English, Literature and Philology
Thesis: William Henry Harrison became the 9th President of the United States by leveraging his military/political experience, knowledge from an unsuccessful campaign, and perhaps most importantly, overwhelming support from his political party.
Topic Summary: William Henry Harrison, a war hero from Virginia, strived to hold the highest political position in the executive branch, as President of The United States of America. After an initial unpredicted failure in his journey, he eventually made his way to The White House. He ran under The Whig Party, who’s efforts proved to be crucial in his success. This massive win was quickly upset by a sickness that led to the shortest campaign in American History.
OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS BELOW:
For the final Portfolio Project, option #1, write a paper about a person in a period of United States history from exploration to 1877 and explain a challenge the person faced, what that challenge was, and how the person did or did not overcome the challenge.
• Do not write a complete biography of the person’s life.
• Focus on a challenge faced by the person.
• Describe the historical, social, governmental or personal circumstances of the challenge.
• Explain how the person interacted with the challenge.
o Did the person meet the challenge and succeed?
o Did the challenge defeat the person?
o Explain the resolution of the challenge. Was it resolved? Did it continue?
o Does the challenge the person faced continue to challenge American society today? Explain how so or why the challenge no longer exists.
This paper must include a discussion of the following topics:
• a thorough summary of the event including the incidents that took place and the key individuals involved;
• the importance of the event in the scheme of U.S. history; and
• the impact of the event, person, or time in U.S. History.
Please adhere to the following requirements for the paper:
• Your paper must be between 4-6 full pages not counting the required Title and Reference pages.
• Use at least five sources, one primary source, and a scholarly journal article. The textbook is not included in the required sources.
• Construct an introduction and a strong thesis statement.
• In the body of the essay, use supporting facts and examples to strengthen your thesis.
• Finish with a forceful conclusion reiterating your main idea.
