The assignment here (and unlike Tom Cruise, you have no choice about accepting it) is to examine historically and critically two documents from the nineteenth century. I have selected a number of candidate documents, some written and some pictorial, which you may find by following the link in the lefthand frame.
Here are the bare bones of your task: I want you to produce a three-page, double-spaced work of original analysis. Please don't test the professor's patience by subtle monkeying with the margins, line-spacing, the font size, etc. Also, use a standard font. Remember, your reader (who is also the grader!) is interested in the content of what you have to say, not the window dressing. When other things distract me, I start to wonder about the actual value of the analysis. Lastly, don't assume that longer is better, especially when this length is achieved through "fluff".
You want to approach the documents as a critical thinker. The writing guides by myself and other historians will suggest ways for you to do this: by placing the documents in context, by searching out the background of the documents' authors, by learning to "read against the grain". In this last case, I'm referring to how you find information hiding in a document that the author never really meant to tell you, like his/her prejudices, fears, or unspoken assumptions about how the world works (or at least, ought to).
For this assignment, you will still need to cite the references that you use (and yes, that's a hint that you should do some research beyond class notes and the class textbook!). Footnote your references according to the Chicago Manual of Style, also known as Turabian. For examples of this format, follow the link.