by Mac Taylor
Daniel Leeâs â08 AP United States History term paper was selected by the Concord Review for its spring 2008 issue.
The review is a quarterly academic journal that showcases history essays submitted by high school students.
The spring issue includes 11 essays submitted by students from around the English-speaking world.
Lee wrote the paper during his junior year for Drew Maddockâs AP United States History class and later expanded its length in order to submit it to the review.
The essay discusses Americaâs involvement during the early stages of the Korean War and the implications it had on the policy of containment during the 1950s.
Lee always knew he wanted to write about the Korean War, but he met with Maddock in order to narrow down his topic to the beginning of the war.
âI wanted to research something that would teach me more about my culture as a Korean-American,â Lee said.
âI thought it would give me a better understanding of the history of Americaâs foreign policy, since Iâm also interested in international relations.â
Although the paper was only six pages long and submissions to the Concord Review must be between 4,000-6,000 words, at the end of the year Maddock encouraged him to submit it to the Concord Review.
During the summer, Lee went to a public library for a few weeks to gather more sources.
âI had to expand my paperâs scope to include more of Americaâs military encounters and strategy, and I ended up doubling my paperâs initial length,â Lee said.
