Research Planning - Steps 1-2 | Hauselmann's History Lab

Student Information

Student Name:

Section Number:

STEP 1: Understanding the Big Question

Central Historical Question: How did Americans during the Revolutionary era understand and practice a key democratic norm, and what do its successes or failures reveal about the consequences of the American Revolution?

In your own words, what is this question asking you to investigate?

Think about what it means to study a democratic norm through the lens of history.

Choose ONE Democratic Norm (from Richard Haass's The Bill of Obligations):

Why is this norm especially useful for understanding the American Revolution?

STEP 2: Establishing Historical Context

Time Period Emphasis (check one or more):

Pre-Revolutionary Crisis (1760s–1775)

Revolutionary War Years (1775–1783)

Post-Revolution / Early Republic (1780s–1790s)

Constitutional Ratification Debates (1787-88)

Key historical issue, conflict, or debate you will analyze:

Be specific! Example: "The debate over who should have the right to vote in the new state constitutions"

Groups central to your analysis (check all that apply):

Patriots

Loyalists

Enslaved people

Women

Indigenous nations

Laborers/artisans

Political elites

Federalists (1787-88)

Antifederalists (1787-88)