Based on the content in James A. Sandos’s Converting California, address the following question. Despite Spanish efforts to make the native Californians adopt Spanish religious and cultural practices, in what ways did native people manage to retain their own culture? How were they able to do this?

Essay on James A. Sandos’s Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the Missions

The Question
Based on the content in James A. Sandos’s Converting California, address the following question. Despite Spanish efforts to make the native Californians adopt Spanish religious and cultural practices, in what ways did native people manage to retain their own culture? How were they able to do this?

This is a broad question and you will not be able to include all the information available, thus you must decide on a couple of important points or pieces of evidence that support your argument.

Writing Instructions
The essay must be three-to-five complete pages of text (no unnecessary spaces and excluding bibliography), double-spaced, in a twelve point Times New Roman font. Remember to follow the rules for writing a formal essay and include the essential components for an essay, including citations. Students must use Chicago Manual of Style for their citations. This means that your paper should have an introduction, thesis (required), body, conclusion, and bibliography. Since writing style and grammar will be graded, I recommend you utilize the history tutoring writing center and my office hours. Remember, this paper is worth 100 points and is a considerable portion of your grade, utilize all the resources at your disposal, do not wait at the last minute to complete this assignment.

Instructions for turning in the paper:
On Friday, October 5th at 11:59 pm upload your paper to the Canvas turnitin link “Silverberg, Sandos, and Perdue Questions and Turnitin Submission”

Instructions for seeing a history writing tutor (optional):
1) FINISH A FULL ROUGH DRAFT A WEEK BEFORE YOU WILL TURN IN THE PAPER and call the history department at (818) 677-3566 and POLITELY ask either the student assistant or administrative staff member for an appointment with a history writing tutor.
2) You will be put in contact with a tutor and you will email them your draft.
3) You will meet with the tutor and go over the paper.
4) You will re-write your paper based on the tutor’s suggestions.
5) Submit the paper based on the instructions above.
RESPECT THE TUTORS BY NOT DEMANDING A MEETING THE NEXT DAY OR RIGHT BEFORE YOUR DEADLINE. DO NOT SEND INCOMPLETE DRAFTS CAUSE THEY CAN’T HELP YOU AS WELL.

Late papers will face a five-point penalty for each day the assignment is due.

Canvas Writing Guides
On Canvas you can find the “Jules Benjamin Writing Guide” and “Writing Guide for History 369” to help you think about the writing process.

Chicago Manual of Style (Link to online citation guide on Canvas).

Using either footnotes or endnotes your first citation of the book should be:

James A. Sandos, Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the Missions (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008), 126. (Page 126 is used as an example but change the page number to the page where you found the information)

Each additional citation for the book should be:
Sandos, Converting California, page number

If you are citing the same book repeatedly you can simply write: Ibid, 14 (page number varies).

Citation for the bibliography/works cited is a little different than the note above:

Sandos, James A. Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the Missions. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.

If you are going to cite other material using the Chicago Manual of Style consult the Canvas guide.

Avoid plagiarism, the use of someone else’s work without citing it. If you have any questions concerning plagiarism consult the syllabus.

Grading Guide.
When grading essays these factors will be considered when I decide on a final grade:
1) Strength of argument
2) Clear writing free of awkward phrases and sentences (if you are having trouble with this then use simple uncomplicated language and focus on ideas rather than vocabulary and have someone read the paper for clarity)
3) Does the paper follow directions and answer the question fully
4) Use of specific events, people, laws, dates, etc. to prove points not just general ideas and arguments
5) Analysis not just summary

(Remember to list books in alphabetical order)
Works Cited

Sandos, James A. Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the Missions. New
Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.