how to write a history essay example

how to write a history essay example

Effective Strategies for Writing a History Essay

1. Introduction to Writing a History Essay

All of us have had to complete unexciting writing assignments both in school and out, but we commit ourselves to evolving our own perspectives. Different opinions and beliefs about the past make everyone’s life richer in their views. Writing responses to compelling historical professor’s prompts are meant to encourage us to analyze, reflect, and form our own mature ideas. Teachers may report that exciting revelations of the student’s opinion contribute to lively discussions and even lead to a diverse reevaluation of each major pupil’s particular analysis. Since conscious thought about our own ideas enriches our lives and of those we converse with, a history essay should be enjoyable, educational, and constructively remembered. Let us never assume that one should only possess this eloquent ability for history’s sake. Our English language forceful essay writing skills can influence our abilities to share thoughts, opinions, and factual information between various types of intellect. The powerful words of an accomplished historical and effectively credible essay are not something to be squandered. A person’s deduction from the artful use of language can inspire students’ insight. The future is our responsibility and our passion, and the power of the essay is carried over to the ages.

History has a language of its own. Historical essays are not often the standard during a student’s academic career, however we carry that capability to express historical knowledge with us throughout our lives. In the process of taking a history class, a student learns how to analyze, compose a thesis, organize an argument, utilize effective primary and secondary sources, and apply documentation in a historical English-style essay. These topics are clearly relatable to countless situations observed in everyday conversation, such as family discussions or reading a newspaper. Everyone wants to understand and communicate, and utilizing tools for effective communication in our thoughts and arguments does not only exist in school or in writing. Despite the slight accidental discovery that one has these abilities, it is often a challenging task to compose an inspiring, informative, and comprehensive history essay. These recommendations are a guide for efficiently structuring the learning process and providing criteria for a thoughtful student who has limited time and who may have already completed or is about to begin another history essay.

2. Research and Analysis Techniques

Effective Analysis of Historical Information: A presentational pattern of history student work is reading an introductory research statement and then encountering a list. For example, students may present people, events, places, causes, consequences, backgrounds, and implications of a significant historical event or issue, usually appearing sorted by relevant heading. The reader is expected to make relevant connections between subheadings such as ‘people’ and what each person did, which necessarily demands further elaboration in the forms of student expression or from saps of related information or voices quoting recent revelations. Your responses will most effectively fulfill the subject characteristics of coherent and detailed information about a historical event or issue, using appropriate historical terminology, correctly sequenced factual information distinguishing between people, events, places, causes, consequences, backgrounds, and implications or precedents, questions, problems, and disregarding irrelevant information supported effectively by selected primary source evidence.

Research is fundamental to the study of history. Many general research techniques have been discussed in the text titled “How Historians Are Classified? For Example, Social or Cultural Historians?” Some stages of research have been addressed in more specific references in other contexts. “How Is it Taught?” The earliest stages of acquiring general information by reading historically themed literature or watching television or video documentaries through the research with primary or secondary sources relate directly to the process of writing a response about a particular historical issue with sensitivity to the demands of a related assessment task. Ask your teacher librarian for copies if you do not have these texts already. When researching for your history extended response, think about the area of particular research significance for this response. Whether you are on a history excursion or visit to a place, use your eyes and ears, and take careful note of the historical information that you have researched. Visit this place, use what you see and what you have learned to prepare your writing. Take photographs, voice recordings, narration, or video clips to support your response.

Research and critical historical analysis are fundamental keys to preparing well-argued extended responses, whether in the form of an essay or a report. A style guide for History connections sets the tone for the body of this chapter. Be clear about your task. Research thoroughly. Select and analyze your data to determine relevant, accurate, and reliable information appropriate to the task. Reserve the most relevant information. Structure your response clearly, using your information effectively to support your argument. Write using concise, effective language, reflecting confidence, control, and authority.

3. Structuring Your Essay

A few rules of thumb to keep in mind when structuring: Unless you are so familiar with paragraphing that you can accomplish it blindly, use a topic sentence at the head of every paragraph. Be sure that it refers directly to both the paragraph or concept in front of which it stands, and to the entire essay and/or thesis as a whole. Avoid long paragraphs unless you are truly an expert at structure, as well as long convoluted sentences. To tone down wordiness, use transitions, the stylistic crutch of an effective essay writer throughout the work. The more you practice these structuring techniques, the more easily and skillfully you themselves will appear. Write at least three full pages to receive a passing score; insufficient length always reflects lack of focus and seriousness.

While you may have found a variety of sources to complete your essay, the look and sound of the paper can be enhanced by adopting a style close to that used in scientific or scholarly journals. Most historical arguments (and many other essays and other sorts of writings, for that matter) require a strong structure that is clear and concise. Essays that do not relate to either the mentor text or question almost immediately are usually unfocused essays, ensuring a mid-range score. There are many methods of mastering a clear structure, but some of the most important are to quickly create a thesis answer. Your entire paper, from the very first line to the very last line, should center around your thesis answer, making sure your readers clearly know what your thesis answer is when they are done reading.

4. Writing and Revising the Essay

When reading over your essay, try to view it objectively. You might not realize just how jumbled the writing is or that your thesis is not even present. Some of the faces of students who are reading their papers in a peer review session give away their sudden realization that they have not even written a thesis statement.

I cannot speak too highly of the importance of multiple drafts. Essays improve with editing. After you write a complete draft, set it aside for at least a day, then go back to it with fresh eyes. Too often, students try to edit their essays right after writing them. When editing their own papers, students often make the mistake of rereading what they meant to write, rather than reading what is actually on the page. As a result, they typically decide that the meaning comes through as intended rather than as it is actually expressed. Set your paper aside, ideally for a day or two and at least for several hours, and then come back to it. You will be infinitely better at noticing what is actually on the page.