking was influenced more by religious
thought than secular thought,” you need to acknowledge the many contexts (eco-
nomic, political, religious, and social) that shape a group’s mind-set.
If you write, “Religious thought and secular thought had an equal degree of
influence over colonial thinking,” you still need to acknowledge the complexities
of colonial mind-sets.
The following flowchart may help you determine a subordinated thesis:Determine your initial claim here:
Example: Politically, by 1754, colonists were...↓
Determine your initial claim here:
Example: Socially, by 1743, colonists were...↓
THESIS
Step 3 Identify your evidence, and categorize your documents
Using your knowledge of the time period, brainstorm a list of facts that you re-
member about this topic. The following chart may assist you in developing your
comparison:04_STA_2012_ch3_057-084.indd 80 26/03/15 11:28 AM