Carly HayesDissertations and Beyond
Warren
5/4/2022
Dissertation question/topic: The argument of American Royalty: how are these influential
families altering modern history?
I find the influence family names have in America to be very interesting in terms of
politics, especially when analyzed with the high ranks these names are able to bring. The family
trees I would like to study further are the Roosevelt’s, the Kennedy’s, the Bush’s, as well as the
Royal Family of England. This topic first interested me when I was writing a report on the First
Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and it came to my attention that she was her husband, the President’s,
fifth cousin, once removed. This spurred an investigation into the Roosevelt family tree and
allowed me to think more fully into the way family lines have effected the political landscape in
the United States.
I would like to go into further detail about how these affluent families were able to create
relationships with the public in order to become so prominent in American history. In each
family there are multiple members who were voted into office by the public as well as multiple
frontrunners in the candidacy for president. I would like to compare how these families are
viewed by the American public to how the Royal family is seen by their people. I will be
focusing most in the time period of 1890-1990.
I will focus heavily on the presidents/presidential candidates in these families: Theodore
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, George H.W. Bush,
and George W. Bush (with the potential outlier of Jeb Bush). I will also include Queen Elizabeth
II, King George VI, and King Edward VIII as well as other family members.
My aim is to show similarities between these well-known families as well as the
influence they have on the people that they rule. While these families have been well studied the
comparison between them is not overdone. I believe the comparison between these influential
families in America and the Royal family in England will prove beneficial, especially when
comparing how the wealth and power they hold affects their position in history. I have chosen
this specific timeframe because I believe it will hold enough information to clearly cover my
topic without diluting it with information that may not be pertinent.
I plan to use speeches given by all parties, I will focus more so on those given during
candidacy as well as pre-coronation for the Royal. I plan on analyzing how they use their social
presence in their speeches to persuade the public into agreeing with their policies. I will also be
using birth and death records to follow the family trees listed above and following lines of
succession.
Feedback on Draft Above:
you did a good job explaining why the topic is of interest to you. You are also clear on which primary
sources you want to use.
Less clear is the value of comparing these American families with the British royal family. This is not to
suggest that the comparison is not valuable, just that you have not made a compelling case for it in your
proposal. Also, you are trying to tackle a lot for a 10,000-word dissertation. Your proposed time period seems
overly broad; you have also mentioned quite a few families and individuals within these families which may
become a bit unwieldy.
It is also unclear how your research sits within the existing field. For instance, you explain that this topic has
not been over explored, but no evidence is given to support this statement. While you were clear on your
primary sources, I am not sure they will help you to fully answer the question you are posing. As one of your
aims is to understand the influence these families had over people, some sources that give the viewpoint of
the public are also necessary. This will allow for an understanding of how the speeches were received.
Assessment 2: independent study research proposal (60% of module mark)
You will submit a research proposal that demonstrates that you have been designing and
researching a
topic for the independent study project. You will prepare this proposal in consultation with a
potential
supervisor. Be sure to adhere to the Style Guide for your subject.
The format of the proposal must be as follows:
Proposed (working) title (refer to Seminars 4 and 5)
• a clear indication of your Independent study, including chronological period, geographical area,
and
topic or approach
Summary of proposed area of study (refer to Seminar 6)
• an overview and introduction to the proposal outlining the area/field you wish to investigate
and
indicating the chronological period, the geographical area, the theme (i.e. gender, racism, belief)
• Refine the summary that you produced for the first Assessment.
Research questions and broad aims (refer to Seminar 5)
• the primary question and any dependent questions
• aims (broad results that you ‘aim to accomplish’)
8
Primary sources, objectives, and methodology (refer to Seminar 7)
• primary sources (e.g. archives or electronic resources) you will use
• objectives (specific tasks that you will undertake in order to achieve your aims and answer
your
questions), which should be part of your methodology
Literature review (refer to Seminar 8)
• what other researchers have done in this area of research and how their work will form a
foundation
for your research (Where do they agree or disagree? Has someone approached the same
questions
with different evidence? Has someone explored the same evidence but asked different
questions?)
Proposed structure
• list of chapters with a summary on what will be covered in each
• include an introduction, probably three thematic or question-driven chapters, and a conclusion
Proposed work plan
• detailed plan of what work you’ll do during the coming weeks/months/ semesters
• include, for example, reading primary sources, visiting museums/archives, drawing, describing,
photographing, making a database, reading secondary sources, visiting libraries, requesting
‘more
books for students’ and interlibrary loans, outlining chapters, drafting chapters, meeting your
supervisor, discussing drafts, finishing chapters, editing and re-writing, and proofreading.
(The following do not count towards the word count.)
assignment.
Bibliography
• A list of all primary sources mentioned in your proposal.
• A list of all secondary sources mentioned in your proposal.