Augmenting Study: Altering Subject Matter upon Hitting an Impasse
In the world of academic research, changing course can be a daunting prospect, but it can also be a reinvigorating process. This is exactly what a Junior Researcher at the Woodrow Wilson School (WWS) is experiencing as they shift the focus of their Junior Paper (JP) from New York City press reporting on a June 1848 workers' rebellion in Paris to examining the broader national antislavery movement's response to the same event.
The change was suggested by the researcher's adviser, who had previously encouraged them to look at newspapers beyond New York for comparison. The new topic offers a broader historical context, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the antislavery movement's response to the workers' uprising in Paris.
Identifying the Historical Context
To research the broader national antislavery movement's response to the June 1848 workers' rebellion in Paris, the first step is to study the historical context. This involves examining the 1848 workers' uprising in Paris and its political and social background, especially how it relates to republican and social democratic movements in France and Europe during the Revolutions of 1848. The researcher will need to delve into the split between democratic republicanism and social republicans, among whom workers staged an insurrection in June 1848.
Exploring the Antislavery Movement's Scope and Priorities
The next step is to explore the antislavery movement's scope and priorities in 1848. This research will help understand their agenda and capacity for engagement with European social uprisings. By looking at abolitionist organizations active nationally and internationally around that time, such as the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (founded 1839) and American abolition groups, the researcher can gain insights into their agenda and potential involvement in the workers' rebellion in Paris.
Seeking References in Abolitionist Writings
The researcher will then look for direct or indirect references to the rebellion in abolitionist writings, newspapers, and correspondences from 1848-1850. This could reveal their attitudes or responses toward European workers’ revolts, particularly focusing on any linkage between social justice causes and abolitionism.
Consulting Scholarly Literature
Consulting scholarly literature on the intersection of labor movements and abolitionism in mid-19th-century France and internationally may uncover if and how the antislavery activists connected the workers' rebellion to their cause or to broader anti-racist or anti-colonial struggles.
Utilizing Primary Sources
Finally, the researcher will utilize primary sources such as abolitionist pamphlets, meeting minutes, and contemporary newspapers from France, the UK, and the US to detect any mention or analysis of the June 1848 Paris workers' insurrection in abolitionist discourse.
Although the researcher may need to travel to archives in Rochester and Boston for their new research, they see this change as an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to contextualize their old work more effectively in their final Junior Paper. The researcher is also learning to work with new kinds of sources, such as handwritten correspondence, as part of their new research.
In the same section, you'll find another article titled "Research: Have Fun With It!", offering advice on making the most of your research journey. And if you're curious about the path taken by another junior researcher, be sure to check out "From Junior Researcher to Senior Commissioner: the WWS Task Force". Happy exploring!
The junior researcher is embracing this shift in their Junior Paper (JP) topic as an opportunity for personal-growth and learning, as they delve into the broader national antislavery movement's response to the June 1848 workers' rebellion in Paris. As part of this education-and-self-development process, they are exploring various resources such as scholarly literature, primary sources, and abolitionist writings to gain a comprehensive understanding of the antislavery movement's scope, priorities, and responses.
