identify and discuss five institutions/policies/actions that were essential factors in the construction of the central state.

1. The American Civil War not only prevented the secession of the South, it also contributed to the development of the national government. For this essay, students will identify and discuss five institutions/policies/actions that were essential factors in the construction of the central state. In essence, what five Civil War and Reconstruction era institutions/policies/actions led to the creation of the modern American nation state? Students must make obvious how these five institutions/policies/actions contributed to state empowerment. This is an argumentative essay. Students need to show why the five institutions/policies/actions they select are most important. Simply describing developments will not earn full credit.

2. Yankee leviathan : the origins of central state authority in America, 1859-1877 is the only SOURCE we can use. Essays that use outside sources will be penalized. For in-text citations, simply write (Bensel, page #). Bensel is the only source you should cite.

3. Every essay needs to have a clear thesis/argument in the first paragraph and throught. The point of a history essay is to prove a thesis/argument. The essay must make an argument. The thesis needs to capture the readers attention. The thesis needs to establishment a clear relationship to the assignment. If the essay lacks a clear thesis, or if the essay fails to establish an obvious connection to the topic/question/assignment, the essay will not fulfill the principle objective of the assignment. Each body paragraph should contribute in an obvious way to advancing the thesis.

4. No paragraph should be longer than one full page (double spaced). No sentence should be longer than 3 lines.