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Philip L. Carret Thomas Jefferson Essay Competition

This is a guide to the Philip L. Carret Thomas Jefferson Essay Competition. The essay competition was endowed in 1997 and was designed to have students reflect on the principles and ideals in Thomas Jefferson's life and career.

1999 Carret Essay Prompt

The 1803 Louisiana Purchase gave the United States a vast interior empire and raised significant social, economic and constitutional issues. Analyze and evaluate the decision-making process which led to the Purchase. Also, explore the implications of the Louisiana Purchase.

1999 Essay Winners

Name Award Title
Daniel Callaway First Place "Thomas Jefferson and the New Empire"
Katherine Cieslak Second Place "Jefferson's Louisiana: Triumph and Tragedy in Western Expansion"
Anne Schaffer Third Place "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Longitudes"