U.S. History A Notable Person: Biography in Essay

Option #1: A Notable Person: Biography in Essay
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.
Did the person meet the challenge and succeed?
Did the challenge defeat the person?
Explain the resolution of the challenge. Was it resolved? Did it continue?
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.
Simple examples of historical figures and their challenges (do not be limited by this list):

Christopher Columbus and the challenge of exploration
Pocahontas and the challenge of Jamestown colony
Phillis Wheatley and the challenge of being a small female in colonial America
Abigail Adams and the challenge of the Revolutionary War
Thomas Jefferson and the challenge of living in a slave society
Dolly Madison and the challenge of living with a President, James Madison, during a war
Andrew Jackson and the challenge of Indian removal
William T. Johnson and the challenge of being a free black in antebellum Mississippi
James K. Polk and the challenge of the Mexican War
James Tallmadge and the challenge of the Tallmadge Amendment
Charles Finney and the challenge of being president of Oberlin College
John Brown and the challenge of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
A Civil War soldier (North or South) and the challenge of the Civil War
A freedmen (male or female) and the of Reconstruction.
This Portfolio requires Portfolio Milestones that are due in the following weeks. (Go to each week’s folder for full details.)

Week 2: Portfolio Selection/Declaration Posting (5 Points)
Week 4: Annotated Bibliography (35 Points)
Week 7: Outline (10 Points).
Please adhere to the following requirements for the paper:

Follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing & APA (Links to an external site.).
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 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.