Essays are part and parcel of what students have to complete to graduate. However, some essays are complex and require students to think outside the box. One of these papers is the ‘what it means to be an American essay.’ We offer a detailed guide on the definition, outline, and short writing prompts with explanations on this task.
What It Means To Be An American Essays Definition
It is an academic paper that seeks to make students explore America’s uniqueness, successes, and other practices or traditions that make one proud of being an American. One can define this as a ‘patriotic paper’ that stirs up the love for one’s country inform an essay.
Being an American essay is common in American High Schools or colleges. Sometimes, it might be among the admission essays you will have to write before admission into the particular institution. The teacher can sharpen students’ writing skills from such an assignment while making them feel proud of their country.Now, take a look at the real-life sample “What it means to be an American” essay.
“What It Means To Be An American” Sample Essay
Being an American entitles much more than the legal definition of the American citizen. Based on the Universalist ideological character, the American nationality can be bestowed upon anyone who wants to become an American. However, to be an American, one needs to behave like an American. This means one must serve his country, pay his taxes, vote to determine his country’s leaders, and so on. Being an American also means one can take full advantage of freedom of speech, equal rights, diversity, and the American way of life.
Freedom of speech is the most defining aspect of being an American. America stands for freedom and, as such, its citizens are free to speak their mind, even if their ideas are different from those of the country’s leaders. People are free to gather and speak up when they see injustice. Moreover, American people have the guaranteed right to worship divinity in any religion they choose.
Being an American means being able to choose the country’s political leaders. Each American has one vote that he can cast once every 4 years. The people are the ones who choose not only their President, but also their legislators. All Americans have equal voting rights that nobody can take away from them.
The American way of life is protected by the Constitution. Being an American means having respect for the law, benefitting for equal justice, and benefitting from freedom of contract. Private property and merit-based achievements are also strongly protected by not only the Constitution, but also state laws and regulations.
Finally, what does it really mean to be an American? In my opinion, to be an American means knowing that you can speak freely without fear of repression. Moreover, it means choosing your country’s leaders without having to fear about fraud and making the most of the American way of life which is protected by our country’s Constitution. However, it also means doing everything in one’s power to prevent anyone from taking these rights from him.
What Does It Mean To Be An American Essay Outline
The process of writing this paper employs a practical approach. It means that students will have to identify the specific aspects of being an American citizen and how they contribute to the person’s life at large. The ‘what does it mean to be an American’ essay outline may vary from contemporary methods in other essays.
Before you commence your writing process, here are some backgrounders:
- Identify specific events, traditions, and customs that are unique to Americans
- Point out particular instances when you were part of them
- Identify how these customs and practices shape the behavior of Americans
- Investigate relevant institutions or bodies responsible for promoting American culture
- Look at how the media portrays America as a nation
- Evaluate whether people feel proud being Americans or not
These are great pointers that will help you write an impressive ‘what does it mean to be an American’ thesis. You can also ask around from your history teachers or read historical records of America. It will help you have a strong background for your paper and know why Americans hold dear to some practices while rejecting others.
Let us now look at ‘what does it mean to be an American’ essay structure:
- The introduction
It should provide a foundational basis for your paper with a solid and relatable background. It is where historical research comes to the rescue. Your thesis statement should then portray your stand on what it means to be an American. It can be a cultural aspect or any other peculiarities of the American people.
- The body paragraphs
They should build on the introduction while feeding flesh to the thesis statement you stated above. Remember that your body paragraphs are the main element of your paper, and thus they should be clear and precise.
Topic sentences should introduce every point you intend to put across in each paragraph. For example, you can have the following topic sentences for a ‘what does being an American mean to you’ essay:
- It means being tech-savvy with the best scientific knowledge in the world.
- It means being free to speak your mind without fear of contradiction
- It means being the leader at any stage of your life
You can build on such topic sentences to develop the best ‘what it means to be an American’ essay.
- The conclusion
It summarizes your main points while restating your thesis stamen. Make this as enjoyable as possible with a take-home for your readers. The conclusion should be void of any new ideas not stated in the body paragraphs.
What It Means To Be An American Essay Ideas For Practice
Our experts have identified some fascinating writing prompts that will guarantee you top-notch grades. Try any of them today and see how much they will transform your grades and overall confidence in class!
- The democratic political space: Talk about the freedom of political speech and the free and fair elections in America, unlike other countries.
- Cultural diversity: Discuss the vast land that America occupies with all its diverse ways of life.
- The thriving economy: Evaluate America’s GDP in contrast to other nations and why it stands out
- The world’s superpower nation: Discuss the political influence of America in the global arena when it comes to matters affecting the whole world.
- Its commitment to helping others: Talk about the humanitarian organizations and NGOs that contribute to peacekeeping missions and other forms of support.
- The rich historical nature of America: Elaborate why most of the world’s history is on the history of America
- The advanced technology: Talk about America’s role in transforming the world digitally through technological tools.
What more do you need for a top-rated American paper than these sample ideas?
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