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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