Essay on Sam Houston
Sources: Sam Houston and the American Southwest, Randolph B. Campbell and
“Character and Success,” Theodore Roosevelt
Definitions
1. character: having moral excellence and firmness
2. reputation: overall quality or character as seen and judged by people in general; holding a place in public esteem
or regard
Assignment:
Write an essay in which the following question is answered: What role did character and reputation play in the life
of Sam Houston, and how much or how little was Sam Houston was a person of character.
Requirments:
a. The introduction should establish a standard for your evaluation by describing what you believe are the primary
qualities of character and reputation. The introduction should also include your thesis, that is your statement that
answers the essay question.
b. The body of the essay should present a discussion that focuses on your reasons for your thesis. Each reason
should have be substantiated with evidence based on your reading of Sam Houston and the American Southwest by
Randolph Campbell. Evidence is specific information from this source that provides support.
c. The conclusion should summarize the main points in your evaluation, discuss the significance of Sam Houston in
American history, and discuss lessons that can be learned from studying his life that are relevant to our own time.
Criteria:
1. Typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, 1” to 11/2” margins.
2. Body of paper 3 pages in length, either stapled or in a cover
3. Title page with an essay title, student name, class, and date submitted
4. Any quotes should be cited within the text at the end of the quotation. Example: (p. 102)
Evaluation Criteria:
1. A clear thesis statement is included in an interesting introduction. (Underline your thesis statement.)
2. A minimum of 3 main ideas (supporting reasons or generalizations) for your thesis are explained in the body of
the paper
3. Specific information from the source is used to support your thesis and main ideas. In other words, you should
select information from the source to use as evidence to develop a convincing answer. There must
be evidence in your essay that is clearly from Sam Houston and the American Southwest
4. Organization of ideas in an introduction, body, and conclusion and within paragraphs is clear, logical and
convincing.
5. Writing conventions are observed, including sentence structure (avoidance of sentence fragments and run-ons)
and logical verb tense, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
6. Designate all direct quote marks with proper punctuation. Use quotes judiciously, only for the
following instances: 1. to make the essay interesting (example: “The morning of the attack a blood-red sun
rose over the distant hills.” 2. to illustrate one of your ideas (example: The experience of being captured for
slavery was a terrifying one for many victims as Olanda Equiano recounted, “ I was now persuaded that I had
gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me.”) 3. to provide information that is not
commonly known—an unusual factual detail or a key point in the author’s interpretation (example: There were
times in colonial history that “poor whites associated closely and openly with slaves. . . .”
Be sure to proofread carefully your paper before submission.