The Concord Review publishes original research by high school students of history and other humanities disciplines. Published quarterly, each issue of The Concord Review features 4-5 extended essays of 15-30 pages in length written by high school students. These essays undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure their scholarly merit and academic integrity.
Sample essays from previous issues of The Concord Review provide insights into the publication’s expectations for undergraduate-level research from secondary students. While topics and sources will necessarily vary for each individual submission, examining exemplary student works illuminates the general standards for historical analysis, argumentation, writing style, and citation practices expected of published authors in The Concord Review.
Historical Context and Argument
Strong essays in The Concord Review demonstrate a nuanced understanding of historical context. Authors situate their topics within the broader events, developments, and scholarly debates of the period under examination. This provides intellectual and conceptual framing for the research question, thesis, or argument being advanced.
For instance, in a 2006 sample essay titled “The Causes of the Peloponnesian War,” the author contextualizes the outbreak of war between Athens and Sparta in 431 BC within the turbulent political landscape of the preceding decades as Athens’ power and influence threatened Spartan hegemony in Greece. Competing economic and strategic interests are traced, alongside tensions exacerbated by incidents like the Corinthian War and growing Spartan anxieties over Athenian expansionism.
This establishes the grounds for the essay’s core argument – that a complex interplay of cultural, ideological, and geopolitical factors culminating in the 431 BC war vote among Spartan allies ultimately caused the lengthy conflict, not a single precipitating event. Primary sources are then meticulously analyzed to substantiate each component of this multipart thesis.
Historical Analysis and Evidence
Strong sample essays feature in-depth analysis of relevant primary sources to construct and defend an evidence-grounded historical argument. Authors demonstrate the ability to carefully examine source materials within their proper cultural and chronological contexts, assessing issues like authorship, audience, reliability, and potential biases.
For example, a 2005 sample essay on the 1643 Putney Debates during the English Civil War analyzes verbatim transcripts of discussions among Levellers, Army Grandees, and Cromwell on democratic reforms and the future shape of the English republic. The author applies a nuanced reading of complex source language and the shifting positions of historical figures during the debates to draw reasoned conclusions about the debates’ significance for later constitutional developments.
Meanwhile, a 2009 essay profiles the life of Roman orator and statesman Cicero through meticulous use and exegesis of Cicero’s letters, speeches, and philosophical treatises to reconstruct his involvement in major crises like the Catiline Conspiracy and changes over time in his republican political ideology under the pressures of civil war. In both cases, deep engagement with primary sources is evident.
Writing Style and Mechanics
While the content of research necessarily sets each essay apart, exemplary sample works share high standards of academic writing. Prose is clear, precise and economical. Transitions smoothly connect ideas. A formal, objective tone is maintained without unnecessary embellishment. Sentence structure varies appropriately in length and complexity.
Technical writing elements like formatting, citation, and bibliography also adhere to scholarly conventions. Essays apply consistent stylistic choices in accordance with submission guidelines – for example, Chicago manual footnotes and bibliographies for history papers. Paragraph structures effectively organize supporting information and analysis beneath topic sentences. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation exhibit a painstaking level of proofreading and editing.
Overall Impact
Taken together, exemplary works published in The Concord Review leave the reader with a profound sense of the author’s mastery of both subject matter and scholarly craft. Such essays showcase how dedicated high school students can produce research equal to undergraduate papers through rigorous discovery, interpretation of sources, logical argument construction, and mastery of formal academic communication. Their impact lies not only in substantive content, but demonstration that secondary students can and should be held to the highest intellectual standards.
While topics will necessarily vary between individuals, outstanding Concord Review essays share key attributes reflected in sample works. Chief among them are contextualization of research within broader historical currents, scrupulous analysis of relevant primary evidence, and clear, precise academic writing adhering to high technical standards. This ensures the scholarly value and lasting insights offered by their best undergraduate-level works produced by motivated high school students of history and humanities.