82 George Washington Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on george washington, 🎓 most interesting george washington research titles, 💡 simple george washington essay ideas, ❓ questions about george washington.

  • George Washington and Toussaint Louverture
  • George Washington: A True Hero for the United States
  • George Washington: An Effective and Intelligent Leader
  • George Washington’s Contribution to the American Independence War
  • The US Development and George Washington’s Presidency
  • The Main Points of George Washington’s Farewell Speech
  • George Washington as the Foundation of American Nation
  • George Washington’s Farewell Address: Description and Key Aspects
  • George Washington’s “Farewell Address” Analysis
  • The Smallpox Epidemic during George Washington’s Besiegement of Boston
  • Washington’s Farewell Speech: Discovering the American Purpose
  • George Washington and Thomas Jefferson’s Role in the Liberation Movement
  • George Washington and the French and Indian War
  • The Founding Fathers Like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
  • George Washington as a Military Leader
  • The Reasons Why George Washington Was the Father of Our Country
  • George Washington and the American Revolutionary War
  • Montesquieu and George Washington
  • George Washington: Classical Sun Tzu Strategist and Master in the Art of War
  • War Notes of George Washington
  • George Washington and Slavery of the Allegheny River Valley
  • The Character and Popularity of George Washington
  • Comparing George Washington and Julius Caesar
  • George Washington Carver Country Working Advice
  • The Life and Achievements of George Washington, the Father of America
  • George Washington and the American Revolution
  • George Washington and the Farewell Address
  • General George Washington During the American Revolution
  • George Washington and Espionage in the Revolutionary War
  • The George Washington Statue by Houdon
  • General George Washington Calls for a Standing Army, 1783
  • George Washington and Christopher Columbus
  • Comparing and Contrasting George Washington and Donald Trump
  • The Great Grand Father of George Washington
  • George Washington and How Helped Form the Patriotic Identity
  • The Early Life and Journey of George Washington to Presidency
  • George Washington Could Not Afford to End Slavery Term
  • The Warnings From Our First President, George Washington
  • George Washington Was More Than Just a Puppet
  • The Early Life and Events That Shaped George Washington’s Future
  • George Washington: From Hero to President
  • The Arlington National Cemetery by George Washington
  • George Washington vs. Martin Luther King Jr
  • The Precedents George Washington Set as President
  • George Washington and the American Military Tradition
  • U.S. Presidents From George Washington to James K. Polk
  • How Did George Washington’s Understanding of Military Tactics and Geography Help Defeat the British?
  • President George Washington’s Childhood
  • George Washington: War Hero or War Criminal?
  • George Washington: The Most Important Founding Father
  • American Citizens George Washington
  • George Washington’s Farewell Speech and Foreign Policy Implications
  • How Old Was George Washington When He Became President?
  • What Did President George Washington Invent?
  • How Many Languages Did George Washington Speak?
  • Is It True That George Washington’s Inaugural Address Is the Shortest in Us History?
  • What Legislative Positions Did George Washington Hold?
  • Why Did George Washington Dislike Imperialism?
  • Why Did George Washington Not Live in the White House?
  • What Disease Caused George Washington’s Death?
  • Did Washington Free His Slaves?
  • Which Dollar Bill Appears a Portrait of George Washington?
  • Was George Washington Ever Awarded a College Degree?
  • To Whom Did George Washington Leave His Public and Private Letters and Papers?
  • Did George Washington Actually Write the Rules of Civility?
  • Did General George Washington Employ Spies in His Service?
  • Was George Washington Ever Wounded in Battle?
  • Which Political Party Elected George Washington President of the United States?
  • How Many Bills Did President George Washington Veto?
  • Was George Washington a Signer of the Constitution?
  • Who Was President George Washington’s Chief Political Advisor?
  • Did George Washington Found the American Navy?
  • Where Was George Washington’s Farewell Address Delivered?
  • Why Did George Washington Create the Position of Secretary of War?
  • What Were the Three Departments in George Washington’s Cabinet?
  • What Was George Washington’s Goal in International Affairs?
  • Did George Washington Want Bipartisanship?
  • How Did George Washington Win the Battles of Trenton and Princeton?
  • How Many Counties Named After George Washington?
  • What Qualities Made George Washington a Good Candidate for President?
  • How Many Times Was George Washington Shot?
  • How Many Years Did George Washington Serve as President?

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StudyCorgi . "82 George Washington Essay Topics." May 10, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/george-washington-essay-topics/.

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These essay examples and topics on George Washington were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

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George Washington: Life and Achievements Essay (Biography)

American history saw a lot of truly inspirational people who not only influenced the lives of American citizens but also changed the way we think about fundamental political values. George Washington is the perfect example of the person whose contribution to the history of America is hard to overestimate, as scholars note that “Washington was critical for “making” America” (Fagal 552). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the life of George Washington, his political views, and the way his work affected society.

George Washington was born to father, Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Washington, and was one of seven children from his father’s two marriages. When George was 11 years old, his father died, and he was brought up in Virginia by Lawrence Washington, his half-brother. As researchers note, unlike his elder brothers, George Washington did not receive any formal education (Little 9). However, he was a well-rounded person, being able to write by early adulthood while also studying mathematics, surveying, and map-making. Lawrence Washington encouraged George to join the British navy, but George’s mother did not allow him to do so. Instead, George Washington became a land surveyor, which was considered a respectable profession at that time.

Washington’s surveying career provided him with a useful experience as he developed wilderness survival skills, learned self-dependence, studied the frontier region, as well as he established a good reputation. Besides, he received considerable fees for surveying, which allowed him to buy land in the Shenandoah Valley. Moreover, his job as a survey man helped George in his pursuit of success in his military career, teaching him some vital skills a soldier needs on the battlefield. His role in the French and Indian War was significant, as he was a commander of the Virginia Regiment, raised to oppose the French in the Ohio Valley. Furthermore, Washington served to British General Edward Braddock, who led an expedition to dislodge the French from Fort Duquesne. Washington learned much from Braddock while also earning a military reputation for courage and efficient administrating.

On January 6, 1759, Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis, and the marriage made him one of the wealthiest men of Virginia, which significantly increased his social status (Little 45). Considering that he was also a prominent military hero, Washington had enough achievements to be elected to the Virginia provincial legislature. Washington soon was considered as a member of the political elite in Virginia, which allowed him to become one of the central figures of the American Revolution. He was one of the delegates of the Continental Congress, during which the delegates discussed the ways to respond to the British government’s enforcement power. Soon, Washington acknowledged that attempts to overcome controversies are pointless and offered the services of a military commander.

In 1775, George Washington was selected to be the first commander in chief of the Continental Army. From 1775 to 1778, Washington was in the middle of the action. He successfully directed his army during the Siege of Boston, but he failed his next battle as he lost the city of New York. However, he managed to take his revenge as he won decisive victories at Trenton and Princeton at the end of 1776. From 1778 to 1780, Washington was focused on more diplomatic activities. Washington somehow was able to complete the enormous task as the army had constant problems with training and supply. He increased the combat capability and the level of discipline among soldiers, which helped significantly in winning battles. The army was dismissed after peace in 1783, and Washington resigned as commander-in-chief.

The next chapter of Washington’s life began when he became the first President of the United States under the new federal Constitution (Weems 7). There was no doubt that George Washington would win that election as he gained substantial support after being a successful commander-in-chief during the American Revolutionary War. His election was unanimous after all 69 electors voted for Washington, and he was inaugurated in New York City in April 1789.

One of the main goals of Washington’s political course was to continue democratic changes in the country and foster respect for the Constitution among people. He visioned the country as a democratic one; therefore, he made political changes that are consistent with democratic values. Washington improved the functioning of the three branches of government, which are the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. He also addressed the issue of amending the Constitution, supporting the ratification of the United States Bill of Rights. As for the international policy, George Washington wanted it “to be shaped by interest-driven, flexible neutrality—an approach not to be motivated by love or hatred for any other nation” (Estes 750). Such an attitude towards other nations further consolidates the fact that Washington was the man of true democratic values.

George Washington did everything he could to develop the civil consciousness of American people, as well as a sense of unity. By expressing respect for the Constitution, he promoted the development of democratic ideas among Americans. Another thing worth mentioning is that it was Washington who made November 26 to be the day of Thanksgiving, encouraging national unity. Washington’s vision was summarized in his final presidential letter, The Farewell Address. Washington emphasized that national identity was fundamental for safeguarding freedom and prosperity. He also motivated American people for the future progress of the country by stating that all his achievements during his presidency were due to Americans’ efforts to help the country develop.

George Washington made many contributions to American society. Among the most important ones, he provided firm leadership by his committed work at a crucial period of American history. He became the first President of the United States and also set a precedent, according to which there should be a maximum of two terms for one person. In this regard, Weems states, “Washington would never seek power as an end in itself, nor would he abuse power delegated to him” (10). Besides, George Washington was one of the authors of the Constitution of the United States, fostering respect to it after becoming a President. Another contribution that one should keep in mind is that he was the one to lead the American nation to the independency, while also cultivating democratic values.

All things considered, George Washington played a key role in the history of American society. During his life, he showed his devotion to the development of the country, and his work influenced American society in many different ways. Regarding this, he guided the country to independence, and afterward, as the first President, he was leading it during the hard times of instability, providing a solid base for future development. The most important thing to mention is that, with his democratic vision, Washington cultivated the right values among American people.

Works Cited

Estes, Todd. “Addressing America: George Washington’s Farewell and the Making of National Culture, Politics, and Diplomacy, 1796–1852.” Journal of American History, vol. 103, no. 3, 2016, pp. 750–751.

Fagal, Andrew JB. “George Washington and the Making of America.” Reviews in American History, vol. 44, no. 4, 2016, pp. 551-560.

Little, Shelby. George Washington. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2018.

Weems, Mason L. The Life of Washington. Routledge, 2015.

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A New Book About George Washington Breaks All the Rules on How to Write About George Washington

Alexis Coe’s cheeky biography of the first president pulls no punches

History Correspondent

George Washington Landsdowne Portrait

No one would describe Alexis Coe’s unconventional biography of conventional biographical subject George Washington as boring. Starting with its cover illustration, a playful Washington grinning at the reader, You Never Forget Your First is a wink of sorts, at Washington biography and at the ways that Americans have very consistently misremembered the first president. Coe sets herself apart from the historians she refers to as the “Thigh Men” of history: biographers like Joseph Ellis, Harlow Giles Unger, and Ron Chernow, esteemed writers in their own rights but ones who seemingly focus on Washington as a marble Adonis (with impressive thighs—we’ll get to that), rather than as a flawed, but still impressive, human being.

Coe mixes up genre and presentation, beginning with a preface composed of listicles, with the first a set of basic things to know about Washington (“jobs held”). And the book is compact. While “weighty tome” is the typical format for founder’s biographies, this one comes in at just 304 lively pages. (Chernow’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Washington was an astounding 904 pages.) But Coe’s offering is still a full biography, covering birth to death and the highlights of his life and career between. And, because it’s a biography, George Washington remains at the center. For Smithsonian magazine, I sat down to talk at length about Washington, Washington biographies, and where You Never Forget Your First resides in the founder’s canon. The following conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

You describe that when you told people you were writing a biography of George Washington, they would assume you’re writing about his social life and you would respond, “No, it’s a biography , like a man would write.” And I’ve seen elsewhere you’ve referred to this as a feminist biography. Is it? Or is this what it looks like when a feminist writes biography?

That happened all the time; in the doctor’s office, at Mount Vernon when I went to research. And I actually borrowed that phrase, I realized later, from my first book [about a murder case involving young, female lovers]. When newspapers would try to describe same-sex love and they were at a loss for a word to identify it because lesbian was still 40 years into the future, they would simply say, “You know, like a man would do.”

And so I know that when all else failed, and people seemed to be grasping at the concept, I remind them that women are fully formed humans who are interested in the presidency as much as they are interested in his marriage.

Preview thumbnail for 'You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington

New York Times bestselling co-author of Notorious RBG Alexis Coe takes a closer look at our first--and finds he is not quite the man we remember

The book really just jumps up and asks you to pay attention; it’s not a book that you ease into. The preface presents a series of charts, like of the jobs Washington had, or the animals he raised, or the false information that still circulates about him. Other chapters begin with similar infographics. What was your approach to these?

If history is boring, it’s the historian’s fault. Obviously, the title is so provocative; it can get them to pick up the book, but how can I make them feel like they are well equipped to dive into George Washington’s life, the Revolutionary Era, to understand how someone fights for the British Army and ends up leading a rebellion against them? To understand Jefferson, Hamilton, the presidency?

I make these lists for myself [when researching], and it’s sort of like being [with me] in the archives. I wish readers could see everything, and they don’t get to. This is an offering from me to the reader, telling them, “You know how to read this book. You have everything you need to feel as though you’re an expert,”

And so there’s a ton of front matter, as I call it, that really introduces you to Washington as a whole person. We know that he’s the general, but we also have to acknowledge that another title he held was master. We should know that he was very into animals. We should know this his body was amazing not because he had great thighs, but because he survived so many things. There’s front matter in the beginning of the book and then there’s front matter in front of each section and then there are charts and graphs throughout the chapters.

I want this book to be a sort of equalizer and to be fun. History is fun, even when it’s difficult subject matter.

I was interested in your saying that people ask you, “Didn’t you approach Washington with reverence?” And you just didn’t have this reverent posture that previous biographers did. You just thought, “He’s a guy.”

I sometimes think that when Ellis and Chernow and all of these famous Pulitzer-Prize-winning historians were writing a book on Washington, they had to take an oath. Like, “I will write book in the exact same way. I will declare him too marble to be real, and then I will proceed just as the person before me did.”

The reverence jumps off the page. They’re so protective of him and are so impressed by him and his masculinity. I take [his masculinity] as a foregone conclusion. The diseases he survived taught me that, [as did] the war and the way that he was regarded by other people. I just don’t see why historians need to talk about it for pages and pages.

I don’t feel a need to protect Washington; he doesn’t need me to come to his defense, and I don’t think he needed his past biographers to, either, but they’re so worried about him. I’m not worried about him. He’s everywhere. He’s just fine. President Trump went to Mount Vernon and said, “Unless you put your name on things, nobody remembers you.” His name is everywhere. His name is on the city that Trump works in.

Instead of calling me irreverent, we should question why these men are so reverent and why we trust them to tell stories because that is, to me, a disconcerting bias. And a blind spot. My god, did they miss things. And they just repeat each other. In this pursuit of idolatry, they completely miss things and they have zero curiosity outside of what has been covered. They’re not interested in women. There’s just not variety, really until you look at Erica Dunbar and Never Caught . [Dunbar’s 2017 history, a National Book Award finalist, focuses on Ona Judge, an enslaved woman who ran for freedom and was pursued by George and Martha Washingto.] They’re not interested in considering other perspectives. I honestly didn’t know why certain people write books about him except to just have another book, to sort of write a book about Washington as if it was a check mark.

Do you think that this is a problem with biographies as a genre? After all, it was a genre designed to be about exemplary men!

I have a lot of issues with presidential biographies. This is not a problem particular to Washington, but it is acute when it comes to Washington biographies. If you read a biography on John Adams, they’re going to have a little bit of fun with it. They’re going to have fun with how verbose he is, his relationship with Abigail, his children. Everything is a little bit more comfortable.

What are Washington’s biographers missing, then?

Washington biographies need to be very different, going forward. And I hope that that is a contribution that I’ve made, that it is the start of change. It’s really important that, in a biography about Washington, we talk about what we know as historians, that we’re really honest, intellectually honest about what we saw in the archive. And that includes putting in anecdotes about Washington slapping an enslaved man because he could not lift a log on his own. Past biographers, and particularly Chernow, cannot deny that he was a slaveholder. They cannot deny that he would say he didn’t want to separate families, but sometimes did. Washington would say that his thoughts about slavery were changing, but he would talk about enslaved people in ways that showed that they were not.

Something that these biographers talk about is that Washington had very high expectations of other people, but if you just say that, I don’t know what that means. Does that mean that I expect you to be on time? Expecting someone to meet your needs, saying that generally—okay, I’d understand that quality. Imagining Washington assaulting someone he owns because he couldn’t lift a giant log on his own, that paints a very different picture and we need that there alongside all the other things that enable him to lead and win the Revolution and become the first president.

I loved the way you talked about Chernow and these other guys and their emphasis on Washington’s manly thighs.

To tell you the truth, I really never noticed Washington’s thighs in portraits, but [male biographers] wouldn’t stop talking about them. I’d never read a biography on a woman where they talked about her legs constantly. I’d never thought about a woman ... I’m thinking about someone like Sylvia Plath. I’d never looked at a photo of her and thought about her legs.

And the way that they would describe them, “He gripped the saddle with his thunderous thighs.” It was a little inappropriate, sometimes read like a romance novel. And I couldn’t really figure out why. Did they just really love his thighs? Were there a lack of great thighs in early America?

I Googled a portrait of Hamilton’s, just to see how they compared. They were also very nice, but ... why this fixation on [this part of] Washington’s masculinity. Then I would think about the things around sexuality and around reproduction that they also focused on. And together, what it told me was that they were very nervous about something. An example is, well, Washington had no biological children,but [the Thigh Men] don’t immediately say that he was the father to 15 wards during his lifetime.

He wrote them all very long letters. He was full of advice, so much advice. He was a really active father. He considered Martha’s children and grandchildren, he raised them, Washington considered them his own. So why don’t we?

And then [the Thigh Men] feel the need to explain [his lack of biological children], when it seems really obvious to me that Washington was unable to have children as a result of smallpox. And instead of just accepting that, they have to talk about his masculinity. They have to talk about how the reason that they didn’t have children was probably Martha’s fault, even though she had children so we know that she could, and there’s absolutely nothing to suggest that they were difficult childbirths. And yet, they introduce that as if it’s an option, so it’s misleading to the reader.

And from there, they really go off the rails. They start talking about how he was ... God forbid, anyone should suspect that he was gay or asexual or impotent. They jump ahead of you ten steps and start telling you why he isn’t, before you’ve even thought it because, honest, I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t care enough, but they’re really nervous about this.

This defensiveness of Washington and of his masculinity is so conspicuous that I needed to point it out. And when you’re defending something, it also means you’re attacking something. So, they tend to defend men and attack women. And they attack his mother, and they really don’t want to attack Martha because she is a perfect foil to his mother, but when they have to, they’ll go after her ability to bear children, even though, again, she demonstrated that she could perfectly well.

I wanted to ask about race and slavery, too. You have these powerful moments in the book where you talk about Billy Lee, an enslaved man who was quite an important character in the life and exploits of Washington. But Billy Lee kinds of stands in for Washington’s attitude towards enslaved people in significant ways. What role do race and racism plays in the book?

Billy Lee is Washington’s best friend, his right-hand man. And it’s true, he was the exception in Washington’s mind, but to introduce him into the narrative whenever you need to make sure that people know that he could see black people as humans is a disservice to the entire production. There is a misconception that Billy Lee had always been owned, for example, by Washington because of the way that they talk about him.

[Other historians] also often say that Billy Lee was sold to Washington, which I hate. No, Washington went and bought [Billy Lee]. He was looking for slaves to purchase and that’s what he did. It’s a funny way of sort of shifting responsibility just a little bit to make them feel better.

Billy Lee served Washington during the Revolution and was injured in Washington’s service. He injured his knees twice, once during a fox hunt, once during the Revolution. And as a result, he couldn’t keep up. And when he couldn’t keep up, Washington retired him. But upon his death, Billy Lee was the only enslaved person who Washington liberated.

I know you know this, but the reason I review it is because we’re talking about one man out of hundreds of people he enslaved, and yet all I see throughout the narratives is Billy Lee. So if we’re going to talk about how exceptional Washington thought Billy Lee was, then we also have to talk about all the times he wrote that black people just didn’t work hard, that they didn’t seem to have much pride in their appearance when, in fact, he wasn’t giving them enough clothing sometimes to shield their bodies. Women were observed as being in tattered clothing. Their breasts were sometimes visible.

If we’re going to talk about Billy Lee, then we’re going to talk about the other people, too. And we’re going to say how he only saw someone who was dark skinned as human, as human as he was, when they literally almost killed themselves in service to him.

There’s a lot of magical thinking when it comes to Washington’s road to emancipating his slaves upon Martha’s death. The declaration that’s usually made is that Washington began to think differently during the Revolution, which I challenge. It’s not that he began to think differently. It’s that he became the most famous person in the world and was exposed to people who he respected, like the Marquis of Lafayette, who were telling him, “Listen, this is terrible and you could change the world and everyone would love you for it.” He was well aware from that moment forward that it did affect his legacy. Let’s be realistic about this, and let’s also talk about the times that he could’ve emancipated them.

And didn’t.

The [Thigh Men] often talk about how hypocritical Jefferson was. He wrote these beautiful words and then he enslaved people, including his own children. [But] Jefferson could not have changed the trajectory of America; he wasn’t important enough. Sure, he became really important, but Jefferson was not as important as Washington. He was not as famous as Washington. He was not as well-respected as Washington.

I interviewed Annette Gordon-Reed [a historian best known for her searing analysis of the Jefferson-Sally Hemings relationship] a few years ago and she told me that, had Jefferson emancipated his slaves, or argued for the emancipation of slavery immediately upon America’s independence, that we wouldn’t know his name. That’s not true for Washington. He could’ve done it, he didn’t. And had he done it, it could’ve changed the trajectory of America.

Washington biographers have shaped and really kind of mediated all understanding of George Washington, but I wonder about how George Washington did that himself. How is he the curator of his life and how are we, in a sense, receiving what Washington wanted us to have?

Washington wanted to shape his legacy, but he didn’t totally understand what we would think about him. I do feel as though the paving the road to emancipation for the people he enslaved [as he famously did in his will] was mostly legacy building, but it’s interesting to look at instances in which he didn’t know that he would be judged. He knew that he would be judged on slavery, but he didn’t know that he would be judged, for example, on [his treatment of Native] Americans. So as Washington was preparing his letters, his documents, he did not take anything out about how he didn’t trust Indians because they couldn’t fundamentally be trusted or how they basically just needed to give up their way of life.

He didn’t think that we would be horrified by any of that. And so he left it right there for us. So I think he was self-conscious, but he also couldn’t [completely self-censor] ... not about everything because he simply didn’t think it was bad.

In some sense he is his own archivist. His first introduction to the world is the journal that he writes about his experience in what would be the opening of what’s referred to as the French and Indian War in North America. During and after the Revolution, he is so particular about the care and preservation of his papers. I wondered how that struck you.

Washington did his best to shape the narrative. His journal was published when he was a young man, when he started a world war , and it got away from him a little bit. He became quite famous, but he was very sensitive, he did not like being ridiculed. Certain members of Parliament thought he was a dumb kid; he learned the importance of archives, at that moment. And he was also very aware that this was an incredible moment in history, as they all were. They were all careful with their papers. They sold their papers later. They knew the importance of it.

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Karin Wulf | | READ MORE

Karin Wulf is the director of the John Carter Brown Library and a historian at Brown University. She was previously the executive director of the Omohundro Institute of American History & Culture and a professor of history at William & Mary.

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good hooks for essays about george washington

The 10 Best Books on President George Washington

Essential books on george washington.

george washington books

There are countless books on George Washington, and it comes with good reason, beyond serving as America’s first President (1789-1797), he was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

“There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage, than the promotion of science and literature,” he believed. “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.”

In order to get to the bottom of what inspired one of history’s most consequential figures to the heights of societal contribution, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best books on George Washington.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

good hooks for essays about george washington

Celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation and the first president of the United States. With a breadth and depth matched by no other one-volume biography of George Washington, this crisply paced narrative carries the reader through his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, his presiding over the Constitutional Convention, and his magnificent performance as America’s first president.

Washington’s Revolution: The Making of America’s First Leader by Robert Middlekauff

good hooks for essays about george washington

Focusing on Washington’s early years, Bancroft Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Robert Middlekauff penetrates his mystique, revealing his all-too-human fears, values, and passions. Rich in psychological detail regarding Washington’s temperament, idiosyncrasies, and experiences, this book shows a self-conscious Washington who grew in confidence and experience as a young soldier, businessman, and Virginia gentleman, and who was transformed into a patriot by the revolutionary ferment of the 1760s and ’70s.

Middlekauff makes clear that Washington was at the heart of not just the revolution’s course and outcome but also the success of the nation it produced. This vivid, insightful new account of the formative years that shaped a callow George Washington into an extraordinary leader is an indispensable book for truly understanding one of America’s great figures.

The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789 by Edward Larson

good hooks for essays about george washington

After leading the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, George Washington shocked the world: he retired. In December 1783, General Washington, the most powerful man in the country, stepped down as Commander in Chief and returned to private life at Mount Vernon. Yet as Washington contentedly grew his estate, the fledgling American experiment floundered. Under the Articles of Confederation, the weak central government was unable to raise revenue to pay its debts or reach a consensus on national policy.

The states bickered and grew apart. When a Constitutional Convention was established to address these problems, its chances of success were slim. Jefferson, Madison, and the other Founding Fathers realized that only one man could unite the fractious states: George Washington. Reluctant, but duty-bound, Washington rode to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to preside over the Convention.

Although Washington is often overlooked in most accounts of the period, this masterful new history from Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward J. Larson brilliantly uncovers Washington’s vital role in shaping the Convention – and shows how it was only with Washington’s support and his willingness to serve as President that the states were brought together and ratified the Constitution, thereby saving the country.

His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis

good hooks for essays about george washington

To this landmark biography of our first president, Joseph J. Ellis brings the exacting scholarship, shrewd analysis, and lyric prose that have made him one of the premier historians of the Revolutionary era. Training his lens on a figure who sometimes seems as remote as his effigy on Mount Rushmore, Ellis assesses George Washington as a military and political leader and a man whose “statue-like solidity” concealed volcanic energies and emotions.

Here is the impetuous young officer whose miraculous survival in combat half-convinced him that he could not be killed. Here is the free-spending landowner whose debts to English merchants instilled him with a prickly resentment of imperial power. We see the general who lost more battles than he won and the reluctant president who tried to float above the partisan feuding of his cabinet.

Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer

good hooks for essays about george washington

Six months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia.

Yet, as David Hackett Fischer recounts in this riveting history, George Washington and many other Americans refused to let the Revolution die. On Christmas night, as a howling nor’easter struck the Delaware Valley, he led his men across the river and attacked the exhausted Hessian garrison at Trenton, killing or capturing nearly a thousand men. A second battle of Trenton followed within days.

The Americans held off a counterattack by Lord Cornwallis’s best troops, then were almost trapped by the British force. Under cover of night, Washington’s men stole behind the enemy and struck them again, defeating a brigade at Princeton. The British were badly shaken. In twelve weeks of winter fighting, their army suffered severe damage, their hold on New Jersey was broken, and their strategy was ruined.

This gem among books on George Washington reveals the crucial role of contingency in these events. We see how the campaign unfolded in a sequence of difficult choices by many actors, from generals to civilians, on both sides.

Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Flexner

good hooks for essays about george washington

After more than two decades, this dramatic and concise single-volume distillation of James Thomas Flexner’s definitive four-volume biography of George Washington, which received a Pulitzer Prize citation and a National Book Award for the fourth volume, has itself become an American classic.

The author unflinchingly paints a portrait of Washington: slave owner, brave leader, man of passion, reluctant politician, and fierce general. His complex character and career are neither glorified nor vilified here; rather, Flexner sets up a brilliant counterpoint between Washington’s public and private lives and gives us a challenging look at the man who has become as much a national symbol as the American flag.

An Imperfect God  by Henry Wiencek

good hooks for essays about george washington

When George Washington wrote his will, he made the startling decision to set his slaves free; earlier he had said that holding slaves was his “only unavoidable subject of regret.” In this groundbreaking work, Henry Wiencek explores the founding father’s engagement with slavery at every stage of his life – as a Virginia planter, soldier, politician, president and statesman.

Washington was born and raised among blacks and mixed-race people; he and his wife had blood ties to the slave community. Yet as a young man he bought and sold slaves without scruple, even raffled off children to collect debts (an incident ignored by earlier biographers). Then, on the Revolutionary battlefields where he commanded both black and white troops, Washington’s attitudes began to change. He and the other framers enshrined slavery in the Constitution, but, Wiencek shows, even before he became president Washington had begun to see the system’s evil.

Wiencek’s revelatory narrative, based on a meticulous examination of private papers, court records, and the voluminous Washington archives, documents for the first time the moral transformation culminating in Washington’s determination to emancipate his slaves. He acted too late to keep the new republic from perpetuating slavery, but his repentance was genuine.

George Washington’s heroic stature as Father of Our Country is not diminished in this superb, nuanced portrait: now we see Washington in full as a man of his time and ahead of his time.

George Washington: A Biography by Washington Irving

good hooks for essays about george washington

Washington Irving’s  Life of George Washington (published in five volumes in 1856-59) was the product of his last years and remains his most personal work. Christened with the name of the great general, Irving was blessed by Washington while still a boy of seven, and later came to know many of the prominent figures of the Revolution. In these pages he describes them using firsthand source material and observation. The result is a book which is fascinating not only for its subject (the American Revolution), but also for how it reveals in illuminating detail the personality and humanity of a now remote, towering icon.

But one cannot read Irving’s  Life  without marveling at the supreme art behind it, for his biography is foremost a work of literature. Charles Neider’s abridgment and editing of Irving’s long out-of-print classic has created a literary work comparable in importance and elegance to the original.   George Washington, A Biography , Neider’s title for his edition of Irving’s  Life , makes the work accessible to modern audiences.

Founding Friendship by Stuart Eric Leibiger

good hooks for essays about george washington

Although the friendship between George Washington and James Madison was eclipsed in the early 1790s by the alliances of Madison with Jefferson and Washington with Hamilton, their collaboration remains central to the constitutional revolution that launched the American experiment in republican government. Washington relied heavily on Madison’s advice, pen, and legislative skill, while Madison found Washington’s prestige indispensable for achieving his goals for the new nation.

Observing these two founding fathers in light of their special relationship, this gem among books on George Washington argues against a series of misconceptions about the men. Madison emerges as neither a strong nationalist of the Hamiltonian variety nor a political consolidationist; he did not retreat from nationalism to states’ rights in the 1790s, as other historians have charged. Washington, far from being a majestic figurehead, exhibits a strong constitutional vision and firm control of his administration.

1776 by David McCullough

good hooks for essays about george washington

In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence – when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.

Based on extensive research in both American and British archives,  1776  is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King’s men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known.

If you enjoyed this guide to books on George Washington, be sure to check out our list of The 10 Best Books on President John Adams !

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George Washington's Farewell Address

57 pages • 1 hour read

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Analysis: “George Washington’s Farewell Address”

Washington’s “Farewell Address” has two distinct purposes. The first is to announce Washington’s retirement and share his parting thoughts on preserving America’s freedom. In this capacity, Washington speaks as a beloved national hero, finally ready to close the book on an extraordinary career of public service. The second is to defend the record of his presidential administration against its critics. This requires Washington to be a more partisan figure, the de facto leader of the Federalist Party trying to garner voter support in the upcoming election. Throughout the “Farewell Address,” Washington strikes a careful balance between these two objectives, representing himself as concerned only with the good of the nation while at the same time delving into the political arena to challenge his critics.

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George Washington's Papers

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  • During Washington's Life
  • After Washington's Death
  • Publishing the Papers
  • Bibliography

George Washington both produced and received a large number of letters, documents, accounts, and notes during his lifetime. Washington was aware of his special place in the development of the United States and as a famed and beloved military leader and statesman, and was cognizant that his papers would be of interest to future readers. The papers that survive today are available because of the care that Washington took during his lifetime, despite the sometimes careless and destructive handling that they faced after his death.

During Washington's Life Washington was meticulous with the organization and care of his papers. At different points in his life, Washington created letter books (bound volumes with copies of his outgoing and incoming letters), used a letterpress (a device that made direct copies of writing by lifting some of the ink from the page), and even edited his copies of some of his early letters, smoothing grammar and word choice. In addition, throughout his life he hired secretaries, aides-de-camp, clerks, and copyists to assist. 

As early as 1775 during the American Revolution, Washington held the safety of his papers at Mount Vernon second only to the safety of his wife, Martha Washington . George Washington instructed his cousin Lund Washington to provide "for her in Alexandria, or some other place of safety for her and my Papers." 1 As the Revolutionary War progressed and the volume of papers he was creating grew, Washington was concerned for their care, once sending them to Congress in Philadelphia for safekeeping. In 1781 he asked Congress and was allowed to hire a team of clerks to transcribe and organize his letters. Upon his return to Mount Vernon after the war, he hoped "to overhaul & adjust all my papers." 2

As President, Washington and his staff produced many papers. When his second term was finished, Washington had his secretaries remove the papers his successor would need and had them pack the rest to ship to Mount Vernon. During his retirement, Washington wrote that he had devoted his infrequent leisure time "to the arrangement, and overhaul of my voluminous Public Papers—Civil & Military—that, they may go into secure deposits." 3

Washington also planned to erect a building at Mount Vernon especially to store his papers. The building was not constructed by the time of his death. Even on the last day of his life, Washington worried about his papers. His friend and longtime secretary Tobias Lear recorded that, hours before his death, Washington told him, "I find I am going, my breath cannot continue long. . . do you arrange & record all my late Military letters & papers—arrange my accounts & settle my books." 4

After Washington's Death In his will, Washington bequeathed all his civil and military papers, as well as his " private Papers as are worth preserving," to his nephew Bushrod Washington , a U.S. Supreme Court justice. 5 In the months following George Washington’s death, Tobias Lear organized the papers in the former president's office. It may have been at that time that Martha Washington removed and burned her correspondence with her husband. Soon after Bushrod Washington allowed Chief Justice John Marshall to take many of the papers to Richmond while Marshall wrote a biography of the first president. Marshall, however, did not always take sufficient care of the papers. As Justice Washington later noted, “the papers sent to the Chief Justice . . . have been very extensively mutilated by rats and otherwise injured by damp." 6

In addition to Marshall’s poor stewardship, Bushrod Washington allowed several people—including the Marquis de Lafayette and James Madison —to remove their correspondence with the late president. Justice Washington also passed out autographs and other favors from the papers as souvenirs to favor seekers. He allowed William Sprague, his nephews' tutor, to remove more than 1,500 letters on the stipulation that he leave copies in their place.

In January 1827, Bushrod Washington gave editor Jared Sparks permission to publish some of Washington's papers. During his work, Sparks moved many of the papers to Boston and he visited repositories in both the United States and Europe to search for letters and documents not represented in Washington's own papers. Unfortunately he was also free with giving favors of Washington’s handwriting.

When Bushrod Washington died in 1829, he left George Washington's papers to his nephew George Corbin Washington, a Maryland congressman. George Corbin Washington soon moved the papers that remained at Mount Vernon to his office in Georgetown. Governmental officers had often consulted Washington's papers, and in 1833 George Corbin Washington agreed to sell the papers to the State Department, excepting ones he considered to be private. In 1849 he sold the private papers as well. The Washington papers remained at the State Department until 1904, when they were turned over to the Library of Congress. Copies of Washington papers from other repositories and some originals have been added to the collection over the years since the library took possession. In 1964 the Library of Congress released a reproduction of the papers on microfilm, and in 1998 it posted digital images of the papers taken from the microfilm on its Web site.

Publishing the Papers Jared Sparks' The Writings of George Washington was published in eleven volumes between 1833 and 1837. Sparks edited Washington’s words heavily, changing spelling, grammar, phrasing, and at times entire sentences. From 1889 to 1893, historian Worthington Chauncey Ford published a fourteen-volume set of The Writings of George Washington . Later, John C. Fitzpatrick prepared thirty-nine volumes of The Writings of George Washington From the Original Manuscript Sources (1931–1944) as a part of the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission.

However, no comprehensive or fully annotated version of Washington's papers was attempted until the creation of the Papers of George Washington project in 1968. Sponsored by the University of Virginia and the Mount Vernon Ladies Association and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the editors and staff procured more than 135,000 copies of Washington documents from repositories worldwide. In their search they included not only letters written by George Washington, but also letters to him, documents, diaries, and financial papers. About half of those documents are from the Library of Congress' Washington Papers collection.

Early in the project the staff divided the work into a set of diaries and five chronological series of correspondence: Colonial, Revolutionary War, Confederation, Presidential, and Retirement, which have been published simultaneously (63 volumes to date). The two largest series, Revolutionary War and Presidential, are still in production, with an estimated twenty-four more volumes to go. The George Washington Papers Digital Edition, created by the Papers staff and University of Virginia's digital imprint, Rotunda, was launched in 2006.

Maria Kimberly Research Assistant, The Papers of George Washington

Notes: 1. "George Washington to Lund Washington, 20 August 1775," The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series ,  1:335.

2. " George Washington to George William Fairfax, 27 February 1785 ," The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series , 2:386.

3. " George Washington to James McHenry, 29 July 1798 ," The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series , 2:473.

4. Tobias Lear's Account of Washington's Death, The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series , 4:545.

5. George Washington's Will , The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series , 4:485.

6. "Bushrod Washington to James Madison, 14 September 1819," The Papers of James Madison, Retirement Series , 1:513.

Bibliography: W. W. Abbot, " An Uncommon Awareness of Self: The Papers of George Washington "

The George Washington Papers: Provenance and Publication History .

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Essay About George Washington – How To Write And What To Include

george washington essay

The basic lives of many famous people, such as George Washington have been written over and over. If you have a college assignment on the topic, it can be difficult to come up with a fresh perspective. What is the best way to make your George Washington essay stand out? Create a unique essay by searching for interesting information and adding it to your writing. Try to bring new information to light on your essay. For instance, many people know that George Washington was instrumental in fighting the British forces, but not a lot of people realize that he was once on the other side of the divide. Washington led the British colonial forces against the French people in Ohio.

Also, only a few people know that the former President was once a professional surveyor. He created some maps in the past with one being a guide for the turnip garden of Lawrence Washington. Before his death, Washington also created 199 land surveys. This skill was extremely effective in the military.

This article will highlight the steps you should follow to write a George Washington essay.

Writing An Essay About George Washington

  • Pick The Main Idea Along With The Topic

Since there are so many George Washington essays on the web, you need to focus your paper on a different approach. As mentioned earlier in the George Washington introduction above, write about a different part of the subject’s life. You can focus on his role in the revolution, his life before this role, or his life after becoming President. No matter what side of his life you write on, there is enough information to work with.

  • Research More On The Topic

The more you read about George Washington, the clearer a picture you will have of who he was and his achievements. When most writers choose to write essays about George Washington, the result will contain different opinions and information about this revolutionary leader. That is why it is recommended to read all the sources you can find before starting. Remember, the goal is to create a unique essay.

When you research for your George Washington essay paper, take note of all the interesting facts, events, dates, and names. Also, note the strong opinions of the subject if they oppose or contradict the subject.

  • Write The Outline

When writing an essay, the next step after the research is writing down an outline to guide you. A George Washington essay follows the same pattern. Create an outline and follow the five-paragraph format for all essays. It should contain the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This rule only applies if your professor did not provide specific instructions for the George Washington writing.

The outline is very important because it helps you to organize the data you gathered as you researched. This way, you will have a clearer idea of what to put in each paragraph. The outline ensures that your essay is in sequential order and logical as well.

  • Writing The Introduction

After writing the leadership essay outline, it is now time to start writing the paper itself. You have to start with an introduction. This introductory part is important because it is a way to engage the reader and keep them hooked on your essay. There are some popular essay hooks you can use to deliver a perfect introduction. Some styles to try include:

  • Begin with a quote by George Washington or one about him from another popular person. This quote should be related to the subject or at least give readers a hint that George Washington is the subject.
  • Add a fascinating anecdote or story about George Washington.
  • Describe his accomplishments.
  • Write The Thesis Statement

The next step is the thesis statement. This step comes before the body of the short essay. The statement is the crux that holds your entire essay, so be sure to write it carefully.

Here are some general ideas for your thesis statement:

  • Even though Marilyn Monroe was famous and rich, she was troubled and had to deal with self-destructive habits that possibly led to her early death.
  • Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a noble laureate, invented magical realism, a new genre of writing which had a powerful effect on the world of literature and influenced so many writers.

Google the relevant ideas about George Washington and make sure the statement brings out the main idea of your essay. You can find George Washington essay examples online to get some clues.

  • Body Paragraph Writing

After the thesis statement, write your essay body. This part has to contain the information that was gathered earlier in your research. Ensure that you follow the main theme that was introduced in your thesis statement.

Using the same idea, you would need to write about the interests, films, and lifestyle of George Washington. As you do this, do not fail to talk about the people close to the subject, what they said about him, the opinions, and the contradictory information. All these elements come together to form a complete picture of the subject in question.

This part is where you draw conclusions and wrap up the paper. Don’t fizzle out in the end. Let it end with a bang. Do not use this chance to restate what you wrote in your thesis statement or recap the points in the body. Rather, go beyond and tie the legacy or work into modern life. You can do this by asking any of the following questions:

  • How is George Washington’s work relevant today?
  • What contribution did he make to American politics?
  • What is his legacy? How is he remembered?
  • What did he influence?

A good college essay on George Washington should explore his life and work while also containing some unknown facts. Great essays do not settle for shallow accounts of events. It makes the essay look cheap, so, be sure to pick interesting titles for your essay.

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Home — Application Essay — National Universities — Why George Washington was a Good Leader

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Why George Washington was a Good Leader

  • University: George Washington University

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Published: Feb 15, 2024

Words: 570 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

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Character and integrity, strategic thinking, ability to unite a diverse nation.

George Washington, known as the "Father of His Country," was not only the first President of the United States, but also an exceptional leader who played a crucial role in shaping the nation. His leadership qualities and achievements have left an indelible mark on American history. This essay aims to explore why George Washington was such a remarkable leader, examining his character, strategic thinking, and ability to unite a diverse nation.

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One of Washington's greatest strengths as a leader was his unwavering character and integrity. Throughout his life, he consistently demonstrated honesty, humility, and a commitment to serving the greater good. These qualities earned him the trust and respect of his peers and the American people.

Washington's integrity was particularly evident during the American Revolution, where he served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks, he persevered and maintained his principles. For instance, he rejected offers to become a monarch or establish a dictatorship, choosing instead to uphold democratic values and promote the ideals of the American Revolution.

George Washington's strategic thinking abilities were vital in the successful establishment of the United States as a nation. He possessed a remarkable foresight that enabled him to navigate complex political and military landscapes.

During the Revolutionary War, Washington displayed exceptional military strategy, leading his troops to victory against the powerful British forces. He understood the importance of unconventional tactics, such as surprise attacks and guerrilla warfare, to compensate for the significant disadvantages faced by the Continental Army. By employing these strategies, Washington was able to keep the fight for independence alive, even during challenging times.

Furthermore, Washington's strategic thinking extended beyond the battlefield. As President, he played a crucial role in shaping the new nation by establishing a strong central government and promoting economic and diplomatic stability. He envisioned the United States as a unified and prosperous country, and his policies laid the foundation for its future growth and success.

One of Washington's most notable achievements was his ability to unite a nation that was deeply divided along regional, ideological, and economic lines. As the first President, he set important precedents and fostered a sense of national identity.

Washington understood the significance of compromise and inclusivity in building a strong and united nation. He sought to bridge the gap between the North and the South and reconcile the interests of different factions. For example, he struck a delicate balance between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, leading to the ratification of the United States Constitution and the establishment of a more centralized government.

Additionally, Washington's Farewell Address emphasized the importance of national unity and warned against the dangers of sectionalism and political factions. His words continue to resonate today, reminding us of the importance of putting the nation's interests above partisan divides.

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George Washington's leadership qualities of character, strategic thinking, and ability to unite a diverse nation played a critical role in shaping the United States into the nation it is today. His unwavering integrity and commitment to democratic principles earned him the trust and respect of his peers and the American people. Through his strategic thinking, he navigated the challenges of the Revolutionary War and later as President, laying the groundwork for the nation's success. Most importantly, Washington's ability to unite a diverse nation serves as an enduring example for future leaders. His legacy reminds us of the importance of integrity, strategic vision, and national unity in effective leadership.

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good hooks for essays about george washington

Good Hooks for Essays: 14 Hook Ideas with Examples

Now here’s the clue.

If you want to wow your teacher, polish the introduction. Add something interesting, funny, shocking, or intriguing. Good essay hooks help you build an emotional connection right from the start. Think of an essay hook as bait for your readers.

Our expert team has prepared numerous examples of hooks for essays. You’ll find hook examples for an argumentative essay, personal story, history essay, and other types of papers.

For 100% clarity, we provided examples using each hook tactic. And a short part about how to write a good hook.

Teacher: "I won't forgive you for this essay."  Student: "But you gave me an A. What's wrong with it?"  Teacher: "I couldn't stop reading it, and I burned my dinner."

  • 💎 What Exactly Is a Hook & How to Write a Good One
  • 📜 Examples of Classical Essay Hooks
  • 💡 Try Some Informative Essay Hooks
  • 🦄 Here are the Most Uncommon Essay Hooks

✅ Good Hooks for Essays: Bonus Tips

  • 🔗 References for More Information

We highly recommend reading all the methods and examples, so you don’t have any questions.

💎 How to Write a Hook That Will Work for Your Essay?

The hook of your essay usually appears in the very first sentence.

The average length of an essay hook should be 3-7 sentences, depending on the topic.

But first, let’s quickly go through the key questions.

What Is an Essay Hook?

An essay hook (or narrative hook) is a literary technique that writers use to keep their readers engaged. It shows that the content below is worth reading.

The hook can have different lengths. Some writers make it last for several pages. Though, it better be a short paragraph or even a sentence.

Why Do You Need a Good Essay Hook?

Writing the right hook is essential for a few reasons:

  • It heats up your readers’ interest. If you did it right, they read the whole piece.
  • It shows off your skills . A right hook presents you as an expert in your field.
  • It attracts target audience. Only the readers you want will keep reading.
  • It keeps the tension on the right level. Use an intriguing question, and a reader dies to find out the answer.
  • It makes a good introduction. Starting your essay off a boring fact is simply not a good idea.

How to Write a Good Hook: Ideas and Examples

Next, we will discuss these hook types in more detail. We’ll also provide essay hook examples of less common yet intriguing types: dialogue, story, contradiction, comparison, definition, metaphor, puzzle, announcement, and background information hooks.

💬 The Famous Quote Hook

Use a famous quote as a hook for your essay on history, literature, or even social sciences. It will present you as an established writer. It shows how knowledgeable you are and motivates the readers to engage in the text.

⬇️ Check out examples below ⬇️

Quote Hook Example: Political Science

Hilary Clinton once said that "there cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard." Which creates a discussion about how perfect democracy should look like. If it is a form of government that considers all opinions, why are women silenced so often even nowadays? The truth is that we need to ensure completely equal opportunities for women in politics before we talk about establishing the correct version of democracy. And even the most developed and progressive countries are still struggling to get to that level of equality. It can be achieved by various methods, even though they might only work in certain countries.

Social Sciences

"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." These words of wisdom from John Kennedy reflect the perspective we need to teach the younger generations. For some reason, it has become popular to blame the government for any problem arising in society. Is it their fault that we don't think about waste and keep trashing our home? Social responsibility is a real thing. The well-being of our countries starts with the actions of every separate individual. It is not entirely right to wait until the government fixes all the issues for us. The best strategy is to start thinking about what we can do as a community to make our home even a better place.

And excellent sources of quotes for you:

  • Brainyquote.com – you can search quotes by topic or by author.
  • Goodreads.com is not only a great collection of e-books but also quotes.
  • Quoteland.com has plenty of brilliant words for all imaginable situations.
  • Quotationspage.com – more than 30,000 quotations for unique essay hooks.

❓Rhetorical Question Essay Hooks

It doesn’t have to be rhetorical – any type of question addressed to your audience will do its job. Such a universal kind of hook can spike the interest of your readers immediately.

Some useful patterns of rhetorical questions:

  • What could be more important than…?
  • What if there was only one… (chance/day/hour)?
  • Who wouldn’t like to… (be a cat/turn visitors into clients)?
  • Why bother about… (inequality/imperfect education system)?
  • Which is more important: … (making money or realizing potential)?

And more in examples:

Example of a Question Hook on Education

Wouldn't free access to education for everyone be wonderful? The answer would most likely be positive. However, it is not as simple as it seems. As much as the governments try to achieve this goal, there are still many uneducated people. On the bright side, in the era of technology, learning has never been so easy. Of course, some young adults just prefer the shortcut option of taking a student loan. Other ways are much more challenging and require a lot of responsibility and patience. Finding free educational resources online and gaining experience with the help of video tutorials might sound unprofessional. Still, you will be surprised how many experts hired in different fields only received this type of education.

Question Hook Example: Health

Is there anything that can help you lose weight fast? You have probably heard of this magical keto diet that is getting more and more popular worldwide. People claim that it helps them shred those excess pounds in unbelievably short terms. But how healthy is it, and does it suit anyone? The truth is that no diet is universal, and thanks to our differences, some weight-loss methods can even be harmful. Keto diet, for example, leads your body into the state of ketosis. What happens is that you don't receive carbohydrates, and in this state, fat is used as the primary source of energy instead them. However, it carries potential threats.

😂 Anecdotal Essay Hooks

This type would usually be more suitable for literary pieces or personal stories. So, don’t use it for formal topics, such as business and economics. Note that this hook type can be much longer than one sentence. It usually appears as the whole first paragraph itself.

It wouldn't be Kate if she didn't do something weird, so she took a stranger for her best friend this time. There is nothing wrong with it; mistakes like that happen all the time. However, during only five minutes that Kate spent with the stranger, she blabbed too much. Thinking that she sat down at the table that her friend took, Kate was so busy starting on her phone that she didn't notice that it wasn't her friend at all. Sure enough, the naive girl started talking about every little detail of her last night that she spent with her date. It was too much for the ears of an old lady. Kate realized she took the wrong table only when it was too late.

Literature (personal story)

Do not ever underestimate the power of raccoons! Those little furry animals that may look overly cute are too smart and evil. It only takes one box of pizza left outside your house by the delivery person for the disaster to begin. When they smell that delicious pizza, no doors can stop them. They will join the forces to find a hole in your house to squeeze into. Even if it's a window crack four feet above the ground, they know how to get to it. Using their fellow raccoons as the ladder, they get inside the house. They sneak into the kitchen and steal your pizza in front of your eyes and your scared-to-death dog. Not the best first day in the new home, is it? 

📈 Fact or Statistic Hook

Looking deeper into your essay topic, you might find some numbers that are quite amusing or shocking. They can serve as perfect hooks for economics- and business-oriented writings. Also, it is better if they are less known.

Business/social sciences

The UAE workforce is culturally diverse since around 20% of employees (usually called expatriates) come from different countries. Ex-pats tend to take managerial positions, which makes communication within companies quite tricky. The training focused on raising cultural awareness is getting more common, but such educational strategies as games (or gamification) are still rarely applied in the UAE companies. Yet, gamification was a useful tool in other places, making it an attractive UAE team building method. It can significantly help integrate ex-pats and create a more culturally aware environment.

The full version of this paper is here: Gamification and Cross-Cultural Communication in Dubai

Statistic Hook Example in Economics

The United Arab Emirate's debt has been rising drastically in past years, from about US$17 billion in 2003, which is almost 19 percent of GDP, to US$184 billion in 2009. Only a small proportion of the debt can be tracked directly to the public sector. A report by UBS bank shows that most of the debt comes from the corporate sector. Most of the companies that hold the main section of the debt are financial institutions. The public sector partly owns them. Banks in the UAE have been accumulating their debt amounts in the years mentioned above and could now account for 75 percent of the total foreign debt. The discussion is about the reasons why the UAE debt has been rising at an alarming rate.

Check the whole essay Debts in the United Arab Emirates .

Some good sources for statistics

  • Finance.yahoo.com is perfect for business papers.
  • Usa.gov/statistics is an easy-to-use governmental engine for searching data and stats.
  • Unstats.un.org provides a massive collection of statistics published by UN organizations
  • Oecd-ilibrary.org is the online library of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), featuring its books, papers, and statistics and is a gateway to the OECD’s analysis and data.

🤯 Shocking Facts are Very Good Hooks for Essays

Very similar to a statistical hook, a fact can serve as a perfect engaging introduction. Search your field for some shocking phenomenon and gently insert it in the beginning.

Don’t forget to include a reliable source reinforcing your words!

Fact Hook Example in Economics

Nowadays, much attention is paid to the problem of shark finning around the world. Millions of sharks are killed annually for their fins, and many of them are dropped back to the ocean finless, where they die because of suffocation. In many countries, the idea of shark finning remains illegal and unethical, but the possibility of earning huge money cannot be ignored (Dell'Apa et al. 151). Regarding available technologies, market economies, trade relations, and cheap employment, it does not take much time to organize special trips for shark hunting. The Trade of shark fins is alive and well developed in countries like the United States and China. However, the number of people who are eager to try shark fin soup has considerably decreased during the last several years because of the popularity of anti-shark fin soup campaigns and laws supported worldwide (Mosbergen). The situation continues to change in China.

Read the full paper about China Southern Airlines being against shark finning .

Daniel Stacey and Ross Kelly observed that long lines and a new gray market trend for bigger screen phones marked Apple's new iPhones debut. As expected, new phone models drew Apple fans outside retail stores (Stacey and Kelly). Global critics, however, noted that this year's lines were generally longer relative to previous periods mainly because of the developing gray market for Apple products. The new Apple's iPhones have larger screens than the previous models. Also, they boast of improved battery life, faster processors, and an enhanced camera. Tim Cook called them "mother of all upgrades" (Stacey and Kelly).

For the whole text, go to Apple’s New iPhones Start Selling in Stores” by Stacey and Kelly

Sources to look for reliable facts:

  • Buzzfeed.com – news, videos, quizzes.
  • Cracked.com – a website full of funny stuff, like articles, videos, pictures, etc.
  • Webmd.com – an incredible collection of medical facts you will love.
  • Livescience.com – discoveries hitting on a broad range of fields.
  • National Geographic – needs no introduction.
  • Mental Floss answers life’s big questions, a compilation of fascinating facts and incredible stories.

🗣️ Dialogue as a Catchy Hook for Essays

Dialogue is another type of hooks that goes perfectly with pieces of literature and stories. It can even make your short essay stand out if you include it at the beginning. But don’t forget that it only concerns specific topics such as literature and history.

Here it is:

Dialogue Hook Example in Literature

– Why did you do it? – I don't know anymore… That's why I'm leaving for a little bit right now. I need time to think.

With these words, Anna stepped back into the train car and waved goodbye to Trevor. She couldn’t even find the right words to explain why she ran away on her wedding day. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Trevor, but there was this deep, natural, and unexplored feeling that told her it wasn’t time yet. But the only thing Anna realized was that the city made her sick. That day, she took off her wedding dress, bought a ticket on the next flight leaving that afternoon, and hopped on the train taking her to the airport. She couldn’t even remember the country’s name she was going to so blurry everything was from her tears.

Dialogue Hook for History Essay

– If we still had inquisition, we could probably set him on fire. – Some dark magic, indeed, my friend! It would have probably been a real dialogue if we knew who was the first automobile inventor for sure. People were undoubtedly shocked to see the cars moving by themselves without horses. However, since they started appearing around the globe around the same time, it is almost impossible to identify who was the original creator of the idea and the first automobile itself. The credit was usually given to Karl Benz from Germany, who created a gasoline car in 1885-1886. But there are also much earlier records of a gentleman named Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, who built the first vehicle powered by steam in France in 1769.

🔮 A Story Looks Like an Extremely Good Essay Hook

A universal essay hook is a story. You can use this trick pretty much anywhere. The main challenge is to be as authentic as possible, try to tell something fresh and engaging. The more specific and narrow the story, the more chances for a successful introduction.

Story Hook Example for an Essay on Business

Dell started fast and strong. The original company was founded in 1984 when the founder was only a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas. Four years after the inception of the company, Michael Dell became the Entrepreneur of the Year. Eight years after he started the company from his dorm room's comfort, Dell was chosen as the Man of the Year by PC Magazine. […] The company was acknowledged as the world's leading direct marketer of personal computers. At the same time, Dell was known as one of the top five PC vendors on the planet (Hunger 9). […] However, the company's journey encountered a major hurdle down the road. Even after recovering from an economic recession in 2010, the company continued to experience declining sales.

Continue reading Dell Technologies Mission, Vision, and Values .

🦚 Contradictory Statement – Queen of Good Hooks

Everybody loves to start an argument by contradicting some facts. Therefore, you simply need to add a controversial statement at the beginning of your essay. People of all ages and beliefs will not be able to stop reading it!

Challenging your readers works well for social sciences, business, and psychology topics.

Examples of contradictory statements essay hooks:

If you think being a manager is a calm and relatively easy task, try surviving on five cups of coffee, a sandwich, and two packs of cigarettes a day. You would rather believe that managers only walk around the office and give their staff orders, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, the reality is much harsher than such rainbowy dreams. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. A whole set of personal qualities and professional skills must keep up with the successful strategic planning, assessment, and development. All the tasks the managers need to attend to are nerve-wracking and sometimes almost impossible to do. The stress from the demanding managerial position is often overlooked or underestimated.

Social sciences

Video games have been ruining our kids' lives and leading to an increase in crime. Since the gaming industry's development in recent years, the fear of its adverse effects on the younger generations' brains has become a significant concern. There is such a wide variety of games, ranging from educational to violent shooters and horrors. Almost immediately, caring parents jumped on the latter category, claiming that its impact is too significant and children become more aggressive and uncontrollable. Some supporters of this theory went even further. They decided to link real-life crimes to the effects of violent video games on child and adult behavior. However, as we will see later in this article, there is no or little scientific evidence supporting those ideas.

🔁 Vivid Comparison Essay Hook

Introducing your topic with an engaging, vivid comparison is a universal strategy. It is suitable for any kind of writing. The main idea is to grab your readers’ attention by showing them your unique perspective on the topic. Try to make the comparison amusing and exciting.

Comparison Essay Hook Options:

  • Comparison with daily chores (e.g., Proofreading your essays is like cleaning your teeth.)
  • Comparison with something everyone hates (e.g., Learning grammar is like going to the dentist.)
  • Comparison with something everyone loves (e.g., John was happy like a child eating a free vanilla ice cream.)
  • Comparison of modern and old-school phenomena (e.g., Modern email has much in common with pigeon post.)
  • Funny comparison (e.g., Justin Bieber is the Michael Jackson of his time)

Check out examples:

Environment

For many people, flying feels like a dream come true. More and more people take their first-ever flight thanks to the rapidly developing aviation technologies. Aircraft and airports are advancing, and air traveling is getting cheaper. However, except for transporting eager travel addicted and business people, planes are used in other ways. It appears that the whole economies across the world depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of airlines. Import and export demand this kind of transportation to work at all times. Aviation development seems like a great thing. However, just like any other technological breakthrough, it comes with a price. Environmental issues did not wait too long to show up.

Social sciences/psychology

Leaving home for the first time as a freshman can only be compared to the level of stress you had in childhood when your mother left you in the line at the checkout for too long. Indeed, becoming a student and moving out of the parent's house comes with a great deal of stress. All the unknown that lies ahead makes youngsters too anxious. Then, the difficulties of financial planning and increased academic pressure come as additional sources of worries. However, it does not have to be such a negative experience. Particular techniques can help students overcome their stress related to the separation from their parents.

📄 Definitions = Easy & Good Hooks for Essays

Another versatile essay hook option is introducing a qualitative definition. Try to make it capacious, and don’t fall into verbal jungles. This narrative hook is perfect for short scientific papers where there is only one focus subject.

Business Ethics

White-collar crime refers to the peaceful offense committed with the intention of gaining unlawful monetary benefits. There are several white-collar crimes that can be executed. They include extortion, insider trading, money laundering, racketeering, securities fraud, and tax evasion. Enron Company was an American based energy company. It was the largest supplier of natural gas in America in the early 1990s. The company had a stunning performance in the 1990s. Despite the excellent performance, stakeholders of the company were concerned about the complexity of the financial statements. The company's management used the complex nature of the financial statements and the accounting standards' weaknesses to manipulate the financial records. The white-collar crime was characterized by inflating the asset values, overstating the reported cash flow, and failure to disclose the financial records' liabilities. This paper carries out an analysis of the Enron scandal as an example of white-collar crime as discussed in the video, The Smartest Guys in the Room.

Go to see the full text here: Enron Company’s Business Ethics .

Motivation is the act of influencing someone to take any action to achieve a particular goal (Montana& Chanov, 2008). Employees' motivation depends on the job's nature, the company's organizational culture, and personal characteristics. In this case study, various theories influence and show how employees can be motivated in the workplace.

Continue reading this paper about Motivation Role in Management .

📚 Metaphor Hook for Essays

Naturally, using a metaphor as a hook for your essay comes with some limitations. You should only use this type in literature and sometimes in psychology. However, it serves as a great attention grabber if it’s engaging enough.

Let’s see how you can use a metaphor:

When life gives you dirt, don't try to squeeze the juice out of it. It's better to leave it alone and let it dry out a bit. Kate decided to follow this philosophy since nothing else seemed to work. After the painful divorce process, last week's ridiculous work assignments and managing two kids alone almost drove her crazy. No polite discussions, arguing, or bribing helped take care of seemingly a million tasks these little women had to deal with. Even letting out the anger just like her phycologist recommended did not help much. Instead, Kate referred to the last remedy. She put all the issues aside with the hope that it would get better later.

The recipe is relatively easy – take a cup of self-respect, two cups of unconditional love, half a cup of good health, a pinch of new positive experiences, and mix it all for a perfect state of happiness! We all wish it would be possible, right? However, the mystery of this state of being happy is still unsolved. The concept and its perception considerably change depending on time and values. Happiness is so complicated that there is even no universal definition of it. Besides, humans are social creatures, so associating your level of success with others is not unusual. Therefore, being happy means achieving a certain level of several aspects.

🧩 Puzzle? Yes! Amazing Hook for Your Essay

Doesn’t a good riddle grab your attention? Sometimes you just want to find out the answer. The other times, you want to figure out how it is related to the topic. Such a hook would be great for writings on psychology and even economics or business.

Here are the examples:

How many Google office employees you need to destroy a box of fresh donuts? Google is indeed famous for some of the most accommodating and unique working places around the whole world. However, the success of the company does not only appear from treats for employees. It seems that the organizational culture has many effects on business decisions and overall performance. All the staff working in Google share the same visions and values, helping them cooperate and lead the company to success. However, there is one aspect to consider. The organizational culture needs to be adapted to the ever-changing business environment.

Who survives on dirt-like substance, is never joyful, and only returns to the cave to sleep? It sounds horrible, but the correct answer is human. Nowadays, the demands for any kind of workers are rising, which brings tremendous effects on people. As the number of duties increases, it is getting harder for employees not to chug on coffee and come back home in time for a family dinner. The work-life balance is disturbed, leading to anxiety, relationship issues, and even health problems. Social life appears to be as important as making money. Therefore, the correct distribution of time between personal life and work duties is necessary for happiness.

📢 Announcement Is Also a Good Essay Hook Option

Announcements could be suitable for literary pieces and historical essays.

Such a hook doesn’t have to be too long. It should be significant enough to persuade your readers to stick to your writing. Make sure it aligns with your topic as well.

Ways to use announcements as essay hooks:

It was a revolution! The Beatle's first song came out in 1962, and almost immediately, hordes of fans pledged their loyalty to this new band. Nearly all youngsters became obsessed with their music. No one can deny that the Beatles are still considered the creators of some of the best songs in history. However, the arrival of the British band influences culture as well. Many photos depict girls going crazy on live concerts and guys shaping their haircuts after the Beatles' members. The revolution that the band brought left an impact, evidence that we can still trace in modern British culture and music.

I will never go to Starbucks again! Oh, no, mind me. I love their coffee. At some point in my life, I even thought I had an addiction and had to ask my friends to watch my consumption of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Then, the wind of change turned everything upside down. On my usual Starbucks morning run, I noticed a homeless man holding a paper cup begging for money. At first, I didn't pay much attention since it's a usual occurrence in our area. However, one day, I recognized my old neighbor in him. The only cash I had on me, I usually spent on my cup of coffee, but I decided it was not much of a sacrifice. From that moment, I only showed up on that street to shove a few bucks into that poor guy's cup. One day, to my surprise, he talked to me.

ℹ️ Background Information Essay Hook

Last but not least, give background information on your subject to make a good intro. Such an essay hook is effortless and suitable for practically any paper. Try to find the most unobvious angle to the background information. At the same time, keep it short and substantive.

Here are the ways to use background information essay hooks:

Air Arabia is among the leading low-cost carriers in the global airline industry. The airline is mainly based at the Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Air Arabia, 2012). The airline came into inception in 2003 after His Highness Dr. Sheik Mohammed Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, issued an Emiri Decree. Later, Air Arabia was transformed into a limited liability company. For nearly a decade, Air Arabia has witnessed tremendous growth, resulting in increased fleet size and improved sales revenues. At the same time, Air Arabia has created a renowned brand that offers reliable and safe services (Dubai Media Incorporated, 2012). Air Arabia identifies itself as a low-cost carrier by providing low fares in the industry. Some of the key strengths of the airline include punctuality and safety. This aims to ensure that the airline serves its customers most efficiently by observing its safety requirements and adhering to the landing and takeoff schedules (De Kluyver, 2010).

Read the full text here: Air Arabia Company Analysis.

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in the Arkansas United States in 1962 as a grocery store. The company, which operates a chain of over 8,000 stores in fifteen countries, is estimated to employ over two million employees from diverse backgrounds. Wal-Mart was incorporated in 1969 and started trading in the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. […] Although the company can leave its consumers with a saving due to its low-price policy, it has faced some sharp criticisms over how it treats its employees and other stakeholders. Wal-Mart boasts of its ability to save its customers' money, an average of $950 per year. This, however, has been criticized as harming the community. Also, the feminists' activists have focused on Walmart's misconduct in offering low prices. (Fraedrich, Ferrell & Ferrell 440)

Now we won’t keep you for long. Let’s just go through simple points of essay hook writing.

Someone may think that you have to write your hook first. It comes first in the paper, right?

In reality, though, you can wait until your entire essay is nearly finished. Then go back and rewrite the very first paragraph. This way, you can have a fresh look at what you’ve written in the beginning.

Here’s a simple plan you can follow.

  • First, write a basic version of your thesis statement.
  • Then, provide supporting evidence for your thesis in every body paragraph.
  • After that, reword your thesis statement and write your concluding paragraph.
  • Finally, search for an attention-grabbing fact, statistic, or anything from the list above to serve as an engaging essay hook.

Add this essay hook to the beginning of your introduction. Make sure that your ideas still flow naturally into your thesis statement.

⚠️ Pro tip: choose various hooks and play around, adding each hook to your introduction paragraph. Like this, you can determine which one makes the most impressive beginning to your paper.

Some of your choices may sound interesting but may not lead to your essay’s main point. Don’t panic! Paper writing always involves trial and error. Just keep trying your essay hook ideas until one fits perfectly.

That’s it 😊

Good luck with your work!

🔗 References

  • Hook – Examples and Definition of Hook
  • How to Engage the Reader in the Opening Paragraph – BBC
  • Hooks and Attention Grabbers; George Brown College Writing Centre
  • Hook Examples and Definition; Literary Devices
  • What Is a Narrative Hook? Video
  • How to: Writing Hooks or Attention-Getting Openings-YouTube

Research Paper Analysis: How to Analyze a Research Article + Example

Film analysis: example, format, and outline + topics & prompts.

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73 Essay Hook Examples

essay hook examples and definition, explained below

An essay hook is the first one or two sentences of your essay that are used to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into your discussion.

It is called a hook because it “grabs” the reader and doesn’t let them go! It should have something in there that makes the reader feel curious and intrigued, compelling them to continue reading.

Techniques for Good Essay Hooks

Here are a few techniques that you can use to write a good essay hook:

  • Use a Quotation : Sometimes, a relevant quotation from a well-known author or expert can help establish the context or theme of your essay. Next time you’re conducting research for an essay, keep an eye out for a really compelling quote that you could use as your hook for that essay.
  • Start with a Statement that is Surprising or Unusual: A surprising or unusually statement will draw a reader in, making them want to know more about that topic. It’s good if the statement contradicts common knowledge or reveals an insight about your topic that isn’t immediately obvious. These can be particularly good for argumentative essays where you’re putting forward a controversial or compelling argument as your thesis statement .
  • Tell a Brief Anecdote : A short, interesting story related to your topic can personaize the story, making it more than just a dry essay, and turning it into a compelling narrative that’s worth reading.
  • Use Statistics or Facts: Interesting, surprising, or shocking facts or statistics work similarly to surprising statements: they make us want to know more about a topic. Statistics and facts in your introductions are particularly useful for analytical, expository , and argumentative essays.
  • Start with a Question: Questions that make the reader think deeply about an issue, or pose a question that the reader themselves has considered, can be really effecitve. But remember, questions tend to be better for informal and personal essays, and are generally not allowed in formal argumentative essays. If you’re not sure if you’re allowed to use questions in your essays, check with your teacher first.

Below, I’ll present some examples of hooks that you could use as inspiration when writing your own essay hook.

Essay Hook Examples

These examples might help stimulate your thinking. However, keep in mind that your essay hook needs to be unique to your essay, so use these as inspiration but write your own essay hook that’s perfect for your own essay.

1. For an Essay About Yourself

An essay about yourself can be personal, use “I” statements, and include memories or thoughts that are deeply personal to you.

  • Question: “Have you ever met someone who could turn even the most mundane events into a thrilling adventure? Let me introduce myself.”
  • Anecdote: “The smell of freshly baked cookies always takes me back to the day when I accidentally started a baking business at the age of nine.”
  • Intriguing Statement: “I’ve always believed that you haven’t truly lived until you’ve read a book upside down, danced in the rain, or taught a parrot to say ‘I love pizza.'”
  • Quotation: “As Mark Twain once said, ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started.’ That’s a philosophy I’ve embraced in every aspect of my life.”
  • Humorous Statement: “I’m a self-proclaimed ‘professional chocolate tester’ – a title that’s not only delicious but also requires extreme dedication.”
  • Start with your Mission Statement : “My life motto is simple but powerful: be the person who decided to go for it.
  • Fact or Statistic: “According to a study, people who speak more than one language tend to be better at multitasking . As a polyglot, I certainly live up to that statistic.”
  • Comparison or Metaphor: “If my life were a book, it would be a blend of an adventurous novel, a suspense thriller, and a pinch of romantic comedy.”
  • Personal Revelation: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an uncanny ability to communicate with animals. It’s an unusual skill, but one that has shaped my life in many ways.”
  • Narrative: “The day everything changed for me was an ordinary Tuesday. Little did I know, a single conversation would lead me to discover my true passion.”

2. For a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay often explores personal experiences, feelings, and thoughts. So, your hooks for reflective essays can usually be more personal, intriguing, and engaging than other types of essays. Here are some examples for inspiration:

  • Question: “Have you ever felt as though a single moment could change your entire life? This essay is going to explore that moment for me.”
  • Anecdote: “I was standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, looking at the vast emptiness, and for the first time, I truly understood the word ‘perspective’.”
  • Bold Statement: “There is a part of me that is still trapped in that room, on that rainy afternoon, holding the letter that would change everything.”
  • Personal Revelation: “The first time I truly felt a sense of belonging wasn’t in a crowded room full of friends, but in the quiet solitude of a forest.”
  • Intriguing Statement: “In my life, silence has been a teacher more profound than any words could ever be.”
  • Quotation: “Einstein once said, ‘The only source of knowledge is experience.’ Now, looking back, I realize how profound that statement truly is.”
  • Comparison or Metaphor: “If my life is a tapestry, then that summer was the vibrant thread that changed the entire pattern.”
  • Narrative: “As the train pulled out of the station, I realized I wasn’t just leaving my hometown, I was leaving my old self behind.”
  • Philosophical Statement: “In the theater of life, we are both the actor and the audience, playing our part and watching ourselves simultaneously.”
  • Emotive Statement: “There is a sort of sweet sorrow in remembering, a joy tinged with a hint of sadness, like the last notes of a beautiful song.”

For an Argumentative Essay

Essay hooks for argumentative essays are often the hardest. This type of essay tends to require the most formal type of academic writing, meaning your hook shouldn’t use first person, and should be more based on fact and objectivity, often at the expense of creativity. Here are some examples.

  • Quotation: “Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.’ If Jefferson were alive today, he would likely feel that this meed for a well-informed citizenry is falling well short of where he would aspire.”
  • Provocative Statement: “Despite what romantic films may portray, love at first sight is merely a myth perpetuated by society. This essay will prosecute the argument that love at first sight is a myth.”
  • Statistical Fact: “According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading psychological disability worldwide. Yet, mental health is still stigmatized and often overlooked. This essay will argue that depression should be seen as a health issue, and stigmatization of depression causes serious harm to society.”
  • Comparison: “Much like an unchecked infection, climate change, if left ignored, can spread far beyond what it is today, causing long-term economic and social problems that may even threaten the longevity of humanity itself.”
  • Contradiction : “While we live in an era of unprecedented technological advancements, millions around the world are still denied basic internet access.”
  • Bold Declaration: “Animal testing is not only ethically unacceptable, but it also undermines the progress of medical research.”
  • Challenging Belief: “Despite popular belief, the automation of jobs is not a threat but an opportunity for society to evolve.”
  • Quotation: “George Orwell wrote in ‘1984’, ‘Big Brother is Watching You.’ In our modern society, with the advancement of technology, this is becoming more of a reality than fiction.”
  • Intriguing Statement: “Despite countless diet fads and fitness trends, obesity rates continue to rise. This argumentative essay will argue that this is because medical practitioners’ approaches to health and weight loss are fundamentally flawed.”
  • Statistical Fact: “Research reveals that over 90% of the world’s plastic waste is not recycled. This alarming figure calls for a drastic change in social attitudes towards consumption and waste management.”
  • Challenging Assumption: “Society often assumes that progress and growth are intrinsically good, but this is not always the case in the realm of economic development.”
  • Contradiction: “Western society upholds the value of freedom, yet every day, members of society cede personal liberties in the name of convenience and security.”
  • Analogy: “Like an overplayed song, when a news story is repeated too often, it loses its impact. In the era of digital media, society is becoming desensitized to critical issues.”
  • Relevant Anecdote: “In a village in India, the arrival of a single computer transformed the lives of the residents. This small anecdote underscores the importance of digital inclusion in today’s world.”
  • Call to Rethink: “In a world where success is often equated with financial wealth, it is time for society to reconsidered what truly constitutes a successful life.”

For a Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay examines two issues, looking at both the similarities and differences between them. A good hook for a compare and contrast essay will immediately signal to the reader the subjects that are being compared and why they’re being compared. Here are sine ideas for hooks for a compare and contrast essay:

  • Quotation: “As Charles Dickens wrote in his novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. This could equally apply to the contrasting dynamics of urban and rural living.”
  • Provocative Statement: “Despite popular belief, cats and dogs have more in common than society tends to think.”
  • Comparison: “Comparing being an only child to growing up with siblings is like contrasting a solo performance with an orchestral symphony.”
  • Contradiction: “While many view classic literature and contemporary fiction as worlds apart, they are more akin to two sides of the same coin.”
  • Bold Declaration: “Android and iPhone may compete in the same market, but their philosophies could not be more different.”
  • Statistical Fact: “Statistics show that children who grow up reading books tend to perform better academically than those who do not. But, the jury is out on how reading traditional books compares to reading e-books on screens.”
  • Quotation: “As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, ‘Sooner or later, we all sit down to a banquet of consequences.’ This statement can be used to frame a comparison between short-term and long-term thinking.”
  • Provocative Statement: “Democracy and dictatorship are often seen as polar opposites, but are they are not as different as they seem.”
  • Comparison: “Climate change and plastic pollution are two major environmental issues, yet they demand different approaches and solutions.”
  • Contradiction: “While traditional classrooms and online learning are seen as separate modes of education, they can often blend into a cohesive learning experience.”
  • Bold Declaration: “Though both based on merit, the structures of capitalism and socialism lead to vastly different societal outcomes.”
  • Imagery: “The painting styles of Van Gogh and Monet can be contrasted as a stormy sea versus a tranquil pond.”
  • Historical Reference: “The philosophies of the Cold War-era – capitalism and communism – provide a lens to contrast economic systems.”
  • Literary Comparison: “The dystopian societies portrayed in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ serve as contrasting visions of the future.”
  • Philosophical Question: “Individualism and collectivism shape societies in distinct ways, but neither one can truly exist without the other.”

See Here for my Guide on Writing a Compare and Contrast Essay

For a Psychology Essay

Writing an engaging hook for a psychology essay involves sparking the reader’s interest in the human mind, behavior, or the specific psychology topic you’re discussing. Here are some stimulating hooks for a psychology essay:

  • Rhetorical Question: “How much control do we truly have over our own actions?”
  • Quotation: “Sigmund Freud once said, ‘Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.’ This essay will explore whether this is universally true.”
  • Provocative Statement: “Contrary to popular belief, ‘venting out’ anger might actually be fueling the fire of fury.”
  • Comparison: “Just as an iceberg reveals only a fraction of its bulk above water, conscious minds may only be a small piece of who humans truly are.”
  • Contradiction: “While it may seem counterintuitive, studies show that individuals who are more intelligent are also more likely to suffer from mental health issues.”
  • Bold Declaration: “Despite advances in technology, understanding the human brain remains one of the final frontiers in science.”
  • Statistical Fact: “According to a study by the American Psychological Association, nearly one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. Yet, mental health continues to be a topic shrouded in stigma.”

For a Sociology Essay

Writing an engaging hook for a sociology essay involves sparking the reader’s interest in social behaviors, cultural phenomena, or the specific sociology topic you’re discussing. Here are ideas for hooks for a sociology essay:

  • Quotation: “As Karl Marx once noted, ‘Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex.’ Sadly, society has not made much progress in gender equality.”
  • Provocative Statement: “Social media, initially created to connect people, is ironically leading society into an era of unprecedented isolation.”
  • Comparison: “Comparing society to a theater, where each individual plays a role, it is possible to start to see patterns and scripts embedded in daily interactions.”
  • Contradiction: “While people often believe that technology is bringing society closer together, evidence suggests that it’s actually driving a wedge between people, creating ‘digital divides’.”
  • Bold Declaration: “Human societies are constructed on deeply ingrained systems of inequality, often invisible to those benefiting from them.”
  • Statistical Fact: “A recent study found that women still earn only 81 cents for every dollar earned by men. This stark wage gap raises questions about equality in the workforce.”

For a College Application Essay

A college essay is a personal statement where you can showcase who you are beyond your grades and resume. It’s your chance to tell your unique story. Here are ten potential hooks for a college essay:

  • Anecdote: “At the age of seven, with a wooden spoon as my baton, I confidently conducted an orchestra of pots and pans in my grandmother’s kitchen.”
  • Provocative Statement: “I believe that life is like a game of chess. The king might be the most important piece, but it’s the pawns that can change the entire course of the game.”
  • Personal Revelation: “It wasn’t until I was lost in a foreign city, armed with nothing but a map in a language I didn’t understand, that I truly discovered my love for adventure.”
  • Intriguing Question: “Have you ever wondered how it feels to be part of two completely different cultures, yet wholly belong to neither?”
  • Bold Declaration: “Breaking a bone can be a painful experience. Breaking stereotypes, however, is an entirely different kind of challenge.”
  • Unusual Fact: “I can recite the periodic table backwards while juggling three tennis balls. It’s a strange talent, but it’s a perfect metaphor for how I tackle challenges.”
  • Quotation: “As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ This quote has defined my approach to learning.”
  • Narrative: “It was a cold winter’s day when I first discovered the magic of turning a blank page into a world full of characters, stories, and ideas.”
  • Metaphor: “Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, my high school years have been a period of profound metamorphosis.”
  • Humorous Statement: “Being the youngest of five siblings, I quickly learned that the best way to be heard was to become the family’s unofficial lawyer.”

Conclusion: The Qualities of a Good Essay Hook

As I wrap up this article, I want to share a few last tips on qualities that a good essay hook should have. Keep these tips in mind when writing your essay hook and using the above essay hook examples:

First, relevance . A good hook should be directly relevant to the topic or theme of your essay. The hook should provide a preview of what’s to come without giving too much away.

Second, Intrigue. A great hook should make the reader want to continue reading. It should create a question in the reader’s mind or present a fascinating idea that they want to know more about.

Third, uniqueness. An effective hook should be original and unique. It should stand out from the many other essays that the reader might be going through.

Fourth, clarity. Even though a hook should be captivating and original, it should also be clear and easy to understand. Avoid complex sentences and jargon that might confuse the reader.

Fifth, genre conventions. Too often, my students try to be so creative in their essay hooks that they forget genre conventions . The more formal an essay, the harder it is to write the hook. My general approach is to focus on statistics and facts, and avoid rhetorical questions , with more formal essay hooks.

Keep in mind that you should run your essay hook by your teacher by showing them your first draft before you submit your essay for grading. This will help you to make sure it follows genre conventions and is well-written.

Chris

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons
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50+ Hook Examples: The Opening Lines That Make Your Essay Successful

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Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

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Writing a good paper starts with brainstorming a brilliant hook, which keeps your audience engaged with the text. There are many ways to formulate hooks, which will help your writing sound more original and compelling. Looking at some essay hook examples and tips on writing them is the first step to creating one of your own!

In this article:

What is a Hook?

Tips for creating a great hook, question hook examples, strong statement examples, fact/statistic hook examples, metaphor/simile hook examples, anecdotal hook examples.

A “hook” is a sentence that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested in the outcome of your academic text or research paper. The hook is found in the first sentence or two in the opening paragraph in an academic text and serves both as an introduction and an attention grabber.

In literature, such sentences are often found in novels. A great personal favorite of mine is Christmas Carol’s first sentence: “Marley was dead: to begin with. ” This invites tons of interesting questions and piques your curiosity, making you want to read along.

We come across hook examples in our day-to-day lives, scrolling through YouTube video titles and website links. Clickbait can be considered the hook of the modern world, and there are tons of techniques to learn from it.

However, this article will focus on essay hooks for academic papers specifically. In the section below, we’ll be discussing tips on writing hook sentences and engaging your reader’s interest through a single opening sentence.

There are different types of hook sentences in an essay introduction. We’ll take a look at each type, and a few tips, so later on, you can start formulating your own essay hooks based on these few examples.

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  • Question Hook: If you’re writing an art essay, philosophy paper, or business coursework, choosing a compelling and interesting question will leave the readers pondering throughout your text. The reader will automatically try to look for the answer within your research paper.
  • Strong Statement: The opening lines can be controversial, a bold claim – the best hooks for argumentative essays are. This method can shock your audience, and they’ll be curious to learn how you defend your argument.
  • Fact/Statistic Hook: These hook examples are used for scientific and academic assignments, allowing you to use a lesser-known fact or statistic which will grab the reader’s attention.
  • Metaphor/Simile Hook: You can set up a scene by telling a short story for your readers to imagine before getting to your essay’s core. This metaphor hook can be highly compelling and relatable to your audience.
  • Anecdotal Hook: The trickiest essay hook used to diffuse the tension surrounding a heavy topic. This tricky opening line should be carefully thought out and guaranteed to make the reader laugh and only used in the right circumstances.

If you’re using the fact/statistic hook, always make sure you quote a credible source. The same goes for the interesting facts hook type. Include those sources in the body of your essay.

It also helps to think of a hook you came across recently that made an impression on you. Was it a controversial blog post? A captivating personal story? A thesis statement that made you ponder?

Once you finish reading our article, it’s helpful to test your hook and introductory paragraph out to an audience. Have another student, tutor, or parent read it. See if it’s doing its purpose – is the reader engaged? What did they understand from your hook? Is the essay topic clear?

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Writing is a long process and requires a lot of rewriting. Take a small break and give it another go.

How to Write a Great Hook + Examples

There are two crucial points to follow when you write a hook:

  • Keep your sentences short – don’t overstuff your sentences or let them run longer than two rows.
  • Use simple, comprehensive language – the ultimate essay can be read and understood by anyone, even people outside your academic course.

It’s time to get to the examples!

  • What if I told you the world has an unlimited energy resource?
  • How much screen time is too much for elementary school children?
  • Is online education the best way to learn in the middle of a pandemic?
  • Did you know women are twice as likely to experience clinical depression than men?
  • Are your evening habits keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep?
  • Do jobs that require degrees have a higher earning potential?
  • How important is it for YouTubers to use search engine optimization strategies?
  • Will the consumption of meat products become a luxury in the year 2050?
  • Has reading become more challenging due to our short attention span?
  • Have you ever wondered why traffic builds up on no-stop roads?
  • Why we should feel sorry for high achievers?
  • Why you don’t need to be exceptional?
  • How much sugar do you think you consume?
  • The effects of global warming are irreversible, so what can we do to optimize our living now?
  • Should fireworks be banned due to noise pollution and its effect on animals?
  • Has television died in place for streaming services?
  • Is our hatred of certain foods and flavors a direct result of our genetic heritage?
  • Android app development will die out in the next twenty years.
  • You’ll always marry the wrong person.
  • Why is ordinary life not good enough anymore?
  • Why are romantics ruining love?
  • “The wicked tend to win” Machiavelli
  • The hardest person in the world to break up with.
  • Some imaginary friends can cultivate independence in a child.
  • Did you know that space smells like seared steak?
  • The human body houses 10 times more bacteria than it does cells.
  • The longest war in the world is between the Netherlands and Sicily and here’s what happened.
  • “A country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security” H. Kissinger
  • Cat purring can be beneficial to your health.
  • There is a scientific explanation behind boredom.
  • The average drunk driver drives under the influence more than 80 times before they get arrested for the first time.
  • 1/3 of adults still sleep with a comfort toy in bed.
  • The average American generates nearly 4.5 pounds of trash each day.
  • The global rate for keeping good hygiene after using the toilet is 20%.
  • Americans read for pleasure for less than 10 minutes every day.
  • The average American eats around 13 pounds of ice cream each year.
  • More than 1/2 million people experience homelessness each night.
  • Approximately 90% of people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of hospitals die.
  • Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of Americans.
  • Approximately half of Americans will experience a mental illness during their lifetime.
  • My cousin Joanna went to a party with red lipstick all over her teeth. I couldn’t help myself to tell her.
  • I dressed up as a werewolf last Halloween. That’s when everything started.
  • As a child my grandfather gave my grandma her favorite flower- a rose on every holiday. Does this kind of love still exist?
  • Last year my parents dragged me to Paris six times. I had the most dreadful time – I just couldn’t understand how such a historic city can be so dirty, or why.
  • The cause and effect example – when talking about the importance of safety, tell a story with an important moral.
  • Imagine sitting by the fire with the love of your life…
  • I have a four-year old baby – my publishing business I started in 2018.
  • The picture of… brought back memories of…
  • It’s difficult to talk about… because…
  • If you were a famous person, would you…
  • When I was 6, I was given a pet hamster for Christmas. Needless to say, little Zach is gone now, but I wonder how long he could have lived if I had been given it at 12?
  • One reason I decided to switch to a healthy diet is… well it’s cheaper than buying a whole new set of clothes!
  • I like talking to myself. Sometimes I have these seemingly clever and long conversations. I hardly have a clue what I’m talking about.

Mastering the hook sentence is something you might end up using in your day-to-day life, especially if you go into academia, publishing, or journalism as a career choice. But that’s not it – we use hooks to communicate on social media. The title of our blog post or recent youtube video are examples of well-formulated hooks. The quicker you start practicing them the easier they’ll become to use.

If you’re having any other academic trouble, like coming up with essay topics , or you want to learn the outlines of the different essay types, we can help you with that! You’ll become an essay writing pro in no time! We’ve got some good and interesting research paper topics we’re proud of, as well as demonstration speech topics ! Hook sentence examples are just the start!

We hope this article has helped you master the art of essay writing, and you now find the reader agrees with your point of view! Let us know of any good hook examples you came up with!

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good hooks for essays about george washington

5 George Washington University Essay Examples by Accepted Students

good hooks for essays about george washington

What’s Covered

  • Essay Example #1 – Journalism
  • Essay Example #2 – Letter to the Author
  • Essay Example #3 – Honors at GW
  • Essay Example #4 – Sustainability

Essay Example #5 – Civil Discourse

  • Where to Get Your Essays Edited

George Washington University is a private research university best known for its programs in international affairs, government, public policy, and journalism. Situated in the heart of Washington D.C., GW students have an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the nation’s capital.

Because of it’s great location and academics, GW has become increasingly competitive so you’ll need a strong essays  to stand out. In this post, we will share five essays real students have submitted to GW, as well as explain what each essay did well and were they could be improved. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Read our George Washington University essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay Example #1

Prompt: Journalism and Mass Communication major: Write a profile of yourself in news or news feature style, as if you had interviewed yourself (500 words).

Mira Patel sat at her desk, her finger tapping on the side of a water glass as she welcomed me into the Zoom meeting. “It’s been a busy few months, but I’m excited to talk about it,” she said, heaving a nervous but excited breath.

Patel, age 17, has been serving as the Co-Editor-In-Chief of [name removed] High School’s student-run newspaper, the View, for the past year. She, along with her two fellow Co-Editor-In-Chiefs, have re-evaluated the newspaper to fit a socially-distant setting. Despite the stress of finding a way to amplify the voices of [high school]’s  student body in 2020, Patel’s tone sparks as she discusses the team’s progress thus far.

“There’ve been a lot of bumps in the road. [High School] initially cut our Journalism class this year due to budget concerns so we had to find a way to connect those that were interested in forming a club,” she added, her intonation highlighting her enthusiasm.

“But we did it, and our first issue will be out in time for the Holidays!”

Patel detailed the intricate planning that went behind the issue, as she helped garner interest and developed a platform for the student body to share their voices digitally. 2020, in her words, has been a year “paramount for developing young voices” in the wake of the pandemic, monumental social justice movements, and the direct impact of wildfires exacerbated by climate change in her home state Oregon. 

When asked how she initially developed a passion for communication and media, Patel pondered and continued to recount the experience that sparked her “infatuation” with forms of media.

“In the summer before my sophomore year, I was selected for an internship at AASPIRE, the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education,” she said.

Her experience consisted not only of technical strides in data analysis and visualization but also in developing creative solutions to communicate with her diverse team at the Regional Research Institute for Human Services at Portland State University. She described how many in her department, including her mentor, had disabilities like autism and ADHD. As she realized that these differences were not a hindrance but rather an opportunity to empathize and expand her viewpoint, she recognized how crucial communication was in developing perspectives. 

“It took off after AASPIRE,” Patel stated regarding her interest in media. As a young Indian-American activist, she actively sought opportunities in media, finding a “home for [her] voice” at [name removed] community radio, a grassroots radio initiative in Portland. 

“[Community radio] gives leverage to the voices of the marginalized—we focus on building communal mobilization around social issues through communication.”

Patel specializes in social media strategy and outreach at [community radio], an experience which she states strengthened her leadership and interest in media and policy by providing opportunities to network with “skilled communicators and changemakers”.

As a driven young communicator and changemaker, Patel uses her platform at The View and [community radio] to leverage the stories that often go unheard.

“That’s what motivates me for the future,” Patel states. 

What the Essay Did Well

For a journalism prompt, the key to this essay is the structure and writing style, and this essay did a fantastic job mimicking the style of a journalistic expose. Phrases like “ Patel, age 17, ” “ she added, her intonation highlighting her enthusiasm, ” and “ in her words ” make the essay feel like an authentic interview. Writing in third-person might feel unnatural, but in this case it works perfectly in creating the desired feel.

This student also took advantage of the open-ended prompt to truly showcase multiple aspects of her personality. We learn about her work at the newspaper her research internship at AASPRIE , and the community radio she was a part of. Although focusing on multiple extracurriculars in one essay can sometimes become too general and overcrowded, this one is successful because of the common theme of media and communication the student incorporated in each paragraph.

The transitions in this essay are particularly strong because they focus on her interest in media. For example, “ When asked how she initially developed a passion for communication and media, Patel pondered and continued to recount the experience that sparked her “infatuation” with forms of media ” bridges the gap between the paper and her experiences at AASPRIE. Similarly, the transition between AASPIRE and the radio is communicated nicely with these sentences: “ ‘It took off after AASPIRE,’ Patel stated regarding her interest in media. As a young Indian-American activist, she actively sought opportunities in media. “

What Could Be Improved 

This essay is already fairly strong, however one way to make it even better would be to include more descriptions of the student as she’s being interviewed. The essay starts off with imagery like “ her finger tapping on the side of a water glass ” to communicate possible anxiety before the interview and it describes her intonation and expressive voice to help place the reader in the moment. As the essay goes on though, these descriptions get lost.

It would be nice to see this student continue describing her physical and vocal features throughout the essay so the reader can feel like they are there witnessing the interview. Details like “ her eyes lit up at the memory ” or “ her face broke out into a toothy grin when asked about her experience ” would have made the essay even more engaging if they were weaved through the piece.

Essay Example #2

Prompt: Write a letter to the author of a book you loved (300 words).

Dear Ms. Picoult,

I placed a hold on Small Great Things two months before I received it— it was 2016, the book had just come out, and I was in eighth-grade, enveloped in my adamant reading phase. This was my time of self-discovery, when I took heed to expand my knowledge through books. Your book was prime in my development. 

Small Great Things was the first book that I read of yours; the storytelling structure thus caught me by surprise, pulling me through the internal dialogue and context of each character. An empathetic tribute to race in present-day America, you tackled complex multiple racial perspectives of primary characters through an overarching storyline. Small Great Things is groundbreaking in this regard— you wrote on a foundation of empathy, putting each reader through the story of each character. 

I glimpsed the agony Ruth felt as she navigated a racism-based lawsuit; I witnessed Turk’s frustration as a childhood experience metamorphosed into white supremacist belief; I saw transitions Kennedy underwent as she recognized the width of structural racism. As you put me in the shoes of each character, I understood how these experiences manifested their perspective in the overriding plot. Your intelligent story structure let me notice how each character, no matter how they present, has haphazard ideological wavelengths that curate their viewpoint.

Small Great Things is a piece of art—as an eighth-grader, it stimulated my mind intellectually and beckoned me to apply this empathetic mindset to my daily endeavors. I began to delve into stories of all forms, curating my passion for media and drawing me to participate in research and communication internships, ranging from. Thank you for developing my soul multidimensionally and for helping me understand that every person has a story worth telling.

Sincerely, 

This is a beautifully written essay that is quite successful for multiple reasons. First, the student didn’t pick a mainstream author like Shakespeare or Colleen Hoover. They chose someone the reader might not necessarily know, but that author has a deep significance to them. Because this student picked their author intentionally, half the work was done for them: the essay comes across as genuine and their enthusiasm for the book jumps off the page. 

Another positive aspect is how this student explains the general gist of the book they found so influential. Yes, it doesn’t totally make sense to tell an author the plot of their story, but if you are picking a less well-known book, the admissions officers need to get a feel for what the novel is about. The line, “ An empathetic tribute to race in present-day America, you tackled complex multiple racial perspectives of primary characters through an overarching storyline ,” is a succinct summary that helps the reader of the essay immediately gain an appreciation for the book.

However, the student doesn’t just stop at the one-liner summary. They give tangible examples from the book to exemplify the topics this book exposed them to and the impact that has had on them. This is both a great way to demonstrate how the author moved you (if you actually wrote a letter to the author) and your intellectual maturity to grasp the significance of smaller details.

The conclusion is also well done because it expands beyond the book to the student. Including details about their passion for media and their internships in the communication field once again demonstrates this student’s connection to the book, but goes further to show how they have internalized story telling and it has become a part of their personality. 

On the whole, this essay does a great job covering both the author and the student. That being said, there’s one small error that takes away from the essay. In the last paragraph, there is an incomplete sentence: “ drawing me to participate in research and communication internships, ranging from.”  For such a well-written and well-communicated essay, this mistake is hard to ignore and looks a little sloppy.

This could have easily been avoided if the student had other people read over their essay before submitting. Whether that’s a friend, parent, teacher, or college advisor , getting an extra pair of eyes to catch little slip ups like this one is super important. Alternatively, this student could have just cut out “ ranging from ” as it wasn’t really necessary to tell us the exact internships after already mentioning the communication field. Either way, proofreading can never hurt!

Essay Example #3

Prompt: As you think about your four-year experience at The George Washington University, how do you see the University Honors Program shaping your time with us and what most excites you about joining the UHP? (300 words).

The George Washington University Honors Program is a community filled with talented individuals, each working to succeed individually and collectively. With a smaller crop of diverse students, the camaraderie embodied in the UHP excites me; I value peers who are driven and empathetic.

The UHP seeks to attract “intellectual omnivores”, a label I strongly identify with. I find myself fascinated by nuances in nearly every subject I have explored—the UHP’s strong liberal foundation will satiate my multidisciplinary interests. I am intrigued by the social structures that govern belief systems, the policy that allows society to function, and the environmental processes that let life thrive. Thus, I have developed a primary passion for media studies and environmental policy; I hope to grow and narrow my foundational interests into a comprehensive educational experience. UHP’s emphasis on intellectual and academic stimulation suits my interest in discussion-based, tactical, and experiential learning.

The top-tier faculty and research opportunities at the UHP will help me grow my practical knowledge. With research grants such as SURE open to honors students, I will hone my interdisciplinary skills into a tangible, impactful experience. I plan on taking advantage of the myriad of opportunities the UHP offers. The research skills I have cultivated through my internships, alongside my skills in leadership, teamwork, and strategic communication will help make the best of my UHP experience.

The UHP will satisfy my curiosity by helping me explore the multiple fields in which I am interested. It will develop my primary interest in media and policy while growing my networks socially and academically. These cultivated skills and global perspectives will let me leverage professional opportunities in media positions in change-making environments, from digital-media companies to NGOs. The UHP will challenge me personally and academically, helping me grow as a learner, innovator, and changemaker.

This is a nicely written essay with a good structure. Every paragraph is focused and it is easy to follow along and pick up key ideas. The student also has a good grasp of their diction, making the essay sound professional, but not out of place in a high schooler’s vocabulary.

We are given a nice background to why the student has chosen their area of study: “ I am intrigued by the social structures that govern belief systems, the policy that allows society to function, and the environmental processes that let life thrive. ” The student also clearly demonstrates what they will get out of this program: “ These cultivated skills and global perspectives will let me leverage professional opportunities in media positions in change-making environments, from digital-media companies to NGOs. “

The biggest problem with this essay is the lack of specificity. Although the student nicely explains their interests and how they want to grow, you could pretty much replace UHP with any other  honors program and the essay would still work. 

In order for this essay to demonstrate to admissions officers that this student actually wants to attend GW, they need to include specific details like classes, clubs, or professors and research opportunities that are unique to the UHP. Rather than telling us “ UHP’s emphasis on intellectual and academic stimulation suits my interest in discussion-based, tactical, and experiential learning,”  they should describe their excitement at taking a class that takes students to Capitol Hill to get hands-on experience with environmental policy.

Applying this strategy to every sentence—replacing broad generalized statements with specific UHP offerings—would make this essay much stronger.

Essay Example #4

Prompt: At the George Washington University, our students frequently interact with policymakers and world leaders. These experiences and those of our alumni can shape the future of global affairs. If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why? (250 words).

As I stood in a crowd of echoing voices at the Oregon Youth Climate strike, I observed. Our collective grounded me; our young perspectives were crucial as those affected generationally by the impending climate crisis. 

In my community, I would change the course of history in the realm of intersectional environmentalism—I would integrate my experience in sustainability and communication to help inform diverse subsets of individuals. Surpassing communication across boundaries would build a coalition of informed and empathetic environmental communicators. 

I have been fortunate to integrate climate-consciousness in my lifestyle from a young age. When purchasing food and clothing, documentaries I was raised on such as “Food Inc.” and “The True Cost” informed my choices; when the 2020 west-coast wildfires left the atmosphere smoky outside my home, I acknowledged the expansive history behind these increasingly frequent ecological crises. As I grew to see that resources needed to implement sustainable lifestyles and make environmental connections are inaccessible to many, I placed importance on intersectional environmentalism. 

With a communication movement in this field, we would inform those with a lack of accessibility of equitable ways to integrate sustainability into their routines, while advocating for their rights as those disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. We would learn from those with novel cultural experiences, such as indigenous techniques of prescribed burns for wildfire mitigation. 

With this movement, sustainability would be both an individual and communal effort, informing representative policy while pervading implementable sustainable lifestyle changes, together leading to an equitable climate justice initiative.

This essay has a unique take on the prompt that works quite well because of how well it relates to this student and their interests. Rather than focusing on a historical moment, they chose to take a future-looking approach and explain how they plan to change the course of history moving forward. Demonstrating your ability to look to the future is an important skill in college essays, as it shows you are thinking about making positive change.

The student also does a good job of connecting the topic to them with concrete examples. Sharing the specific documentaries that influenced them when “ purchasing food and clothing ” and the “smokey atmosphere outside [their] home” as a personal connection to the wildfires are great ways to demonstrate how environmentalism is at the forefront of this student’s mind. By including these small details the student humanizes themself and legitimizes their interest.

In general, this essay is very focused and cohesive. It serves as a good example of how you should dive deeply into one specific topic you are passionate about—environmental inter sectionalism in this case—and fully expand on that interest, rather than trying to tackle too much at once. Anyone walking away from this essay can say with confidence what this student’s niche is, a goal you should always try to hit for each essay.

One thing this essay struggles with is the tone and diction. The use of overly-formal words makes the essay feel rigid and pedantic rather than natural and casual. Take the first paragraph for example:

“ As I stood in a crowd of echoing voices at the Oregon Youth Climate strike, I observed. Our collective grounded me; our young perspectives were crucial as those affected generationally by the impending climate crisis. “

With the convoluted sentences structure and phrases like “O ur collective grounded me “, the simple message of the paragraph gets lost in a web of words. This could instead be far more straightforward, demonstrate the student’s authentic voice, and include more active imagery in an introduction like this:

“ The echo of thousands of voices demanding climate justice rippled through the air. ‘No more fossil fuels!’ ‘We deserve a future!’ ‘Climate justice for all!’ The cacophony of chants blended into a beautiful chorus of young voices fighting for our future. I watched on in awe, amazed at the possibilities collective action could bring. “

Prompt: The George Washington University encourages students to think critically and to challenge the status quo. Thus, civil discourse is a key characteristic of our community. Describe a time when you engaged others in meaningful dialogue around an issue that was important to you. Did this exchange create change, new perspectives, or deeper relationships? (500 words)

This past summer, I engaged in contentious yet civil discussions in Brown Pre-College’s “Contemporary Moral Issues” course, where I learned about five salient topics and exchanged insight with peers. 

We discussed vegetarianism on the first day, specifically the ethics of killing animals for food. While I had not previously held a strong standpoint on whether this practice is morally permissible, our lecture and small group discussion centered on Tyler Doggett’s argument outlined in “Moral Vegetarianism” elicited a further understanding of the topic, and encouraged me to more deeply introspect. I quickly gained an eager curiosity; as someone who consumes meat, am I truly equipped to share from experience? I felt like animal slaughter for food is unethical, but does my position, as an omnivore, enable me to justifiably contribute in conversations?

During a conversation with a peer, my beliefs were challenged, yet strengthened. This student believed that killing pigs for food is morally permissible, and they contested one of Doggett’s claims, that “humans are smarter than pigs,” to support their argument. I struggled to resonate with their rationale, as my perspective on such ethics, and the context of my understanding, differed greatly from the experiences that informed my peer’s belief. This specific notion of permissibility felt too disparate from my general ethical comprehension, and with a more explicit understanding of the opposing argument, I discerned that my perspective on this issue would not waver. 

Although I did not agree with this student’s argument, I listened actively and expressed how I appreciated their perspective; the student demonstrated what “the other side” of this argument looks like, and helped inform my comprehensive understanding of vegetarian ethics. I acknowledged, nonverbally, that this student and I did not share backgrounds, and their perspective was shaped from unique lived experiences just as mine had been. We continued with healthy conversation, exchanging our viewpoints with an eagerness to learn, and concluded on a symbiotic footing.

Some prompts are open-ended, while others ask you to be more specific. This prompt falls into the latter category, by asking students to write on the specific topic of civic discourse — defined as meaningful dialogue around an issue that creates change, new perspectives, or deeper relationships. 

This student does a great job of staying on topic and discussing only civic discourse. They do not get distracted by community service, leadership experience, or anything that falls outside of the prompt. They are focused.

Additionally, they answer the question. While you should fill up your word count with personal details, insights into your mind, and a description of your values, when a prompt is highly specific like this, it’s important that the reader can easily identify your answer. For this kind of prompt, we recommend students use the “one-sentence test.” After reading your essay, could an admissions officer summarize your answer to one of their colleagues in just one sentence?

Let’s try it out.

Prompt: What were the effects of the student’s experience with civic discourse?

One sentence: Civic discourse did not change their perspective, but helped reinforce the strength of their beliefs.

This student passed the one-sentence test!

The goal of your college essays is to humanize yourself to admissions officers. While this student does a good job of describing their experience discussing a contentious topic with a peer, that description stays relatively surface-level, and as a result they miss an opportunity to tell readers about their background, personality, values, and the way they see the world. 

Yes, the prompt asks what experiences you have with civic discourse, but if you read between the lines, what admissions officers really want to know is why you value civic discourse . Instead of leading with a factual sentence — “I engaged in contentious yet civil discussions in Brown Pre-College’s ‘Contemporary Moral Issues’ course, where I learned about five salient topics and exchanged insight with peers” — this student should have started with a story about why they were drawn to taking this course on moral issues in the first place.

Similarly, the student writes “our lecture and small group discussion centered on Tyler Doggett’s argument outlined in ‘Moral Vegetarianism’ elicited a further understanding of the topic, and encouraged me to more deeply introspect” — which is a ‘what’ sentence. In other words, the student is just telling us what happened, and while that is important, what matters even more is answering why reading arguments, having conversations, and practicing introspection are important to them.

The student does try to give us a window into their mind when they list questions this experience prompted them to wonder — “am I truly equipped to share from experience? I felt like animal slaughter for food is unethical, but does my position, as an omnivore, enable me to justifiably contribute in conversations?” — but ultimately fall short of their goal as they fail to actually reflect on these questions, and that reflection is what would give us true insight into their psychology. Simply put, these are obvious questions that anyone would wonder about — what will set you apart is your answers to them. 

So, to summarize, we need to learn more about the student. As an added bonus, if the student were to incorporate deeper personal reflections, that would not only teach us more about them, but also take better advantage of the space given to them. 500 words is on the long side for a supplement, but this student is only using 319 of them — almost 40% of the words are going unused! 

Remember, while you don’t have to hit the word limit on the dot (your exact word count depends more on particular phrasings than actual content), you should be within 20ish words of it at most. College essays are already restrictive by their nature, so you don’t want to voluntarily restrict yourself even further by not using as much of the space given to you as you can.

Also on a structural level, the writing is a bit wordy and repetitive at times, particularly in the last paragraph. Last paragraphs are dangerous because students tend to summarize. In a longer academic essay, that’s a reasonable strategy, but in a college essay with limited space, you want to keep your readers engaged with new details through the very end; ideally, they’ll even be left wanting more.

Some fluffy sentences/lines elsewhere in this essay include:

  • “While I had not previously held a strong standpoint on whether this practice is morally permissible”
  • “I struggled to resonate with their rationale, as my perspective on such ethics, and the context of my understanding, differed greatly from the experiences that informed my peer’s belief.”
  • “Although I did not agree with this student’s argument, I listened actively and expressed how I appreciated their perspective; the student demonstrated what “the other side” of this argument looks like, and helped inform my comprehensive understanding of vegetarian ethics.”

Make sure each sentence adds something unique to your essay. These lines aren’t exactly bad, but they aren’t giving us any new insight into who this student is, as all three of them are basically saying the same thing: this student encountered a peer who held different beliefs from them. That event is even less exciting since, given the prompt, it goes without saying that this student didn’t agree with their peer.

If you notice that two or more of your sentences say the same thing, pick the one that makes the point most effectively, and use the words you’ve saved to sprinkle in more details about your personality at other points in your essay.

Where to Get Your George Washington University Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your George Washington University essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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  1. 91 George Washington Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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    Suggested Essay Topics. When Washington resigned his command of the Continental Army, Jefferson said: "The moderation and virtue of one man probably prevented this Revolution from being closed by a subversion of the liberty it was intended to establish." Yet when Washington became president, Jefferson believed he was too conservative.

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    These essay examples and topics on George Washington were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy.

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    3 pages / 1243 words. George Washington was the first elected President of the United States. He was chosen by members of the 13 colonies due to his military prowess and strategic background. Many saw in him a little of uncompromising investment in the future of America, and a man... George Washington. 2.

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    Analysis: "George Washington's Farewell Address". Washington's "Farewell Address" has two distinct purposes. The first is to announce Washington's retirement and share his parting thoughts on preserving America's freedom. In this capacity, Washington speaks as a beloved national hero, finally ready to close the book on an ...

  9. Creating the American Nation

    George Washington to Sarah Cary Fairfax, June 7, 1755. In 1755 while on a military campaign against the French, George Washington began his flirtatious correspondence with Sarah Cary Fairfax, who was only two years older than Washington but the wife of George William Fairfax, his neighbor and close friend at Belvoir, in Fairfax county.

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  11. How To Write An Essay About George Washington With Ease

    Add a fascinating anecdote or story about George Washington. Describe his accomplishments. Write The Thesis Statement. The next step is the thesis statement. This step comes before the body of the short essay. The statement is the crux that holds your entire essay, so be sure to write it carefully.

  12. Why George Washington was a Good Leader

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    Articles and Essays. Articles and Essays. Timeline A chronology of key events in the life and career of George Washington, 1731/32-1799. Provenance The story of the route the George Washington Papers travelled to arrive in the Library's collections, from Dorothy S. Eaton's introduction to Index to the George Washington Papers, 1964.

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  16. George Washington Study Guide: Study Questions

    Justify your answer. Washington was an excellent military and political leader, though on balance he was probably a better political leader. His early military career is spotty at best; his loss to the French at Fort Necessity was tragic and unnecessary. Under Braddock he performed bravely but with little regard to strategy.

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    4 Anecdote. Anecdotes are often used as hooks in personal essays. A personal story makes the essay relatable, creating familiarity with the reader that makes them want to read more. An example of an anecdote hook is a persuasive essay about rerouting traffic on campus that starts with a personal story of a vehicular close call.

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    The Impact and Legacy of George Washington. According to (Calloway, 2018), George Washington was the firstborn of Mr. Augustine and his mother, Mary Ball Washington, who lived in Virginia County in America. He had six siblings, and he was brought up in a very adverse background since his dad left him at a significantly younger age, eleven years ...

  19. How to Write the George Washington University Essays 2023-2024

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    Metaphor/Simile Hook: You can set up a scene by telling a short story for your readers to imagine before getting to your essay's core. This metaphor hook can be highly compelling and relatable to your audience. Anecdotal Hook: The trickiest essay hook used to diffuse the tension surrounding a heavy topic.

  21. How to Write the George Washington University Essays 2020-2021

    Honors Program Applicants. Prompt 1: Please address prompt A or B in 300 words or less: Option A: Write a letter to the author of a book you loved. Option B: Describe an event in your life, a person, or an experience (choose one) that has had a profound effect on you.

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    Essay Example #1 - Journalism. Essay Example #2 - Letter to the Author. Essay Example #3 - Honors at GW. Essay Example #4 - Sustainability. Essay Example #5 - Civil Discourse. Where to Get Your Essays Edited. George Washington University is a private research university best known for its programs in international affairs, government ...

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