Process Paper
My research topic question is “How did the California Gold Rush Affect the Region?”. I chose it because I thought it was one of the most interesting topics in American History.
After I finished my basic research and formed my question, I got started on the meat of the project. I stumbled upon “California as We Saw It: Exploring the California Gold Rush”. This website was a credible source from the California State Library, packed with links to other information and it came with a series of chapters involving my topic as well. One issue I still faced was that I could not find a comparison of before and after the Gold Rush. So, I have decided that throughout my research I will sort my information from before and after and causes and effects. The sources I have collected this far have given me much insight on the formation of San Francisco. I was referred to a Ken Burns documentary, and I was so grateful because the documentary successfully gave me information of never could of dreamed of. “The West” was credible and authoritative and the missing puzzle piece, so far. I had had trouble finding a book that was about my topic and that met the requirements. But I worked with what I had and I came across a book that covered what i needed for my topic and question. I also was able to download a free scholarly journal about the history of California. But they are loaded with knowledge and information about mining and the Gold Rush. With all the information I have collected and my comparison diagram, my research has been extremely successful. I made an outline of my argument with four main sections of political, social, economic, and geographical. These almost directly translated into my essay. My thesis came next and it was a summary of all the changes in the four areas just described. So all together the final product still needed improvements. With the feedback I had received, I changed my thesis to make it less broad. I had also made my topics more closely grouped together to make more sense. The final product has made a great improvement over its predecessor.
The California Gold Rush shaped Northern California. There were four main ways it changed, political, economic, geographical, and social. Each way is different but they play off each other and make one another work and occasionally combine.
After I finished my basic research and formed my question, I got started on the meat of the project. I stumbled upon “California as We Saw It: Exploring the California Gold Rush”. This website was a credible source from the California State Library, packed with links to other information and it came with a series of chapters involving my topic as well. One issue I still faced was that I could not find a comparison of before and after the Gold Rush. So, I have decided that throughout my research I will sort my information from before and after and causes and effects. The sources I have collected this far have given me much insight on the formation of San Francisco. I was referred to a Ken Burns documentary, and I was so grateful because the documentary successfully gave me information of never could of dreamed of. “The West” was credible and authoritative and the missing puzzle piece, so far. I had had trouble finding a book that was about my topic and that met the requirements. But I worked with what I had and I came across a book that covered what i needed for my topic and question. I also was able to download a free scholarly journal about the history of California. But they are loaded with knowledge and information about mining and the Gold Rush. With all the information I have collected and my comparison diagram, my research has been extremely successful. I made an outline of my argument with four main sections of political, social, economic, and geographical. These almost directly translated into my essay. My thesis came next and it was a summary of all the changes in the four areas just described. So all together the final product still needed improvements. With the feedback I had received, I changed my thesis to make it less broad. I had also made my topics more closely grouped together to make more sense. The final product has made a great improvement over its predecessor.
The California Gold Rush shaped Northern California. There were four main ways it changed, political, economic, geographical, and social. Each way is different but they play off each other and make one another work and occasionally combine.