 Essay Contest | |
 Margaret on the Capitol Steps Washington, DC 1916
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“I want young people to understand that this country will be what they make it.” Margaret Chase Smith, 1976 From newspaper article “American Rebirth Her Dream” From church sermons to conference sessions to campaign speeches, there is high anxiety post-9/11 and the Great Recession that the American Dream is unraveling and that succeeding generations will see lower standards of living. Margaret Chase Smith was born a few months before the outbreak of the Spanish American War, graduated from high school during World War I, entered Congress at the beginning of World War II, and left at the end of the Vietnam War. During her public life, the United States made it through the Great Depression, Cold War, Civil Rights struggle, and Watergate. In nearly a century of living, she saw the nation experience both triumph and tragedy. Through it all, her faith in the American Dream never wavered. The Margaret Chase Smith Library invites Maine high school seniors to assess the current state of national affairs and describe their vision of the American Dream for the twenty-first century. The rules of the contest are minimal. Essays must be typed and double-spaced. Contestants should provide contact information so they can receive notification of final results. There is no minimum or maximum length requirement -- quality of evidence, argumentation, and writing is more important than quantity of words. The best essays support personal opinions with historical context and cited facts. The Library will award $500 for first place, $250 for second place, $125 for third place, and five $25 honorable mention prizes. Essays are due by April 1, 2011. Prizes will be announced on May 2nd. For sample essays and a list of past contest winners, click here. For more information, please contact David Richards.
Margaret Chase Smith Library
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