Best, Worst, and First

This remains my all-time favorite answer from an undergraduate history exam. It comes from the first batch of tests I ever graded from the US history survey (American history from 1877) and is a student's attempt to identify and explain the historical significance of "The Birth of a Nation" (the question did not identify it as a film, though we watched it in class). This is verbatim:

"Birth? Defined, 'birth' is an origin, a new beginning, a starting point. Nation? Defined, 'nation' is a place implying a sense of community, group, a sort of social unity. 'The Birth of a Nation' is the origin, the beginning of a community, social unity in the United States, particularly in Chicago where urbanization, industrialization, and immigration played a huge role in the success of the nation. Immigration begins the progress of industrialization with foreign people coming to the states in search of labor, freedom, and equality. Their labor enhances the workload, increases production, forcing industrialization to boom. Land laborers and factory workers are used frequently and is necessary for such success. Increase of population in small areas where work is nearby causes urbanization. Urbanization increases as production increases and immigration continues. Sometimes segregating certain groups of people, workers and bosses, or even certain races, for example Little Italy, Little Village, Cabrini Green, Greektown, Chinatown, etc....The movement of people from fields to the city originates a new social unity, 'The Birth of a Nation.'"

If you read it again with the cadence of a piece of slam poetry, it gets even better.