Dr. Neal’s AP U.S. HISTORY
Fall 2009
Introduction to Historical Writing:
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
DUE: Thursday, October 15. (Essays not turned in or emailed by that day will lose 20%)
Essay Question: While Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were both important leaders
during the early development of our Constitutional Republic, they had significantly different
visions of the future of our nation. Which leader, Federalist Hamilton or DemocraticRepublican Jefferson, was more influential in the first decade of our nation in terms of
shaping what our country would become?
Process:
 Write a four paragraph essay describing the vision and the leadership of each of these two U.S.
leaders. Be persuasive to convince readers of which man had the biggest impact on our
Constitutional government up to 1800.
 Introductory paragraph: Open with an interesting statement about our early government and the
fact that there were contrasting views about how it should function. Briefly introduce the ideas of
Hamilton vs. Jefferson. Then conclude the paragraph with your thesis statement about which of the
two men had the greater impact on shaping our nation, including the main point (or list of three) of
why he had the greater influence. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence of the
introduction. While it is your opinion, do not say so directly (In my opinion or I believe that. Avoid
using first person I or second person you). Simply state it as an accepted fact. Because this is your
essay, we understand that the thesis is a statement of your informed opinion about a topic.
 First main topic paragraph: Present the ideas, vision, and accomplishments of the leader,
Hamilton or Jefferson, whom you think came in second. His perspective is important even if not the
winning side. To indicate that you will be presenting two different perspectives, you should begin
this paragraph with clarification along the lines of “While _________ was the more significant
leader, _____________ presented arguments and ideas that were also important to developing our
nation.” Or you could begin with a transition such as “On the one hand, it could be argued that
________ was the more significant leader . . . “
 Second topic paragraph: Use a transition such as “On the other hand,” or “In contrast,” then state
the leader who was more significant in the debate.
 Develop each paragraph with Point, Evidence, and Analysis. Present your point, add historical
specificity (detailed evidence), and then analyze how this evidence proves how each leader made
important contributions to our new government. Each paragraph needs three to five specific
historical examples. These examples, or specificity, require dates along with a specific event, a
specific individual, a specific theory, or other specific detail. Historical details, examples, evidence,
specificity absolutely require dates.
 Analyze how specific evidence ties back into your thesis (or your counterclaim as described in the
first main topic paragraph with the less important leader).
 Use past tense verbs to present the historical evidence (specificity) that will prove your points.
 Use present tense verbs to analyze, persuade, prove your thesis. Some useful verbs are
Demonstrates, Indicates, Shows, Means, Contends, Suggests, Reflects.
 Transitional words that work well in history essays include Although, Because, While,
Consequently, Since, Therefore, However, Thus.
 Concluding Paragraph: In spite of what you may have learned in beginning writing classes, DO
NOT simply restate your main points. The concluding paragraph should answer the question, SO
WHAT? Why is knowing this information important? What legacy has each leader left us? How can
your analysis leave the reader with something valuable to think about and wanting to know more?