Essay should be about five paragraphs long. The first paragraph should introduce the topic and state your position / answer to the question. Each paragraph should contain three to five complete sentences. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs are the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should contain including a topic sentence that states a main point that supports the thesis and at least two to three specific examples per main point. The fifth and final paragraph should begin with a restatement of the thesis. It should contain three to five complete sentences, and include a brief summary/conclusion of the student's answer to the essay question.
Why was it so difficult to resolve such issues as the spoils system, the tariff, and bimetallism, which consumed congressional energies in the late nineteenth century?