When using
headings in
MLA, title
the main
sections
(Level 2
headers) in
a different
style font
than the
paper’s
title, e.g., in
small caps.
The headings used here follow a three-
level system to break the text into
smaller sections. The different levels
help organize the paper and maintain
consistency in the paper’s organization.
You may come up with your own
headings as long as they are consistent.
with a third section that offers research questions that could be answered in future
versions of this paper and conclude with a fourth section that discusses the importance of
expanding this particular project. I also include an appendix after the Works Cited that
contains images of the three handbooks I examined. Before I can begin the examination
of the three handbooks, however, I need to provide an historical context in which the
books were written, and it is to this that I now turn.
H
ISTORICAL
C
ONTEXT
The nineteenth century saw many changes to daily American life with an increase in
population, improved methods of transportation, developments in technology, and the
rise in the importance of science. These events impacted all aspects of nineteenth century
American life (most significantly, those involved in slavery and the Civil War).
However, one part of American life was affected that is quite often taken for granted: the
life of the American farmer.
Population and Technological Changes. One of the biggest changes, as seen in
nineteenth century America’s census reports, is the dramatic increase in population. The
1820 census reported that over 10 million people were living in America; of those 10
million, over 2 million were engaged in agriculture. Ten years prior to that, the 1810
census reported over 7 million people were living in the states; there was no category for
people engaged in agriculture. In this ten-year time span, then, agriculture experienced
significant improvements and changes that enhanced its importance in American life.
One of these improvements was the developments of canals and steamboats,
which allowed farmers to “sell what has previously been unsalable [sic]” and resulted in a
If there is a
gramma-
tical,
mechanical,
or spelling
error in the
text you are
citing, type
the quote as
it appears.
Follow the
error with
“[sic].”
The
paragraph
after the
Level 2
headers
start flush
left after
the
Use
another
style, e.g.,
italics, to
differen-
tiate the
Level 3
headers
from the
Level 2
headers.
The
paragraph
continues
directly
after the
Headings,
though not
required by
MLA style,
can help the
overall
structure and
organization
of a paper.
Use them at
your
instructor’s
discretion to
help your
reader follow
Use
personal
pronouns
(I, we, us,
etc.) at
your
instructor’s