Assignment: Using the Zotero program, find secondary sources for your research project. Two sources must be books that you can read entirely (either online or physically), two must be scholarly journal articles that you can read entirely, and one must be a website that is not an encyclopedia, Wikipedia article, or History.com. Write about why each of these sources is reliable and add the bibliography.
#1 Review of Establishing Congress: This source is a journal article is a review of an article discussing Congress moving to Washington, D.C.. Though that may lead one to distrust it’s ability to function as a source (for my project, at least), it actually sums up and analyzes the information presented in the original works fairly well, providing me with key information about important parties in the founding of D.C. and their motivations for doing so. The author of this article, Stuart Leibiger Ph.D, is a Professor and Chair of the History Department at LaSelle University. Dr. Leibiger has devoted his career as a historian to the study of the founding fathers (three of which are my primary people of interest). As for the purpose of this article, to be honest I have no idea. Based on what I can see about the article on the site I found it on (shoutout JSTOR), it’s part of a journal published by the University of Pennsylvania called Journal of the Early Republic. And further based on that title it seems like its just supposed to be a collection of information and research on the early days of the United States. This deduction adds up with the style of the review itself, which is fairly objective and primarily analyzes the views of the historians who wrote the original work.
#2 State Constitutions of the United States: This next source is a book (full book provided online) on the constitutions of each state in the U.S. and its territories, including Washington, D.C.. In the D.C. section of this book, the author, Robert Maddex, provides some essential information in relation to the legality regarding the founding of D.C., specifically referencing Article I section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. Of course, this information adds context to the “what” and “why” of my project, which will be helpful in analyzing the actions of the individuals responsible for founding D.C.. As far as Maddex himself, he’s actually an author of several books talking about laws and constitutions both in the U.S. and internationally. Furthermore, he’s an attorney based in Washington, D.C. that specializes in international law. Based on this background, it can be concluded that the purpose of State Constitutions is to educated individuals on U.S. state and international policies. Because of this, the tone of the book is very straight forward and provides clear facts.
#3 The Historical Presidency: This source is a peer-reviewed journal article written by Neal Millikan, a librarian and philosopher currently working at the Massachusetts Historical Society. The purpose of this article is to highlight the work of George Washington concerning the founding of Washington, D.C., since most writing about him generally ignores the time he put into the city. The tone of this article is mostly objective, presenting the reader with clear facts about the topic, but may also be perceived as praising George Washington for his work. The sources provided is primarily research published by many other historians in journal articles similar in topic, but all talking about different parts of the same story. This source is perfect for my research topic because it specifically dives into one of the founders of D.C. and talks about what work he did to do so.
#4 The History of Washington DC: This article is from a website specifically for tourists or any other parties that are new-to-D.C.. Because of the nature of this website, there isn’t a specific author provided, which does tick down its credibility a little, but the purpose of this source can still be trusted. Websites about cities, especially ones of historical importance such as D.C., will at the very least have accurate information about its history, and for this website part of that history includes the founding of the city. The tone of the article is very matter-of-fact, but also uplifting towards the end as it recognizes some of the downsides of being a D.C. resident (lack of representation in Congress) but also hints toward a hopeful future by referencing the progress that its made over the years. Overall, this source is a good fit for my research because it provided a foundation for what to look into about D.C. and its founders, hinting at who may have had a say or impact on the process.
#5 Washington, Vol. 1: Finally, this last source is a book written by Constance McLaughlin Green entirely about the history of Washington, D.C. itself, and by extension its founders. Green is a historian who won the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for History for Washington Village and Capital (and thus the most impressive source I have!). Based on Green’s profession, it can be assumed that she wrote this book simply because she was passionate about the subject and wanted to research and educate others about it. The tone of the book is surprisingly casual, as it reads as if the author herself was telling the readers about the history of D.C.. This source was a great addition to my research as it provided detailed information about each of person of interest I had listed in the founding of D.C., and dives deeper into each of their motivations to do so.
Bibliography:
Green, Constance McLaughlin. 1962. Washington, Vol. 1. Princeton University Press. https://hdl-handle-net.mutex.gmu.edu/2027/heb00647.0001.001.
Leibiger, Stuart. 2006. Review of Review of Establishing Congress: Congress, the Removal to Washington, D.C., and the Election of 1800, by Kenneth R. Bowling and Donald R. Kennon. Journal of the Early Republic 26 (3): 478–80.
Maddex, Robert. 2005. State Constitutions of the United States. 2nd ed. Washington DC: CQ Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452240176.
Millikan, Neal. 2017. “The Historical Presidency: The First President and the Federal City: George Washington and the Creation of Washington, DC.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 47 (2): 365–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/psq.12373.
“The History of Washington, DC | Washington DC.” n.d. Washington.Org. Accessed February 9, 2024. https://washington.org/DC-information/washington-dc-history.
Ok bye 😀
