A history essay is a thesis essay that describes a claim about historical events. The claim needs to be supported by arguments, references, and evidence. You should make it clear through your essay that why is the claim so.
Below is a complete guide to help you write a top-quality history essay.
- Understand the question
One of the most obvious but sadly one of the most neglected tips as well. Just imagine if you just started to write after having a look at the topic and after completing the writing, you realize that the essay is totally irrelevant because you have slightly misunderstood the question. All your hard work will go begging and you will have to start writing all over again. So understanding the question is the basic requirement for fulfilling the requirements.
The requirements of a history essay do vary a lot. You might be asked to
- Discuss and analyze a particular event
- Identify the causes behind the occurrence of a certain event
- Discuss the significance of any event
- Or point out the impact of an event on other historical events
Do this by reading the question several times. Then, think that what it requires you to do?
Where is the main focus of the question? Does it target any specific period or region? What issues or problems does it want you to focus on? After answering all these questions you can safely say that you have developed a sound understanding of the question and its requirements.
- Literature review and research
Now, you need to start researching to gather information and increase your knowledge about the topic. Literature review these days is very straightforward due to the versatility and efficiency of internet search engines. You can use Wikipedia, Researchgate, Sciencedirect, and many other mediums for reviewing the available literature. YouTube is another convenient source for gathering information. Study your topic as much as you can. The more time you spend researching, the more convenient it is to write.
- Follow the structure
The traditional structure (introduction, body, and conclusion) of essay writing is followed for history essays. Let’s see each part in detail.
- A compelling introduction
The introduction is widely considered to be the most important part of an essay. Why is it so? Because it is your first chance to impress the reader. As they say ‘‘the first impression is the last impression’’. So, don’t let this chance go begging.
Now, the question is that how do you write a spot-on introduction? Get straight to the point, don’t write a storytelling introduction. Be very specific and show your understanding of the question to the reader. You should start by adding some context. Your introduction should show clarity and confidence.
- The body paragraphs
Generally, you are recommended to write short and concise paragraphs but that is not the case here. The body of a history essay should contain paragraphs that are a ‘‘mini-essay’’ themselves. Each such paragraph should range from 100 to 200 words. It should be evident from your body paragraphs which question are you answering. Every sentence of each paragraph should stay relevant to the question.
One paragraph should correspond to only a single idea. First, you introduce the idea, then support it with arguments and then come to the evidence; you have to justify all your ideas with evidence. A good opening paragraph starts with an opening sentence that also known as a signposting sentence. The purpose of this paragraph is to introduce the topic. The introduction is followed by the significance of the topic. After that, you are required to do some analysis and provide the evidence. A quotation or two should also be added in each paragraph, if irrelevant.
- A catchy conclusion
The conclusion should be 1 or 2 paragraphs long. It should contain a summary of all the discussion and arguments. The conclusion should summarize the discussions and mention the key findings as well.
- Evidence
Evidence is the key to authenticity. So, whatever arguments you present in your writing, they should find their basis in facts. Without evidence, your writing will be nothing more than just an opinion. How do you show your audience that your evidence is credible? The answer is referencing. Don’t forget to mention all the resources from where you took the evidence. Also, each of your sources should be credible so you can rely on it and the evidence looks concrete.
Tips to follow for writing an essay on history
Apart from following all the guidelines above, here are a few additional tips to assist you to write a top-notch history essay.
- Write in the past tense
- Keep things specific
- Write in the third person
- Write in an active voice
- Avoid lengthy sentences and bulky paragraphs
- Discuss only one idea in a single paragraph
- Give reference to each of your evidence
- Don’t forget to proofread and copy edit
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