I want you to write a paper that addresses the following question: What role did the local area play in the nation’s history to 1865? The paper should be double spaced with one inch margins and at least seven pages in length with an additional title page and bibliography. Remember that this is an essay, and you should follow the organization and structure of any essay: introduction, paragraphs that support your main thesis, and a conclusion. Include a bibliography at the end of the paper.
A local history paper re-creates a portion of the historical experience of the American nation. The local area played a role in the larger story of America and this paper allows you to find out about the role your area played in shaping, or being shaped by, history.
Most importantly, have some fun discovering interesting and fun places. Bring the past to the present. If you were taking visitors from out of town sight-seeing where would you go? What would you eat that is local? Where would you visit? Again, have some fun exploring where you live and the local area.
Focus of the Study
Many of the towns and communities in the local area are only of recent vintage therefore they might be difficult to research. If that's the case for your local community may I suggest you focus the paper on one of the following places:

Joliet
Lemont
Lockport
New Lennox
Plainfield
Will County

If you want to study another location please check with me before you start the paper.

Writing the Paper
Start the paper by briefly discussing the foundations of the local area before 1865 and then examine the area immediately after the Civil War. The major focus of the paper should be the period before 1865. Discuss what people did for a living; what their religious beliefs were; investigate the type of dwelling they lived in, and the parent-child and husband-wife relationships. Be sure to discuss the ethnicity and race of the local people. Why did the settlement mushroom into a major town? Then discuss how the area was affected by major historical events such as industrialization, Immigration, urbanization, and cultural pluralism. Finally, bring your community to the present with places of interest, fun, and good cultural experiences (places for great local food?). Make this assignment a labor of love and enjoy learning about your community.

Sources
You MUST use at least TWO Internet sites and ONE book. You can find a number of books on local history on reserve in the JJC Main Campus library on the third floor of J-Building. Your local public library should also have a collection of local history books. The Joliet public library in downtown Joliet has an especially strong selection of books on local history.
Whenever you base your ideas on someone else’s work, you must cite the sources you use. All ideas obtained from another sources and quotes or specific information such as statistics should be referenced in the text. Whatever sources you use for your essay must be cited, even if you paraphrase you must cite your sources.
 There are many citation styles including APA, Chicago and MLA which you can use. A good guide to the various styles is found at the University of California Berkeley library website.