Prepare a 800 to 1200 – word essay discussing an event, person, philosophy, or ideal associated with the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution.
Essays will be judged on historical accuracy, clarity of thought, organization and proven topic, grammar and spelling, and documentation.
Contest entries must be submitted as PDF files attached to emails. The essay must have four
parts: 1) title page, 2) essay pages, 3) bibliography or works cited, and 4) applicant’s biography.
The title page, bibliography, and applicant’s biography must be listed on separate pages and no
reference to the applicant’s name or information can be part of the essay pages or bibliography.
Please follow these rules exactly. Essays that do not conform to the rules may be immediately
disqualified.
1) Title Page – The title page must include the following:
• Title of the Essay
• Applicant’s name, grade, address, phone number & email
• Applicant’s high school’s name, address & phone number
• Statement on how applicant learned about the contest (if from the Internet, include the URL
of the website)
2) Essay Pages – The essay must:
• Minimum of 800 and a maximum of 1,200 words (excluding title page, footnotes,
bibliography, page and biography)
• First page must include the title
• No applicant information is on the essay pages
• 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced
• Use 8 ½” by 11” paper with 1” margins on all sides
• Essay pages are numbered sequentially, starting with “1”
• No graphics, special covers or bindings are allowed
3) Bibliography pages – The bibliography must:
• Citations in the essay and references in the bibliography must be in accordance with a widely
used, publicly available citation system (Examples include the Chicago Manual of Style, the
MLA Manual of Style, & the MHRA Style Guide)
• The bibliography must specify the system used
• No applicant information is in the bibliography
• Minimum of 5 references, 3 of which must be published works (encyclopedias or internet
sources are acceptable but not considered part of the 3 published works)
