Colonial Research Paper Guidelines and Using MLA Formatting

Topics to Research General background (founders/years) Economy (goods traded, crops grown, jobs, other economic activities) Geography (climate, soil, etc.) Relations with Natives Religion/tolerance Diversity Slavery

Thesis/Introduction Thesis statements typically appear at the end of an introduction paragraph, and contains your position/opinion [in this case, which colonial region is best] and why [what makes this region superior to the others]

Sample Introduction The colonial states of America were grouped into three geographical regions: the New England colonies, the middle colonies, and the southern colonies. The New England colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire were the farthest north. They were rich in the natural resources of fish, whales, lumber, and furs. Many of the colonists living in New England had left Europe to escape religious persecution. Because the settlers were able to practice their religion, govern and educate themselves, and most importantly make a living from the abundant resources found in the Northeast, the New England colonies were a great success.

Using Images You cannot copy and paste an image into your paper, but you can use one as a source EXAMPLE: As shown in the engraving by John Hall, captioned “William Penn’s treaty with the Indians, when we founded the Province of Pennsylvania”, the colonists in Pennsylvania had a positive and peaceful relationship with the local Native tribes.

Using Images EXAMPLE: The New England colonies did not have a large Black population and therefore did not rely heavily on slave labor, as evidenced by the “Population of the New England Colonies, 1620-1750” graph.

Possible Outlines INTRO CONCLUSION Background info about region Climate/weather Economy Religion Relations with Natives Negatives about other regions CONCLUSION

Possible Outline INTRO CONCLUSION Background info about region Specific colony #1 Specific colony #2 Specific colony #3 Specific colony #4 CONCLUSION

Possible Outline INTRO CONCLUSION Background about region Economy – compare/contrast Climate – compare/contrast Relations with Natives – compare/contrast Religion – compare/contrast CONCLUSION

MLA Format: Works Cited Purdue OWL: MLA format KnightCite: Citation maker