Runaway from Freedom
Michael O'Malley, Associate Professor of History and Art History, George Mason University
Note: This sample first paragraph is not based on actual sources. It may or may not be accurate
Runaways in colonial Pennsylvania, far from being poor and desperate slaves, were highly skilled workers who often escaped with tools, good clothes and money. And while we might think that runaways were full with enthusiasm for the ideals of the American revolution, a survey of thirty ads for runaways from 1728 to 1789 shows no obvious trace of revolutionary ideas. The typical colonial runaway, in both 1728 and 1789, seems to have hoped to sneak off and start his own trade, not to embrace the thrilling new ideas of freedom and democracy. So it seems the average runaway took little or no interest in the ideals of the revolution.
Let's review this paragraph. The first sentence establishes that while the reader may have believed one thing about runaways—that they were desperate and poor—this is not true. It also lays out some of the author's observations about the runaways. The second sentence adds an addtional point: that although we might expect to find revolutionary ideals at work, there seems to be no sign of them. It also describes how many ads were studied, and the period of time the survey covers. Having established what runaways were not, the third sentence suggests what they were, and show that the author has looked for changes over time and found none. The final sentence gives the thesis in a simple form, and leads the reader into the next paragraph.
To be effective, this paper would now present its evidence: a series of paragraphs describing the evidence that led to these conclusions. The evidence would take the form of quotations from the ads we looked at, or of summaries of the categories in the database. All quotations must be made in foot or endotes. The footnote form should look like this:
Pennsylvania Gazette, May 5, 1746 p. 2
There may not be enough evidence in the ads to prove this thesis. It is acceptable to simply analyze what you find, and then suggest what it mght mean. You should strive to write a thoughtful, creative paper that makes claims based on tangible, solid evidence from the newspaper ads, which it presents in the form of quotations or summaries of data.