how to start an history essay

how to start an history essay

Effective Strategies for Starting a History Essay

1. Introduction: The Importance of a Strong Opening

The writer also might begin with a restatement of the title or introduce a concept described in the title. A writer might make a sharp statement right at the start—not a cliché that the reader has heard a million times, but a fresh saying or a jarring and dramatic image, perhaps a fragment. Starting in this fashion is the strongest way to begin an essay. It hooks the reader’s or listener’s interest and thereby encourages the absorption or consideration of the information. An effective lead should be brief as well as persuasive. Even a longer one should be no more than 10 to 20 per cent of the length of the subsequent narrative or explanation. For effective essays, a short lead that merely introduces the main topic is usually best. Only the shortest high school essays can omit this section, and the topic leads for such texts usually begin more or less like a title: “Abraham Lincoln.”

It is terrible to start an essay with a quote from a dictionary or Wikipedia. That does not stop many people from doing it, but it suggests that the writer is not deeply interested in reflecting. A better opening might begin by asking “What do we mean by ‘democracy’?” or by describing the idea of a democratic government or a contemporary dilemma that citizens or governments confront when choosing tactics during a crisis of any sort. The writer then might leave readers and listeners with a question to ponder for a moment or two before starting the narrative or description with which the formal essay will begin. Starting with a question or a simple problem can be extremely effective for a short essay or an opening paragraph of a longer one. The audience may not have thought about a problem or an issue in quite the way that the writer has.

2. Crafting a Compelling Thesis Statement

Indeed, many students make a mistake of perceiving the more telling or issue-provoking the thesis, the more it hinders the experiential path, which can lead to less coherent history essays. In reality, a carefully drafted thesis statement can bind an essay and guide it as purposefully as the following body paragraphs. A thesis statement is the product of exploratory, tentative drafts, not pre-ordained; divergent, interdisciplinary, trailblazing essays do have a thesis that they are happy to share with a reader. It should be specific enough that the reader can understand the argument, and broad enough to give some sense of what the entire essay will cover. A thesis can be two or three sentences, presumably as important and nuanced as an instructor’s discussion with case study evidence. Furthermore, broad fields of interest turn into manageable research questions, for a thesis can draw from authoritative scholarly statements.

The key for successful essays lies in the expression of craftsmanship through succinctness, as well as its ability to guide the reader toward the significance of the argument even before the specific details of the argument are expounded. Therefore, a successful history essay contains a thesis that is located at the beginning of the essay where readers may be expecting it, and then supports this thesis with sufficient arguments. An effective thesis presents an argument for a reader to consider. It introduces the claim to be discussed, reducing it to a guideline for the writer. It addresses the question presented in an essay prompt or the topic discussed by the paper, while maintaining the reader’s interest. It focuses on the most important next thing to be said, but leaves open all kinds of issues to be investigated in the future based on the writer’s imagined research interest. Subordinating its genre, style, and voice to the thesis’ business, an effective thesis needs to spring naturally from the writer’s chosen topic.

3. Engaging the Reader with a Hook

What type of hook you should use is related to the topic of your essay. For example, a comparison hook will work well if your essay focuses on culture, and a timely fact or a rhetorical question would engage the reader in nearly any history essay. Your hook must be true, but it will rarely put the entire truth completely in context. Your hook is merely to get your reader involved in reading the essay. Similarly, many people do not appreciate having history thrust upon them. With the literal hook of a fishing line, you let the fish voluntarily choose to bite. And that is the type of hook you are using. Your readers must choose to enter your literary world of facts and historical figures.

1) The key to a good history essay is a great hook. A hook is an interesting fact or question that immediately draws the reader in. It works much like a porch light on a dark, gloomy night. The reader is attracted to the light and soon forgets all else. Your job is to hold the reader’s interest, and to do so, you must begin with a hook! After you have two or three sentences, consider your thesis statement and the structuring of your essay. Building your hook is key to the success of your writing; if you start strong, your reader will continue to read, eager to find out more.

4. Setting the Context and Background Information

3) Purpose (or Background Status) Information: Here’s also where you want to include background information as part of this contextualizing step. Your purpose information is twofold. It tells your reader the who, what, and why, and it tells you, the writer, what to write. Think of it as both a crib sheet to your reader but also a concentrated distillation of the argument you are about to make and the organizational style you’ve chosen. The importance of establishing the context and helping your reader understand the who, what, when, where, and why of your research can’t be overstated. After all, you’ve got to paint the scene and guide your reader through it before you can get all explainy.

The first step in writing a good history essay is often setting the stage for what you’ll argue. Asking these questions can help you get to that point. Why did the people who lived during the historical event or era you’re talking about matter, and why does their importance have an impact on the United States as we know it today? How did the actions of these people, their beliefs, values, and decisions shape the actions and beliefs of those that came after them? To what extent have these people’s decisions designed action for those of us who live today? What lasting impact have they had on the United States and the people who make it what it is today? It’s not enough to just tell the story. Use your essay to tell a story that is representative of the United States political, social, and/or economic landscape at the time of which you write.

5. Structuring the Essay for Coherence

You may need to present a position or multiple angles on an issue (argumentative), or alternatively, present results of primary research, or indeed simply know enough about what you are writing to be able to describe and analyze it (informative-based essays). But, whatever approach is necessary, your essay is aiming to present a successful response that engages with the reader’s understanding of historical events from an informed, accurate and analytical account that draws upon primary sources. Ensure this is done by grouping topic areas into a series of identifiable parts, then begin with an introduction that telescopes the direction that the essay will be following. Fundamentally, ensure that your essay is an accurate representation of your knowledge, understanding, and response to the question asked.

Having effectively outlined the major points and material that will be included in the essay, it is time to develop an overarching structure to your work. Looking back at the major essay component in the previous stage of breaking down the question, ask yourself: What response strategy does the essay question demand from me? What overall story or line am I trying to present in the essay? The first question addresses the keyword from the question, with the type of essay demanded. Once you understand what is asked of you, it is easier to develop the essay’s overall response strategy.