Biography Instructions
You will identify an important figure in American history from the American National
Biography Online database, available through the Jerry Falwell Library, and write a one-
to-two page biography of that individual with a ten-source bibliography.
Biography 2 must address an individual who was important in U.S. history after
1945.
Your paper should be a full, 1-2 page summary. The summary should not include any
footnotes or other citations.
After writing the summary, you will create a bibliography that includes the American
National Biography Online page you used, as well as three scholarly books using the
Jerry Falwell Online Library search engine and/or WorldCat (www.worldcat.org), three
scholarly, journal articles using JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, Academic OneFile,
and/or Summon (found in Liberty Library’s databases), and three reputable websites
(.org, .edu, .gov, .mil) to create a bibliography related to the subject of your biography.
The use of current Turabian formatting in your bibliography is required.
The purposes of this assignment are to teach you about important figures in U.S. history,
introduce you to the process of finding different sources available through Liberty
University, and help you learn the importance of proper formatting.
SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE BIOGRAPHIES
1. Include your name, date, and course on the upper right of your biography. Please
single space these items.
2. The summary must be typed and doubled-spaced, have 1-inch margins, and be
between 1-2 pages.
3. The summary should have at least three paragraphs including an introduction,
body, and conclusion. There should be no extra space between paragraphs.
4. You must place page numbers at the bottom of each page of your summary and
bibliography.
5. Each source in the bibliography must be single-spaced with an extra space
between the sources. The sources should be in alphabetical order by the author’s
last name. Please see the sample citations below for guidance.
6. Read and apply the “Tips for Reading and Writing in History” (found in the
course’s Additional Information folder, under Syllabus and Assignment
Instructions). With very few exceptions, the best biographies will be the ones that
undergo several revisions. In your revisions, check for grammatical errors,
organizational problems, and the clarity of your descriptions.
Proper Turabian format for Biography
Citation for American National Biograpy Online (at top of Bibliography):
Bruce, Robert V. “Bell, Alexander Graham.” American National Biograpy
Online. http://www.anb.org/articles/13/13-00115.html.
Bibliography (in alphabetical order)
Books (three books)
Gray, Charlotte.
Articles (three scholarly articles)
Beauchamp, Christopher. “Who Invented the
Telephone? Lawyers, Patents, and the Judgments
of History”. Technology and Culture vol. 51, 4
(October 2010): 854-78.
Websites (three reputable websites)
Library of Congress. “The Alexander Graham Bell Family
Papers.” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/bellhome.html.
Biography Grading Rubric
Criteria
Levels of Achievement
Points
Earned
Advanced
Proficient
Developing
Not
Present
Content
63 to 70 points
Thorough
summary of the
historic figure.
Identifies
American National
Biography Online
citation, 3
scholarly books, 3
scholarly articles,
and 3 reputable
websites.
49 to 62 points
Substantial
coverage of the
historic figure but not
in sufficient detail.
Biography needs
further development
in up to 4 areas.
1 or 2 sources do
not meet the
standards in the
directions for
scholarly sources.
Identifies only 6 or
1 to 48 points
Biography does not
address the historic
figure adequately and
needs substantial
development.
Biography covers
an individual outside
the required time
period.
4 or more sources
are not scholarly or
reputable.
Identifies 5 or less
0
points
7 scholarly sources.
scholarly sources.
Sources address a
historical figure
outside the required
time period.
Structure
28 to 30 points
Follows the
format provided
with the
assignment
including length (1-
2 pages), margins,
spacing, and page
numbers.
Is typed into a
single Word
document.
2 or less
formatting errors in
the bibliography.
Includes distinct
introduction, body,
and conclusion.
Includes thesis
statement in first
paragraph.
Uses well-
developed
paragraphs with
clear transitions.
Uses direct,
clear, concise
sentences.
Avoids common
mistakes
described in the
course’s “Reading
and Writing Tips
for History.”
Minimal
grammar, spelling,
and/or punctuation
errors.
21 to 27 points
Summary is
slightly shorter than
1 page or slightly
longer than two
pages.
No more than 2–3
of the following
incorrect: margins,
spacing, and page
numbers.
There are 3–9
formatting errors in
the bibliography.
Missing either the
introduction or
conclusion; or one of
them is not effective.
Lacks clear thesis
statement .
Paragraphs may
not be well-
developed, but all
paragraphs are
unified (one topic).
Some paragraphs do
not have topic
sentences and/or
effective transitions.
No more than 4
poorly written
sentences.
No more than 6
grammar, spelling,
and/or punctuation
errors.
1 to 20 points
Summary is ½
page or less, or
longer than 2 ½
pages.
More than 4 of the
following incorrect:
margins, spacing, and
page numbers.
There are more
than 10 formatting
errors in the
bibliography.
Lacks thesis
statement.
Excessively long or
short paragraphs.
Paragraphs not well-
developed and many
are not unified (one
topic). Most do not
have topic sentences
and/or transitions.
5 or more poorly
written sentences.
7 or more
grammar, spelling,
and/or punctuation
errors.
0
points
Total
/100
Instructor’s Comments:
1
Name
Date
Course
Martin Luther’s Biography
Introduction
The United States has had many great leaders since it attained independence. Its great
leaders have educated and provided Americans with essential tools and skills for survival. They
have also come up with a constitution that has enabled America to be observed as one of the
greatest nations globally. Furthermore, the leaders have made Americans recognize that they
should fight social injustices and discriminatory legislation. In this way, they have enabled the
minority group's escape the racial practices. They also empowered them and exposed them to
better living conditions. Martin Luther is arguably one of the greatest and honored leaders in
United States history.
Martin’s Achievements
Martin Luther’s accomplished many things during the era he lived. For instance, in 1955,
he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott was triggered by an African American woman
identified as Rosa Parks. She declined to issue her seat for a white individual and she was
detained as a result of bias racial segregation laws. Martin’s involvement in the boycott enabled
him to be detained. Besides, he was threatened and his home was bombed. Secondly, Martin and
other civil rights activists created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The
SCLC played pivotal roles in coordinating the affairs of the Civil Rights Movement.
Thirdly, Martin led African Americans in the Birmingham campaign. This campaign
made the municipal government change Birmingham's discriminatory laws. Martin was also a
key figure in planning the great march on Washington on 28th August 1963. The main aim of this
rally was to oppose the oppressive laws. Furthermore, Martin's famous speech identified as "I
Have a Dream'' intensified American Civil Rights Movements. In 1963, he became the
magazine's Man of the year. He was recognized since he was observed as a fearless person who
fought for the elimination of bias laws. In addition, Martin was successful in using non-violent
methods of protest in a bid for fighting for racial discrimination. The trip he made to India
enabled him to be informed that non –violent resistance could help African Americans to attain
their objectives. Martin Luther also became a symbolic leader of the Blacks. From 1957 till his
assassination, he addressed the problems they faced about 2500 times and traveled about 6
million miles. He organized many peaceful demonstrations and wrote many articles and 5 books.
As a result of being recognized as the renowned leader of the Blacks, he became the youngest
person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He specifically received this award when he was thirty-
five years old.
Conclusion
In this discussion, one of the vital important figures in America’s history has been
explored. Martin Luther represents one of the Americans who influenced the United States
political landscape positively. His achievements were noted when he organized Blacks
Americans to protest against the bias discriminatory laws. In this way, Martin was able to make
African Americans recognize that they had a voice that could be used to create change. He also
enabled them to identify that they should use non-violent protests to fight for their rights.
Overall, his involvement in the United States affairs enabled African Americans to acquire better
rights.
Bibliography
Bruyneel, Kevin. "The king's body: The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the politics of
collective memory." History & Memory 26, no. 1 (2014): 75-108.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/histmemo.26.1.75#metadata_info_tab_contents.
Duffy, Bernard K., and Richard D. Besel. "Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” and the
politics of cultural memory: An apostil." ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles,
Notes, and Reviews 23, no. 3 (2010): 184-191.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0895769X.2010.496287?scroll=top&need
Access=true.
History Art and Archives. The Civil Rights Movement and the Second Reconstruction, 1945-
1968. https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-
Essays/Keeping-the-Faith/Civil-Rights-Movement/.
Martin Luther. Our Struggle. New York Liberation. https://www.worldcat.org/title/our-
struggle/oclc/56796521&referer=brief_results.
Martin Luther. Play Boy Interview. https://www.worldcat.org/title/playboy-interview-martin-
luther-king/oclc/56357488&referer=brief_results.
Martin Luther. The Negro is your brother. Boston Mass. https://www.worldcat.org/title/negro-is-
your-brother/oclc/56353632&referer=brief_results.
Paguyo, Christina H., and Michele S. Moses. "Debating affirmative action: Politics, media, and
equal opportunity in a “postracial” America." Peabody Journal of Education 86, no. 5
(2011): 553-579. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0161956X.2011.616138.
Public Broadcasting Corporation. Putting Itself out of Business.
https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/educate_event/putting.html.
Steven Lawson. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement: Controversies and
Debates Georgia International Society. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40581660?seq=1.
The Nobel Prize Organization. Martin Luther King Jr.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/facts/.
