how to write an as level history essay

how to write an as level history essay

Guide to Writing an A-Level History Essay

1. Introduction to A-Level History Essays

Historians divide history into ‘modern’ which is post-Rome, and everything before. You will be studying modern history, going back approximately 2000 years. Consequently, the modern era is very carefully defined. An essay must start with an outline of the time span before even considering the question that it sets out to answer. There are two main means of organizing an essay, these are the differences between geographical areas, Empires and, more recently, Nations. Clearly, the order in which the essay is written, and the order in which the paragraphs appear, reflect this categorization.

At the heart of every history essay is a central ‘big’ question. This could be ‘to what extent’ or ‘how important’ type questions. History requires its own very special rule and method in its writing. The following, therefore, is a guide to writing a history essay, whether for an assignment, examination or coursework, and is closely based on the A-Level syllabus because that is the one I have most recently encountered.

2. Researching and Planning Your Essay

It is important to remember that a lot of sources can be approached in a number of ways. Books offering commentary and analysis on specific projects can provide considerable insight and can be used as a good launching pad for a literature survey. In contrast to scholarly journals, books are generally a more helpful mechanism for approaching specific topics in-depth. If, on the other hand, you are accessing material beyond the university catalog, you need to take steps to ensure that your material is available. If it is microfilm, consult the reader unless you are sure about the availability of material. Once you have identified the books or articles you will need, write down a concise note of what the crucial points are. Try not to lose substantial records while taking notes. After you have completed your examination, please put your data aside. Finding readings on a topic of interest creates an understanding framework. See how Libertarian and Progressive did their research.

Once you’ve done your preparation, the next step is to turn your mind to the actual research and planning process. Whatever topic you are addressing, it is important to remember that you will not be required simply to sift and regurgitate the knowledge contained in various sources. As a historian, you are expected to offer insight, capturing connections between diverse events and personalities, drawing out the common themes and experiences of those involved, and ultimately rendering an explanation as to why certain changes have taken place. To evidence your argument, you’ll need to marshal an array of primary and secondary materials. Primary sources will usually offer you the most intriguing perspectives, and it is often necessary to include detailed low-level evidence within your research in order to illustrate your arguments effectively. The ability to assess the relative value of primary sources and to locate these within the broader historiographical context is a skill at the center of every successful history essay.

3. Structuring Your Essay

Signal the different stages of your argument by using subheadings which relate to the examiners directly (for example, “Why Did Germany Lose the Second World War?”), but do not use the subheadings in your essay. Your essay should begin with a list of what points each essay will make. When it is mostly complete, then go back and write the essay around the points, adding the introduction and conclusion at the end. The conclusion of your essay should sum up your argument, and should mirror the introduction, echoing it but not directly repeating it. If you are given a strength or a significant aspect previously not involving a point you wish to make but which could be used to develop your argument in another direction, try chronological development of that aspect.

The traditional way to structure an A-Level History essay is chronological. An example of this would be: Introduction – The Spanish Inquisition – WW2 – PiL – Conclusion. After you have finished your research, write a list of all the points that your essay will make. Do not try to write an essay from your list; instead, use it as a plan with which to construct your essay, which should be developed as a series of connected paragraphs. Each paragraph should make a point which develops your essay, and the reader should be able to “see” these points developing. No paragraph should cover more than one aspect of one argument which is stretched over several paragraphs.

4. Writing and Editing Techniques

The writing of an A-Level history essay is understood to make some contribution to historical understanding, so you should be prepared to write essays that can be accurately described as historical. Even if your teacher encourages personal bias, you should avoid involving prejudiced remarks, stereotyping, inappropriate generalization, or value statements of any sort. Such factors are likely to work against you in academic grading. On the other hand, robust criticism, thoughtful commentary, and guided interpretations of evidence should always be welcomed. In addition, you are expected to evaluate sources and assess interpretations, to question and criticize until you have examined all aspects of settled historical facts. If the essay you write omits all of these, it will receive fewer than the maximum marks.

Commercial or journalistic-style language is usually considered inappropriate in an A-Level history essay, so beware of colorful language and colloquial expressions. It is also important to avoid using language that is so esoteric as to be imprecise, obscure, and scholarly. The tone of your essay should be serious.

Evidence in your essay should always be clearly presented. It should link back to the preceding paragraphs, remembering, of course, that the vast majority of marks in a history essay are for argument (about what caused a particular event, about the effectiveness of a particular decision, etc.) rather than merely narrative (accounts of a particular event or decision itself).

5. Conclusion and Final Tips

Continue to expand your interest in your topic. What especially piqued your curiosity? How could your interest reflect a genuine intellectual curiosity (you have gone to extra effort because a particular idea has intrigued you)? What have been the bigger implications of your finding your interests and hearing what others have done in their research? Has your research revealed what it has changed in the field, how new evidence relates to old information? How does this change our understanding of your research? What idea does this shape your response to? What new questions should your study leave an empty space of it has raised? Remember, you need to compare your findings with others and where they let you down. Your conclusion should present your main point of your supporting paragraphs (structural fault) in the opening sentence. Conclusions should restate the thesis and the primary key supporting ideas, but generalize them beyond the reader. The way to do this is to direct the reader, via the closing sentence(s) of your essay, to broader questions involving the integrity of your argument. It’s the grappling with and answering of the larger questions that creates overall engagement and instigates further thought on the subject.

The conclusion is where you sum up your argument and tell your reader why and how you have been convincing. You should give your conclusion a final parting shot of the argument, where you can leave a lasting impression on the reader. It is a waste simply to repeat your thesis, argument, and evidence. Your conclusion should descend into more general significance. Broaden the discussion to other themes or cases and elaborate on the broader patterns or ramifications of your argument. In the concluding section, you should also relate your specific findings to the general course themes that prompted you to begin your research. Does your experience of your essay topic to date fit in with what you have read, been told in lectures, or discovered in your own research? Can you offer any evidence that offers a new interpretation of a common topic, or one that brings your interest in your topic to a fulfilling conclusion?