This research project was a bumpy ride! Honestly, sometimes I would write one sentence and feel like the most accomplished person in the world and call it a night.

BUT,

The research project in this class significantly changed the way that I write essays and interpret documents. The reading logs over the course of the semester actually helped me write my research project. Following the structure of academic journals assisted in how I structured my overall essay. For example, my first paragraph examines events that happened in the past in relation to my topic (same sex relationships). The events that I discuss in my intro of my essay are meant to feed into the rest of the points I am trying to make. I planned for this to make it easier to allow for someone who is reading to understand the topic in more depth before reading the paper in its entirety.

Below is my first paragraph:

“In Canada’s pre confederation era, same sex experience is extremely hard to find. Evidence stems mostly from Montreal and Ontario in the early 19th century, closer to 1850. In 1839, a young man aged 17, by the name of Thomas Clotworthy, was found in bed with an 11 year old boy of the name Henry Cole, committing the act of sodomy. It was made very known in this case, the horror of the master and his wife who housed the boys as apprentices.  Reasons for this horror could have been many. The idea that Clotworthy was almost legal adult in modern terms and Cole many years his junior, as well as a minor. More likely, the act of sodomy, or “buggery” itself was the biggest problem and the boys of course were brought to court for their actions.”

This first paragraph draws from examples of events that took place in the past that related to my topic. The events that I used in the initial paragraph were meant to serve a purpose, which was to introduce background information to the reader. I first noticed this kind of structure when I read the class readings about Duelling in Upper Canada. I also drew comparison to my document analysis to guide me along in the research process.

Without the rubric for the project, it would have been impossible to determine what aspects I should be focusing on and those I shouldn’t.

In regards to the topic itself, I was super surprised that Canada was so strict in regards to homosexuality. In a way, I can’t blame the law because it probably would have been the same pretty much everywhere else.

But that didn’t make anything any less frustrating! During my research, I found myself struggling to understand the beliefs of Canadians 200 ish years ago. LUCKILY, this class definitely taught me how to gain more of an objective perspective. As well as this, it made it easier to accept that the views people had in Canada’s earlier times won’t match up with most people’s believe in today. It also made it easier to accept that history cannot be changed.

After this semester, I was able to understand topics in a way that I would have had a hard time with before, especially when it comes to being objective. That is one of the most important ways to do history, in my personal opinion. Individual bias seriously impacts how my writing comes through, and how other academic writing comes through. No other class has even brought that up to me at all! So it was something I didn’t really think about until now.

(Don’t get this confused with me being upset about some of Canada’s dark history. I have ranted about it several times over the course of this term).

Doing the research project really put into perspective the way that Canada used to be in the past (and not that recently I might add).  But I expand on this more in the comparison with the past and present page that you can find here, or from the bar at the top of my portfolio.