Civil War Museum of Philadelphia 2024 Essay Contest
CWMP Essay Contest UPDATE
We are pleased to announce that the CWMP Essay Contest deadline has been extended to 5 pm EST on Monday, February 17, 2025 (President's Day).
Additionally, eligibility has been expanded. All high school students as of the extended deadline date are now eligible to submit essays.
The Essay Contest Winner and Honorable Mention will be notified and announced no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
All other content rules, prizes, and submission requirements continue to apply.
Thank You
CWMP Board of Governors
General Rules and Requirements
Essay Subject
The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia (CWMP) invites eligible entrants (See Eligibility below) to submit essays covering any subject (battles, leaders, social history, legislation, military, politics, economics, ancestry, etc.) related to the American Civil War era from Fort Sumter (April 1861) to Appomattox (April 1865).
Word Count Limit
Essays are limited to a total of 1,500 words. Essays with word counts above this limit will be disqualified. Works cited are not included with the word count.
Prizes
Winner: $1,500.00 (One thousand, five hundred dollars)
Honorable Mention: $500.00 (Five hundred dollars)
Eligibility
High school juniors and seniors as of the Essay Submission Deadline (See below) are eligible.
Font and Page Style
Example: CWMP Essay Content – J. Doe – “Philadelphia and the Underground Railroad”
Name on the essay PDF file must match subject line.
Organization
Essays must have an introduction, body and conclusion with a clearly stated, well-developed thesis statement supported by historical evidence.
Works Cited
Essays should be free of any margin notes but should cite sources as necessary.
Essay Submission Deadline
Eligible applicants may submit their essays beginning on July 15, 2024 via the dedicated mailbox
All essays must be received by the Essay Submission Deadline at 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 18, 2024
Reading Fee
A $20.00 (Twenty dollars) reading fee is required, per entry. This should be remitted using the Venmo code provided below
Judging
The CWMP Board of Governors and invited guests will select a pool of finalists from which an eminent historian will choose the Winner and Honorable Mention. Essays will be evaluated for their historical rigor, the clarity of their style, their use of sources, and their qualities of imagination and investigation. The winner will be determined only after final judging is complete.
Additional consideration will be accorded to essays that feature historical figures and events with ties to the City of Philadelphia and/or use of primary source material (e.g. letters, artifacts, photographs, newspaper articles).
Essays determined to have used Artificial Intelligence or plagiarism will be disqualified from the contest.
Essay Winner
The CWMP Essay Contest Winner and Honorable Mention will be notified and announced no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, December 20, 2024.
The Essay Winner and Honorable Mention essays will be posted on the CWMP website.
