1. Sample Essay Prompt
“The problems associated with Westward Expansion were the most significant causes of the US Civil War.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

2. Structure of an In-Class Essay
Introduction Paragraph
Thesis = green
Remember – Thesis is usually the last sentence of the introduction paragraph! You can only have ONE thesis.
Body Paragraph:
Topic Sentence = Pink
Background/Summary = Yellow
Signal Phrase, Quote, and Citation = blue
Commentary & Analysis = Orange

3. Introduction Paragraph
Topic sentence – hook, question, whatever
History / Intro of definitions – Introduce American Civil War, Define Westward Expansion
Transition sentence before thesis – talking about the North and South
Thesis – answer the question. Choose the easiest to answer. This does not mean you agree with it. You can lie to me. I won’t know.

4. Sample Essay Prompt
“The problems associated with Westward Expansion were the most significant causes of the US Civil War.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

5. Thesis Topic + Assertion (claim) = thesis Answer the prompt!
Although the slavery played a major role in the American Civil War, the Western Expansion was the catalyst for war breaking out.
Throughout Western Expansion in America, there were many factors that led to the American Civil War.
Even though the Western Expansion caused clashes between the North and the South, slavery was the most significant cause of the civil war.

6. Pick your first reason to support your thesis – An ID
Step 1: Topic Sentence
Pick your first reason to support your thesis – An ID
Example: Sectionalism played an integral role in pitting the North and South against each other before the civil war.

7. Step 2: Background/Summary
Provide a few sentences of background information leading up to the quote. Basically – define your ID term. Using dates is also good here.
Example: Sectionalism divided the loyalties of Northern and Southern states to their respective regions instead of the country as a whole.

8. Topic Sentence & Background Example
Sectionalism played an integral role in pitting the North and South against each other before the civil war. Sectionalism divided the loyalties of Northern and Southern states to their respective regions instead of the country as a whole.

9. Step Three: Signal Phrase & Quote & Citation (Evidence & Example)
This is an in class essay, so you are limited to your use of quotes. BUT – you still need evidence. This is where you use the evidence from your notes and study guides to make your point.
Example: For example, the Northern economy relied on manufacturing and production whereas the Southern economy was based in agriculture, mainly cotton, which relied on slave labor.

10. Topic Sentence, Background, and
Evidence Example
Sectionalism played an integral role in pitting the North and South against each other before the civil war. Sectionalism divided the loyalties of Northern and Southern states to their respective regions instead of the country as a whole. For example, the Northern economy relied on manufacturing and production whereas the Southern economy was based in agriculture, mainly cotton, which relied on slave labor.

11. Step 4: Commentary
Commentary is when you go into more depth with your example. Examine the effects of your example.
Example: This difference in economies led people in the North to examine the issue of slavery because of either abolitionist seeing slavery as a vicious institution or business (wo)men pointing out the unfairness that the South did not have to pay wages or have standards for treating their “workers.”

12. Step 5: Analysis
Analysis is when you analyze your evidence and take it back to your thesis – answer the why and how. In essence – answer the freaking essay prompt question.
Example: This divisiveness of economies is important because this led to squabbling in congress over new territory and lands during Westward Expansion in which new territories were shifting the balance of power to either the North or the South. New legislation and compromises were reached to keep the peace, but these were only temporary solutions.

13. The Whole Body Paragraph
Sectionalism played an integral role in pitting the North and South against each other before the civil war. Sectionalism divided the loyalties of Northern and Southern states to their respective regions instead of the country as a whole. For example, the Northern economy relied on manufacturing and production whereas the Southern economy was based in agriculture, mainly cotton, which relied on slave labor. This difference in economies led people in the North to examine the issue of slavery because of either abolitionist seeing slavery as a vicious institution or business (wo)men pointing out the unfairness that the South did not have to pay wages or have standards for treating their “workers.” This divisiveness of economies is important because this led to squabbling in congress over new territory and lands during Westward Expansion in which new territories were shifting the balance of power to either the North or the South. New legislation and compromises were reached to keep the peace, but these were only temporary solutions.

14. Conclusion Paragraph
Topic Sentence – stay away from In Conclusion…I will stab your paper.
Restate your thesis using different words
Summarize body paragraphs into 1 – 2 sentences
If you had a Hook Question in introduction – answer that here using your evidence
Universal Perspective – so what? Can discuss: consequences, impacts, etc.
DO NOT provide new questions or new quotes or new evidence.

15. Avoid the following mistakes – these irritate me:
Generalizations
Don’t use “I” – I think, I feel, I believe
Don’t use “you” – I don’t want to talk to you in the paper
Choose the easiest stance for your thesis – timed essays are not the place for being creative and making things harder on yourself
Make sure you answer the question
Use the words in the prompt
Thesis – last sentence of the first paragraph

16. Essay Prompts
1. Analyze the motives of U S intervention in Latin America from
2. To what extent was imperialism the biggest factor that led to the Spanish American War.
**I am choosing which one you get on Monday.