Reasons to write about history
matter what you hope to do after college, you should be able to analyze human
affairs, evaluate other people's analyses of human affairs, express your
analyses clearly in writing, and produce a persuasive written argument. The study of history is a good way to develop
all these skills.
books and essays you read and the lectures you hear in a history class are not
simply recitations of indisputable facts.
They are arguments for particular interpretations of historical
evidence. Historians look at a welter of
disorganized details and try to discern patterns. They construct their narratives from
incomplete and randomly preserved relics of the past. You should expect them to persuade you that
they have relied on the best possible evidence and interpreted that evidence
way to become an astute judge of historical argument is to write historical
arguments yourself. In order to do this,
you have to read diverse kinds of texts, become familiar with the varieties of
historical evidence, assess the credibility of the evidence available to you,
and think about the significance and relationship of established facts. You have to formulate a thesis and muster
evidence and arguments to support that thesis.
By doing these things, you can develop the ability to write coherently
and persuasively about the past and about other issues as well. That ability will serve you well in many
college courses and in a variety of situations beyond the university.
What makes a good history essay
history essay is clearly and consistently focused on the assigned topic. It provides a complete, unambiguous answer to
a question or questions posed either by the writer or by an instructor. Its driving force is a thesis -- a central
argument -- that the writer aims to explain and support. In other words, a good history essay is a persuasive
argument for the soundness of a particular conclusion or set of conclusions
about the past.
thesis statement provides a concise but comprehensive summary of the essay's
central argument, preferably at the beginning of the essay. It sets out the principal elements of the
argument in a way that indicates their relationship to each other. Most supporting evidence belongs in the body
of the essay, where the writer explains each part of the argument further.
supporting evidence includes illustrative examples, pertinent data, and
quotations that are drawn from credible sources, which the writer
identifies. Although supporting evidence
should be sufficient to justify generalizations and debatable inferences, it
need not be voluminous. An essay's
persuasiveness is not determined by the volume of sources it cites. A persuasive essay balances argument and
evidence. It states the writer's reasons
for including particular evidence.
essay presents arguments in a logical order, grouping all material on the same
subject and articulating the relationship of the grouped material. Wherever the essay takes up a new subject, it
signals the transition with a sentence that indicates how the ensuing
discussion relates to preceding material and
to the essay's central argument. Most
good essays have the following structure: Introduction (thesis), body
(successive explanations and defenses of the main elements of the thesis),
precision and accuracy are important features of a good history essay, as are
careful wording and well constructed sentences.
Although you should strive first and foremost for focus, compelling
analysis, and effective use of evidence, you will find these nearly impossible
to achieve if you lack the vocabulary and the knowledge of syntax and grammar
needed to express clear thoughts on your subject.
Tips for producing a good history
the essay assignment and/or question(s) posed very, very carefully. Highlight key words and get clear about their
the assignment and/or question(s) fresh in your mind, read the text(s) you will
draw on to make your argument. Note
points and material that bear on your topic.
on your reading, formulate a tentative thesis or overall answer to the
question(s) posed in the assignment.
Then review the list of possible points and supporting material culled
from your reading, asking yourself whether they make good arguments and
evidence for the validity of that thesis.
Adjust the proposed thesis to comport with the evidence available.
only the most compelling arguments and evidence on your list.
about how your arguments and evidence relate to each other and determine the
most logical, persuasive order to present them.
Rewrite your thesis to reflect this logic.
right to the point. Make your first paragraph
or two (depending on the limit on the length of your paper) a complete summary
of the highlights of your argument.
of your thesis paragraph(s) as a set of signposts, showing the reader which way
you will go and which "landmarks" you will reach first, second,
come to a new "landmark" (a new place in your argument), signal your
arrival with a transition sentence that reminds the reader of your overall
argument and indicates how the next paragraph(s) will explain and support the
next part of that argument.
as if your reader is familiar with this field of history but has not thought
before about your specific topic.
care to quote and cite your sources accurately.
Cite the sources of all ideas, specific data, and quotes that are not
yours. Ask the instructor about the
prescribed form for citations. Whatever
the form prescribed, provide enough information for the instructor to locate
the same data or passage.
find yourself struggling to express your thoughts in writing, try this: put
your writing aside and say out loud, in ordinary, conversational English,
"What I'm trying to say is...."
If you like what you say, write it down.
Polish the words and phrasing later.
your essay aloud, preferably to a willing friend, to see whether it is clear
and flows easily.
your draft carefully for syntactical problems and mechanical errors.
dictionary and a handbook of grammar and English usage at hand while you write.
(Strunk and White, Elements of Style,
is a good handbook.) Consult them
whenever you have doubts about meaning, spelling, punctuation, etc.
brief conclusion that sums up what you have actually covered in the body of
your essay. Compare that conclusion to
your introductory paragraph(s). If need
be, rewrite your introduction (thesis paragraphs) to conform to what you have
actually argued and proved.