Using Elaboration Techniques in Historical Writing: Quotations & FEAR
Elaboration Techniques are essential to argumentative and historical writing. They make your writing more powerful by providing specific details that support your claim or thesis. Make sure you use at least two strategies for every reason you state in your argument. The easiest way to keep the techniques in mind is to remember Quotations and FEAR. You want to make powerful use of quotations and use facts, examples, anecdotes, and reasons.
Quotations –
A QUOTATION is someone’s words—often those of an expert (an authority), a public figure, or an account by a historical subject or person.
Roosevelt did give his speech that day even though he had been wounded in the attack. At one point, he turned to his friend O. K. Davis, who was trying to convince him that he needed medical attention, and exclaimed, ‘No sir. I will not stop. You can’t stop me nor anybody else’ (Brands, 722). Roosevelt was a man driven by an inner sense of righteousness and potential greatness for himself and his country. He was unafraid of bandits, wealthy corporate barons, monarchs, assassins, wildernesses and jungles, or any other obstacles that would stand in his way. Even a close friend was unable to dissuade him from making his speech.
Facts and Statistics
FACTS are statements that can be proven to be true. STATISTICS are facts that are expressed as numbers. This includes percentages.
The resources of the Confederacy at the start of the war paled in comparison to the North. Even though the South was primarily agricultural, 65% of farmland was located in the North. On the industrial side, the Union far outstripped the power of the southern states. Over 85% of the nation’s factories were located in the North, these organizations produced more than 90% of the value of all manufactured goods. In railroads, 71% of the entire track was in the North – and it was much more uniform than in the South. Lastly, the northern states contained 63% of the nation’s population, and of the South’s 9 million inhabitants, over 1/3 of them were slaves, who certainly had little reason to hope for a Confederate victory.
Examples
An example is an instance of something.
Though it is popular to view Lincoln as a saintly figure that had greatness thrust upon him, he was not only personally motivated but politically ambitious and skillful as well. The rail-splitter learned to not antagonize people who could help him, even when they mistreated him. In the 1855 Illinois election for Senator, Lincoln was gracious in defeat as Lyman Trumbull and his manager Norman Judd basically stole the nomination from Lincoln. Even though Lincoln, not Trumbull, was the favorite candidate to the convention, Lincoln chose to put party unity ahead of personal gain. This strategy would pay enormous dividends for the Great Emancipator in the 1860 Republican presidential convention.
In this example the writer uses the example of Lincoln forsaking a political grudge to make allies for the future.
Anecdotes
An Anecdote is a short account of a funny or interesting incident that advances your claim.
The story above about Theodore Roosevelt is an anecdote about the drive and determination of our youngest president ever to assume the office.
Reasons
Reasons are explanations of why something is true.
Alexander Hamilton believed America’s destiny lay as an industrial nation. His support of the protective tariff, a national bank modeled on the Bank of England, and a general policy that favored manufacture expressed his unflinching encouragement of his dream for the new nation.
Other elaboration Techniques
Quotations –
A QUOTATION is someone’s words—often those of an expert (an authority), a public figure, or an account by a historical subject or person.
Roosevelt did give his speech that day even though he had been wounded in the attack. At one point, he turned to his friend O. K. Davis, who was trying to convince him that he needed medical attention, and exclaimed, ‘No sir. I will not stop. You can’t stop me nor anybody else’ (Brands, 722). Roosevelt was a man driven by an inner sense of righteousness and potential greatness for himself and his country. He was unafraid of bandits, wealthy corporate barons, monarchs, assassins, wildernesses and jungles, or any other obstacles that would stand in his way. Even a close friend was unable to dissuade him from making his speech.
Facts and Statistics
FACTS are statements that can be proven to be true. STATISTICS are facts that are expressed as numbers. This includes percentages.
The resources of the Confederacy at the start of the war paled in comparison to the North. Even though the South was primarily agricultural, 65% of farmland was located in the North. On the industrial side, the Union far outstripped the power of the southern states. Over 85% of the nation’s factories were located in the North, these organizations produced more than 90% of the value of all manufactured goods. In railroads, 71% of the entire track was in the North – and it was much more uniform than in the South. Lastly, the northern states contained 63% of the nation’s population, and of the South’s 9 million inhabitants, over 1/3 of them were slaves, who certainly had little reason to hope for a Confederate victory.
Examples
An example is an instance of something.
Though it is popular to view Lincoln as a saintly figure that had greatness thrust upon him, he was not only personally motivated but politically ambitious and skillful as well. The rail-splitter learned to not antagonize people who could help him, even when they mistreated him. In the 1855 Illinois election for Senator, Lincoln was gracious in defeat as Lyman Trumbull and his manager Norman Judd basically stole the nomination from Lincoln. Even though Lincoln, not Trumbull, was the favorite candidate to the convention, Lincoln chose to put party unity ahead of personal gain. This strategy would pay enormous dividends for the Great Emancipator in the 1860 Republican presidential convention.
In this example the writer uses the example of Lincoln forsaking a political grudge to make allies for the future.
Anecdotes
An Anecdote is a short account of a funny or interesting incident that advances your claim.
The story above about Theodore Roosevelt is an anecdote about the drive and determination of our youngest president ever to assume the office.
Reasons
Reasons are explanations of why something is true.
Alexander Hamilton believed America’s destiny lay as an industrial nation. His support of the protective tariff, a national bank modeled on the Bank of England, and a general policy that favored manufacture expressed his unflinching encouragement of his dream for the new nation.
Other elaboration Techniques