The best
thing for you to do here is to ask your own instructor what he or she expects. Different
instructors have different expectations on this subject.
My own rule is that
students must cite sources whenever they are presenting me with facts that are not common
knowledge. There is no need to cite, for instance, the fact that the Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 1941.
However, you will have to cite dates and facts
that are less known. If you want to tell me the names of the aircraft carriers from which the
airplanes flew to attack Pearl Harbor, you would need to cite a source. The same would apply if
you were to tell me the exact numbers of American personnel killed or wounded in the attack and
the names of all the ships that were damaged in the attack.
So, when you are
writing a history paper, the common rule is that you do not need to cite things that
"everyone knows." When in doubt, ask your own instructor whether you need to include
a citation for a particular fact.
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