Documenting United States History

our history. In general, visionary documents begin as mirrors; only time can tell

if they also serve as windows.

StepS 1–3

Steps 1 through 3 of the writing sequence have been outlined in earlier chapters,

which may be consulted for review.

Step 4 Outline your essay

Organizing this task requires an understanding of key documents and events and

a synthesis of the ideals that different eras represented. The following outline is a

possible beginning point for organization:

I. Introduction

II. Declaration of Independence

III. Gettysburg Address

IV. Period of 1890 to 1945

This chronology invites an understanding of the actual ideals of each era. Use your

historical thinking exercises in this chapter as a starting point. To review, these include

the closure of the American frontier (the Turner thesis) and the ambiguous prog-

ress made by women and minorities during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Integrating historical themes also allows you to contextualize your arguments even

further. When you consider the fulfillment of the ideals of the Declaration of Indepen-

dence and Gettysburg Address, you also consider which of the historical themes best

apply. Two that may apply are “identity” and “work, exchange, and technology.”

Thus, a revised outline for this prompt could incorporate these themes, mov-

ing away from the documents as the sole organizing agent. The outline below

allows you to create a framework for your essay that is organized around a few

themes and then to examine those themes through both mirror and window

lenses for each document. We have started the outline for you by filling in the

first main point (identity) for the first document.

I. Introduction

II. Declaration of Independence

A. THEME: IDENTITY. At issue in the struggle for equal rights from

the time of the founding through the twentieth century is the notion

of American IDENTITY—who we are as a nation and who is entitled

to the “natural rights” that are outlined in our founding documents.

1. MIRROR: The Declaration reflects ideas of its time and sidesteps
   issues of rights for women and people of color. This relates to the
   theme IDENTITY, with women and people of color being less
   identifiable as Americans or citizens.

Putting It All Together 423

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