In analytical writing in history, substance takes precedence over style. It is more important that the student
takes a perspective that can be defended with evidence, and that the thesis is one where an opposing
viewpoint is possible, than if the essay sounds beautiful. Of course, it is best to create a sound argument with wonderful prose. For assignments that use these questions for grades 6-12, see The Classical Historian Complete Curriculum.

The One-Paragraph Essay

Below are two sample one-paragraph essays that could be written by a secondary-school student. Spelling and grammatical mistakes are found in these samples to demonstrate imperfect essays.
Question: 
Was George Washington greatly responsible for the founding of the United States of America?

Student Essay #1
"George Washington – Not Responsible"
George Washington was not greatly responsible for the founding of the U.S. because he did not write the Declaration of Independence, France helped him at Yorktown, Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense” which fired up the troops, he wasn’t at the Boston Tea Party, and didn’t start the Great Awakening. First of all, Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence. And, gave us our freedom that we have today. Secondly, the French advised him to attack Cornwallis at Yorktown. Other wise he would have lost in New York. Thirdly, Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense” that fired up the troops. Which gave them the reason for fighting. In addition, George Washington was not present at the Boston tea party. Neither did he start the great awakening. So, as you see with out the Boston Tea party, the Declaration of Independence, “Common Sense” or the Boston massacre the U.S. wouldn’t be were it is now.

Student Essay #2
"George Washington – Greatly Responsible"
George Washington was greatly responsible for the founding of the United States of America because of his loyalty, bravery, and cleverness. First of all, Washington bravely led the crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night, December 25, 1776. This was important because George Washington captured the enemy at Trenton, New Jersey when it seemed like the Americans were losing the war. This event brought hope to
Washington and his army. Secondly, Washington was a clever general and was nicknamed “the Silver Fox.” During the first few years of the war, Washington’s army was trapped in New York, and it appeared that the British would capture him and end the war. Washington kept fires burning at the American camp throughout the night, and in the meantime every soldier snuck away by boat. Furthermore, to end the war, Washington pretended to attack New York, but instead marched on the British at Yorktown while the French fleet cut off the British escape to the sea. In 1781, Washington scored the major victory of the war, capturing Cornwallis and a huge British army. Thirdly, Washington was loyal. Towards the end of the war, some in his army proposed for him to become a king. Washington refused this. As America’s first president, Washington also refused to remain for a third term as President. He believed a republican government should not have one leader for too many years. In conclusion, Washington’s actions during the American Revolution and his behavior during the first few years of the young republic were essential to the founding of the new republic, the United States of America.

Grading Notes for “George Washington – Not Responsible”
I. Thesis Statement: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The thesis statement answers the question persuasively and provides pieces of supporting evidence.
II. Evidence Used: Grade: 3 Meets Standards
Are two or more relevant pieces of evidence used? The answer is yes. Although there are some problems with the evidence, the writer uses at least two pieces of evidence well. He writes that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The author is inferring that more patriots besides George Washington were needed to make the American Revolution a success. The essayist also writes that Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense.” In this piece of evidence, the essayist is proving again that other Americans were necessary for the success of the AmericanRevolution. There are problems with the remaining evidence used, so the grader should not count them positively towards the grade.
III. Evidence Explained: Grade: 2 Approaching Standards
Is the evidence explained correctly and persuasively? There are a number of problems in this category. The author states that it was Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence gave us our freedoms today.This is somewhat of a stretch. The essayist offers us no proof that France told Washington to attack Cornwallis at Yorktown. Which general told Washington? At what meeting did it take place? The essayist states that Washington was not present at the Boston Tea Party, and that he did not start the Great Awakening. Yet, the author does not describe how these events led to the success of the American Revolution.
IV. Conclusion: Grade: 2.5 Approaching Standards
The conclusion doesn’t sum up the main points of the essay entirely. The essayist should have written that other factors besides the life of George Washington led to the success of the American Revolution. The author also brings in a new piece of supporting evidence, the Boston Massacre. The conclusion should not bring in any new piece of evidence that was not explained in detail in the body of the essay. Also, it is difficult to understand the essayist due to spelling and grammatical errors.
V. Prewriting Activities: Grade 4 Exceeds Standards
This particular student completed all prewriting activities and researched in multiple sources.
VI. The Unwritten Category: -5
This student wrote with grammatical and spelling errors and sometimes sentences were awkward. Still, he was able to convey the content effectively.

Grade for “George Washington – Not Responsible”
Thesis: 4 x 5 = 20
Evidence Used: 3 x 5 = 15
Evidence Explained: 2 x 5 = 10
Conclusion: 2.5 x 5 = 12.5
Prewriting Activities 4 x 5 = 20
Sub Total: 77.5
Spelling and Grammatical Errors: -5
Total Grade: C- 72.5
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Grading Notes for Essay #2 “George Washington – Greatly Responsible”
I. Thesis Statement: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
This student clearly answers the prompt and provides insight as to what the essay will be about.
II. Evidence Used: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
Convincing evidence is presented. Historical names, dates, and places are used to support the evidence.
III. Evidence Explained: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
This student shows that he grasps the content.
IV. Conclusion: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The author shows that good writing can be interesting, even at the last sentence.
V. Prewriting Activities: Grade 4 Exceeds Standards
This particular student completed all prewriting activities.
VI. The Unwritten Category: Nothing detracted from the content.

Grade for “George Washington – Greatly Responsible”
Thesis: 4 x 5 = 20
Evidence Used: 4 x 5 = 20
Evidence Explained: 4 x 5 = 20
Conclusion: 4 x 5 = 20
Prewriting Activities 4 x 5 = 20
Sub Total: 100
Spelling and Grammatical Errors:
Total Grade: A+ 100

The Five-Paragraph Essay

The five-paragraph is the standard for essay tests in secondary schools. Once a student can master this essay, all writing assignments will be made easier throughout the student’s academic career, including at the
university level. Below are two examples of five-paragraph essays based on a question from this book.

Question: 
What were the greatest three challenges to the young nation, 1789-1825?

Essay #1
"The Young Nation"
     The three greatest challenges to the young nation were the Alien and Sedition Act because the President was allowed to kick out an illegal immigrant, Jefferson because he was the first Secretary of State and the
Whiskey Rebellion because Americans rebelled. 
          The greatest challenge was the Alien and Sedition Act because the President was allowed to kick out or expel any illegal immigrant. This is when the president can tell any illegal immigrant to go back home. President was also able to jail any person that wrote or speaked against the U.S. This meant that if any persono wrote something bad about the U.S. they would go to jail and also for speaking against. They would also say that immigrants were “Alien.” They would say that because alien invade and immigrant come in from another country. John Adams was known for the Alien and Sedition. In 1801-1816 when Jefferson was president he let the Act expire. This Act was powerful towards illegal immigrants. Jefferson was the second greatest challenge because he was the first Secretary of State. Jefferson then became president in 1801. He tried to appear more common.
          Jefferson passed the Embargo Act. In 1803 he bought Louisiana. He brought it so he could double the size of the U.S. This land was brought from Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1804 he sent Lewisand Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory. Sacagawea was the Indian guide that led them around territory. This opened the west up for settlement. Jefferson changed the U.S. during his Presidency in 1801-1816.
          The third greatest challenge was the Whiskey rebellion because Americans rebelled. They did this because the whiskey was taxed. Americans didn’t like that and were very angry. Washington heard that they were going to rebel so he marched with 15,000 and they rebelled. People didn’t want to fight back because they were scared. This was a challenge because of Americans were rebelling.
          The greatest challenge to the young nation was Alien and Sedition Act because any illegal immigrant can get kicked or expelled from the U.S., Jefferson because he was the first Secretary of State and Whiskey Rebellion because Americans rebelled. These were really tough challenges towards many Americans.

Essay #2
"The Young Nation"
          The three greatest challenges that faced the young United States of America were the War of 1812, the Whisky Rebellion, and the Alien and Sedition Acts. These three challenges could have brought any new country complete ruin. The War of 1812 has been called “The Second American Revolution” because the British did not respect us, yet. The Whisky Rebellion could have started a Civil War. The Alien and Sedition Acts was a threat against the very principles that our country was founded on.
          The War of 1812 was a big challenge for the young nation to take on because the young nation had to at war with Great Britain shortly after the American Revolution. First of all, Henry Clay the war hawk felt that Great Britain was not treating the United States fairly and he thought that a war was the only thing that would earn us respect. Great Britian was treating the United Staes unfairly because great Britain was impressing American sailors and seizing our ships. Great Britain had the strongest navy in the world. America only had about 16 ships. Even though America was up against great odds, the American navy defeated the British navy. Captain Perry in the battle of Lake Erie defeated a British fleet and uttered the memorable words, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” On land, Andrew Jackson led American soldiers to defeat the British and their Indian allies. Jackson defeated the great Indian leader, Tecumseh. He also led the Americans to destroy the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, killing over 2,000 British soldiers and only losing 7 Americans. The War of 1812 was a greatchallenge to the young nation that the United States of America succeeded in overcoming.
          A second big challenge that the young nation had to face was the Whisky Rebellion. This was a big challenge for the young nation because Americans wanted to fight each other. Congress passed a law placing a tax on whisky. Farmers and whisky makers did not like this law. Throughout Pittsburgh protesters gathered with guns, and threatened to destroy public buildings. George Washington reacted to this threat to the government by marching 15,000 American soldiers towards the rebels. Seeing what they were up against, the rebels disbanded. In this challenge, the supremacy of the federal government was threatened, but Washington solved the problem by a show of force. The second greatest challenge to the young republic was the Whisky Rebellion.
          The third greatest challenge for the young nation was the Alien and Sedition Act. In 1798, the Federalists pushed this Act through Congress. This law allowed the president to kick out any immigrant or foreigner for any reason. It also allowed the president to jail anybody who spoke or wrote against the government. This was a horrible law that went directly against one of the main reasons for the American Revolution. One reason the founding fathers struggled for independence against Great Britain was so that each person would be free to express himself in words. The First Amendment guarantees Americans freedom of speech and press. This law took these freedoms away, and became a law that was actually unconstitutional. Also, it denied legal immigrants fair and just treatment. The Alien and Sedition Acts were a great challenge to our young nation. Fortunately, under Thomas Jefferson as President, this Act expired.
          In conclusion, the three greatest challenges to the United States as a young nation were the War of 1812, the Whisky Rebellion, and the Alien and Sedition Acts. One challenge involved foreign affairs and two domestic. Also called the Second American Revolution, the War of 1812 could have meant dependence on Great Britain, or loss of territory, if America would have lost. The Whisky Rebellion was a great test of strength of the American government. And, the Alien and Sedition Act was a test of whether a country born with the ideas of freedom could withstand an overzealous government.
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Grading Categories for a Five-Paragraph Essay
The grading categories for a five-paragraph essay differ from the one and three-paragraph essays primarily to make the grading easier for the teacher. The teacher grades each paragraph separately, grading as he reads. Saving valuable time, the teacher does not have to go back to different parts of the essay after he has read it. Please refer to the grading rubric in this book for more detail.
Paragraph I. Thesis Statement and Interest
Is there a thesis statement and is the paragraph interesting?
Paragraph II. Topic Sentence, Evidence, Closer
Does the paragraph contain a topic sentence, supporting evidence, explanations of the evidence, and a closer?
Paragraph III. Topic Sentence, Evidence, Closer
Does the paragraph contain a topic sentence, supporting evidence, explanations of the evidence, and a closer?
Paragraph IV. Topic Sentence, Evidence, Closer
Does the paragraph contain a topic sentence, supporting evidence, explanations of the evidence, and a closer?
Paragraph V Restating Thesis Statement and Closer
Spelling or Grammatical Errors?
Do spelling or grammatical errors detract from the essay content?

GRADE NOTES
Student Essay #1      "The Young Nation"
I. Paragraph I: Grade: 2.5 Approaching Standards
This student’s thesis statement is confusing. To make the claim that Jefferson was one of the top three challenges to the young nation because he was the first Secretary of State does not make sense. The student
should spend more time here explaining what he means. Also, the thesis would have been more
understandable to read if the writer had broken up the various ideas into multiple sentences.
II. Paragraph II: Grade: 2.5 Approaching Standards
This paragraph describes the Alien and Sedition Act as it relates to treatment of immigrants and of somebody speaking against the government, but there is no explanation of why these aspects are bad. The writer should have written something such as, “America should have been known as a place where immigrants were welcome because immigrants founded our country. It was wrong to take civil rights away from those not born on American soil.” Also, the writer could have added, “To lock somebody up for speaking against the government is clearly a violation of the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. It is wrong to not be able to say what you think.” Without statements such as these, it is hard to see if the writer understands what he is writing.
III. Paragraph III: Grade: 1 Below Standards
Unfortunately, it appears that the student misunderstood the word challenge as it relates to Thomas Jefferson and the young republic.
IV. Paragraph IV: Grade: 3 Meets Standards
The topic sentence clearly states the third challenge and there is some explanation about what the rebellion was about. The writer could have done a better job at explaining how this rebellion was a threat to the new government, describing how many rebels there were, and telling in what state it happened.
V. Paragraph V: Grade: 2.5 Approaching Standards
This receives the same exact grade as Paragraph I because it is written with almost exactly the same words.
VI. Grammar/Spelling Errors 
No errors detracted from content. Although there were errors in this essay, the errors didn't take away from the poor quality of the content.
Grade for Student Essay #1
Paragraph I: 2.5 x 5=12.5
Paragraph II: 2.5 x 5=12.5
Paragraph III: 1 x 5= 5
Paragraph IV: 3 x 5=15
Paragraph V: 2.5 x 5=12.5
Subtotal: 57.5
Grammar/Spelling Errors ?
Total Grade: F 57.5Grade
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Student Essay #2     "The Young Nation”
I. Paragraph I: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The student does an excellent job answering the question and giving three reasons for the answer.
II. Paragraph II: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
A large amount of supporting evidence is used to support the topic sentence.
III. Paragraph III: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The student uses great analytical skills, explaining the dangers of the whisky rebellion.
IV. Paragraph IV: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The student crafts a strong argument, using evidence and explaining its importance.
V. Paragraph V: Grade: 4 Exceeds Standards
The student pulls off an outstanding paper with a terrific conclusion.
VI. Grammar/Spelling Errors -3
When a paper is as good as this, the teacher can be stricter in this area. There are minor errors with grammar and punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and a missing word.
Grade for Student Essay #2
Paragraph I: 4 x 5= 20
Paragraph II: 4 x 5= 20
Paragraph III: 4 x 5= 20
Paragraph IV: 4 x 5= 20
Paragraph V: 4 x 5= 20
Subtotal: 100
Grammar/Spelling Errors -3
Total Score: A+ 97