Short Essay 1: Biographical Sketch Instructions: Using writings—letters, speeches, decisions, or other documents, including contemporary sources, write a brief account of the accomplishments of the person or persons you select. For this project a written biography may be used as a source. You would not necessarily have to read an entire biography but you should try to find a good biograhy by a respected author. Email me for suggestions. |
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| The George Mason Project. Recent improvements to Mt. Vernon have made it a very popular but often crowded site. Gunston Hall, nearby, offers a much more relaxed setting that brings out the feel of early American life more intimately. Mason is far more important as a historic figure than most Americans realize. A good project to study the origins of our rights. |
Mason Neck (Lorton) |
| Adams Family Project. The Adams family were a true American dynasty, as they were prominent in American life and letters through four generations. The Adams saga begins before the revolution and extends into the 20th century with Henry Adams, great grandson of John and grandson of John Quincy. Henry's father, Charles Francis, was ambassador to Great Britain duing the Civil War. | Adams House
Quincy, MA |
| Benjamin Franklin Project. A true American genius, Franklin is one of the most fascinating characters in American history. His portrait graces the $100 bill. | Franklin Institute |
| The George Washington Project. Learn about America's “Indispensable Man.” For this project it would be good to read all or part of one of the many fine biographies of Washington. | |
| The James Madison Project. Study the contributions of the “Father of the Constitution,” America's fourth president and the first Speaker of the House, considered by some to be the most brilliant thinker among the founding fathers. | |
| Jefferson Project. Author of the Great Declaration, the Virginia statute on religious freedom and creator of the University of Virginia. Learn more about the great man and his mountaintop home. | |
| James Monroe Project. The fifth president of the United States and last of the “Virginia dynasty,” James Monroe gets less attention and credit than he deserves. He was the “transition president” between the founding father and the next generation. | Ash Lawn-Highland |
| Alexander Hamilton. Washington's trusted lieutenant and first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton created the basis for our national system of finance. | Hamilton Monument New York City |
| The Second Generation. The generation of American leaders who followed the founding fathers are far less well known or recognized than their illustrious predecessors, but they carried the principles of the revolution and the constitution forward, sometimes erratically, but always with great conviction. Including such men as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, Sam Houston, Stephen Douglas and others, they deserve to be remembered. | |
| Frederick Douglass. The most logical place to start with Frederick Douglass in his own Autobiography, “written by himself.” His home in Washington is a National Historic site. | |
| The John Marshall Project John Marshall is generally acknowledged to be the the greatest Chief Justice in American history. He served 34 years during the terms of six presidents and wrote some of the Court's most important decisions. In addition, he instituted practices that have made the Court unique in the halls of government to this day, instilling a spirit of collegiality that transcends differences of opinion which must exist in any body charged with some of the most important business that the nation conducts. | John Marshall House Richmond |
| Andrew Jackson. Get to know “Old Hickory” and why historians have said, Only in America could someone like Jackson have rising to the top of the political structure. | Jackson's Hermitage Nashville, Tennessee |
| Lincoln Project. Abraham Lincoln is the most written-about figure in American history. The books on Lincoln and the Civil War would fill a large classroom stacked floor to ceiling. You will need to narrow your focus to do an essay on Lincoln. | Lincoln Memorial |
The Generals: U.S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. Jackson If you are interested in the history of the Civil War, a good way to gain greater insight is to examine the lives of the men who fought it. |
Lee Memorial, Lexington Jackson Shrine, Wilderness |
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Projects Page | History 121 Assignments | Updated June 26, 2010