Is History your favorite discipline? Some call it boring, others can’t stand reading so much as it demands, but there are people who can’t imagine their university, college, or high school journey without it. No matter what side you pick, one day you’ll get the assignment to write a paper about wars of medieval knights or the first President of the US. And if you don’t know what to do with such a task, we can help you out.
This comprehensive guide will show you how to become a successful history essay writer who can deal with any tricky requirements. Your compelling history essay created with the help of our advice will inspire you to study history with even more passion.
Basics: What will simplify your history essay writing
An exceptional history essay typically consists of deep research of the topic revealed in a strict order, a touch of personal style/experience/point of view, and flawless formatting of the text and used sources. To reach this level of perfection, you have to start from the beginning.
Let’s explain how to start a history essay by analyzing your must-haves:
- Topic of your choice
You can do yourself a favor if you select the right topic and create an outline for it. The “right” in this context means that it’s not too wide or narrow, it has enough available published resources, and already created scientific papers to dive in, and still, it has something more to discover. Sometimes your assignment has an already formulated topic, then you have to find out what’s expected from you in these frameworks. Typically, your mentor leaves you a comment or additional description of your task to help you express your vision while researching or writing.
- Research
Your topic is clear, now it’s time to forge the research. Maybe history as one of the oldest sciences ever still heavily relies on credible sources like libraries or archives. Of course, all online databases available and various ways to google (or to address professional writers) can help you no less. You even find this article on how to write a history essay via the internet! So be sure to use both primary sources (documents, letters, diaries) and secondary sources (books, articles) to collect information from different perspectives.
- Strong statement of your paper
A well-built statement always answers the main essay question or is the final and the most valuable argument you have to prove the point described in your essay. It has to be clear and phrased in one or two simple sentences. Anything you want to add more is better to use as additional supportive arguments. Keep it concise.
- Thoughtful structure
If you want your reader to understand your thoughts, you should put them in a logical sequence. A typical history essay copies the structure of a good tale with an introduction, body paragraphs where the “action” takes place, and a conclusion, a part for relief and amusement of the new knowledge. In the body part, you have to knit one paragraph per thought and connect them one by one with the main statement of your essay.
Now, let expert writers share their own approaches to writing they apply for history essays.
Crafting the perfect introduction
You need a hook for the beginning. Any history essay example begins with a captivating sentence that fixes your reader’s attention for further reading. You can add a rare fact, a heart-melting quote, or, if you’re brave enough, a compelling anecdote related to your topic.
After readers are all yours, add more context for them. The history is timeline-related, so be sure to show your audience what happened before your event and after it in the frames of the selected period. With this knowledge, they will evaluate the importance of your research.
Finally, show your thesis. The last sentence of your intro should have a defined thesis.
Writing the perfect body for the history essay
The history paper format demands nothing special: build up your statements around the topic, bring enough evidence to support your thesis (and format them properly), and add a bit of personal interpretation to make it unique. Of course, don’t forget about counterarguments! They make your essay related to the world of academic scientists.
The history research paper outline should be in your imagination or on the draft paper long before you start writing. So after filling out your plan, don’t forget to add sentences that will tie your paragraphs together, those named transitions. They will make even the most complicated story run smoothly.
Making your essay’s last words memorable
It’s important to understand that you don’t have to give all the answers in your essays. What is history essay? It’s an attempt to collect pieces of constantly fading information to make it alive once again. So to complete it you have to take a few simple steps:
- Kindly remind your thesis to your readers using new phrases.
- Count all your key points from the body of your essay.
- Widen the perspective by connecting your topic to the broader historical themes or modern news. Explain why your essay and how you describe it is important beyond your scope.
- Use a few final sentences to ask provocative questions, let your readers find something to think about, or add some call to action to involve the audience even more.
Improving your completed essay
All popular authors will say that no text is ever complete until you just decide it’s enough to work over it. Editors, proofreaders, your fellow student who likes your writing, and many other people can make your paper even better than you think it’s now. They can help you to interpret the terms and requirements of your assignment more precisely, find a missing argument, etc. So here’s some closing tips on how to make your history research paper example-like quality:
- Always proofread and edit your essay for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
- Check all your citations and sources twice.
- Shorten your sentences, delete any unnecessary jargon and wordiness, and keep everything simple!
- Format your essay according to the guidelines in your task description.
- Get the first feedback and incorporate it into your work.
We hope you enjoy our small guide on writing history essays. Try to find your own pleasure during the research process and crafting of ideas. Happy writing!
