This article documents the author's two-year study of the learning experience of first-year students undertaking a research paper. The study was conducted at a small liberal arts college with a history curriculum designed to provide content knowledge in introductory-level lecture courses, followed by skills in writing and research in upper-level seminars. The study consisted of two related elements. The first was a survey designed to document the students' initial views on research and history as well as their previous research experiences. The second element of the study was a research paper assignment that addressed student learning bottlenecks identified in the survey. Findings revealed that not only could first-year students "do" history, but also that the first-year research paper proved to be the most valuable tool--not only in bridging the gap between high school and college history, but also in introducing a more sophisticated process of learning at the college level.