Describe connections between at least two different realms in the Atlantic world.

The early modern Atlantic World was shaped by the interactions of multiple groups and individuals characterized by unique political, social, economic, and cultural heritages, not to mention the influence of a wide variety of environmental and geographic factors. These interactions occurring during the fifteenth through the eighteenth century took multiple forms and brought with them dramatic change, yet at the same time, patterns of continuity persisted.

The topic of the final research paper must meet the following criteria:

• Identify at least two distinct groups of people.
• Describe connections between at least two different realms in the Atlantic world.
• Analyze the type(s) of interaction that occurred between them.
• Explain how the interaction between these groups impacted a specific political, economic, social, environmental, or cultural development of a clearly identified region or regions in the Atlantic world.
• Assess whether the interaction resulted in either producing dramatic change or leaving intact evidence of continuity over time.

The Final Paper

• Must be seven to ten double-spaced pages in length (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style or Chicago Manual of Style as outlined in the approved APA style or or Chicago Manual of Style as outlined in the approved APA style or CMS guide.
• Must include a cover page that includes:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct analytic thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must address contemporary discussions among historians (historiography) regarding the selected topic.
• Must end with a formal conclusion that reaffirms (but does not merely repeat) the key main points and the thesis.
• Must use at least five scholarly secondary sources in addition to the course text, and two primary sources. Students are encouraged to research scholarly articles using the Ashford University Library (i.e. JSTOR) and scholarly books (i.e. ebrary), in accordance with university policy on acceptable source use.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • Many links to relevant primary sources can be found in:
    Fink, Stephanie. “Atlantic World History: Sources to Support the Study of Atlantic World History (Links to an external site.).” Accessed February 15, 2016. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cVb0RvD0A9azvCgK9xkeISg0l_v5xby4aNjaoTVa2ys/edit#heading=h.ml9asl4g9utg.
• Must incorporate attention to instructor critique or comment received in prior feedback on the topic.
• Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center, or according the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center, or according to the Chicago Manual of Style.

For guidelines regarding the Chicago Manual of Style, see the following resources:

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition (Links to an external site.)
• The Chicago Manual of Style Online (Links to an external site.)
• The Writer’s Handbook: Chicago/Turabian Documentation (Links to an external site.)
• Chicago Manual of Style: Documentary Note or Humanities Style (Links to an external site.)

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.