Knight Essay Resources

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest. The contest is open to all US Citizen and Legal Resident students attending home schools, public, parochial, or private high schools in that same grade range. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the 2017-18 NASSP List of Approved Contests, Programs, and Activities for Students.

To participate, students must submit an original 800- to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. Each student’s essay will be judged based upon its historical accuracy, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling, and documentation.

The contest is conducted in three phases: the local chapter, state-level society, and national phases. The contest must be entered through an SAR chapter near the student’s residence. In some cases, the contest may be entered at the state level (if the local society does not have chapters or the chapters are not participating) and a contact-at-large should be used to find out more contest details. The list of contest contacts listed below can provide you with assistance in entering the Knight Essay Contest. Only one entry per student is permitted per contest year.

The local contest is judged by a panel from the Lt. Andrew Crockett Chapter and the Essay Contest winner is awarded with a $ 100 cash gift; a Knight Essay Medal; and a Knight Essay Certificate.  

The winner is also automatically enrolled in the State SAR Knight Essay Contest, which includes a higher cash award.   If selected as the State winner, the student is then enrolled in the National SAR Knight Essay Contest, which again has an even larger cash award.   

Contact for further information:
Simon A. McIlroy

Knight Essay Contest Chairman

Historian

simon.mcilroy@gmail.com