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How to Write a History Essay: Expert Advice for Academic Success

how to write a history essay

Many of you reading this may find history one of the most boring subjects ever! You aren’t impressed with the great deeds of men and women of the past and don’t see how they can relate to where you want to go in the future. Okay, I understand. I’m not here to argue in favor of the value of knowing history – that’s for another blog. But what I am here to do is to help you learn how to write a history essay.

This is important because entry-level history courses are still a general education requirement in most college curriculums. And I can guarantee you’ll have to write at least one essay in each of those courses. Don’t fret; I have you covered! In the following article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about history essays, from what they are to how to structure one properly. So, keep reading for tips to bring your paper writing to the next level.

How to Start a History Essay

Before we get into the mechanics of writing a history essay, let’s look at what history essays are.

History essays focus on a topic that has previously been discussed by historians. The purpose of a history essay is to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of a particular historical period or idea. It differs from a history research paper, which attempts to create a new argument.

With that definition in mind, let’s go through the process of writing a history essay.

Understanding the Sources

Let’s use a hypothetical example to make this process a bit clearer. The professor assigned us to write a history essay on a topic of our choice about Bronze Age Near Eastern politics. The first step is to research the period. During this step, you’ll gather and synthesize the sources. As you do this research, ask the historian’s key questions: who, what, why, where, when, and how? It’s vital to recognize and divide your sources by category.

Primary sources are documents (usually translated for modern readers), archaeological remains, architecture, art, and anything else from the period in question.

Secondary sources are books and articles written by modern scholars about the period in question. Both types of sources are important in a history essay.

Developing Your Thesis Statement

Once you’ve researched the topic a bit, you can narrow down the scope to craft your thesis statement. For our hypothetical example, after reading several of the sources, I learned that there was a Bronze Age geopolitical system in the Near East that lasted from about 1500 to 1200 BC. The most powerful kingdoms – including Egypt, Babylon, and the Hittites, just to name a few – made alliances, trade deals, and diplomatic marriages with each other. Historians know this through a number of cuneiform letters that were written in the period. These cuneiform letters are a good example of a primary source.

With this in mind, I’ll narrow the thesis down to the following: “The Late Bronze Age Near East was a period of incredibly complex and sophisticated geopolitical maneuvering, as evidenced by the well-documented diplomatic treaties made by the most powerful empires of the era.”

With your thesis elucidated, you’ll use it as the nucleus of your essay.

What Is the Structure of a History Essay?

A standard history essay has an introduction and conclusion paragraph, with two or more paragraphs comprising the body. The main body can be formatted in several different ways.

1. Chronological Format

The most common format is chronological. A chronological structure simply follows an event or series of events from the start to the end. It is a good format to use if you examine a series of events that led to a much bigger event.

2. Analytical/Thematic Approach

The thematic approach is good if you want to analyze a specific idea. The main body paragraphs are simply arranged according to sub-themes. The example given later in this article follows this format.

3. Historiographical Essay

In this format, you examine a collection of primary sources. It is good if your subject is more evidence-based.

4. Bibliographical Essay

This approach is similar to the historiographical essay, but instead of examining primary sources, you write about modern authors or secondary sources.

Now that you know what a history essay is and how one should be formatted, let’s get into the writing process.

How to Write an Introduction for a History Essay

At this point in your student career, you probably know how to write an introduction for an essay, right? Well, you can take most of that information and apply it to your history essay. For most history essays, the introduction should be one paragraph of about four or five sentences.

The two most important sentences of the introduction paragraph are the thesis and the hook. We’ve already discussed the thesis a bit and will get back to it later, but for now, let’s talk about the hook.

How to Write a Hook for a History Essay

The hook is a crucial part of any type of essay, and one could argue that it’s even more so for a history essay. This is because historical topics have a tendency to be a bit dry and dense, even for history nerds! So, anything that can inject a bit of life and energy into your paper helps.

A major reason why many people find history boring is because they can’t relate to it. With that in mind, make your hook catchy, interesting, and relatable to the modern reader. If you can do that, there’s a better chance your readers will agree with your thesis.

How to Write a Body for a History Essay

After the introduction paragraph, the next two to three paragraphs are the main body. Each paragraph should be a point of support that is backed by evidence from both primary and secondary sources. You don’t have to necessarily use footnotes or parenthetical citations, but you should mention your sources.

Refer to both primary and secondary sources in the main body paragraphs. The primary sources place your paper in its context, and the secondary sources give your paper authority.

With all of this in mind, let’s look at how to conclude your history essay.

How to Write a Conclusion for a History Essay

Chances are, you already know how to write a conclusion for an essay, so writing a conclusion for a history essay should be easy. Similar to other types of essays, the conclusion of a good history essay should have a secondary hook in the first sentence of the paragraph and then restate the thesis. You should also briefly summarize everything.

Now that you know the proper structure of a history essay, let’s use my hypothetical example to look at a little more detailed example of what a good history essay should look like.

History Essay Example

The Introductory Paragraph

I’ll begin with the introduction paragraph, and the first sentence in that paragraph is the hook: “Politics plays an important role in the way the modern world is shaped, but the same was true in the Bronze Age Near East, where emperors and kings engaged in cunning political moves to gain the slightest advantage.” This hook is good because it places the historical topic in a context relatable to people today.

The next two or three sentences are the general background of the Late Bronze Age Near Eastern political system. After those, I add the thesis statement: “The Late Bronze Age Near East was a period of incredibly complex and sophisticated geopolitical maneuvering, as evidenced by the well-documented diplomatic treaties made by the most powerful empires of the era.”

I could add another sentence or two that mentions how this was evidenced in diplomatic marriages, alliances, and trade. “This sophisticated geopolitical system is demonstrated through a number of correspondence documents from the era known as the Amarna Letters. These letters show that the leaders of the Near East engaged in diplomatic marriages, military alliances, and trade with each other.” These sentences provide a further roadmap for the reader of where the essay is headed.

Main Body: Paragraph 1

The first paragraph of the body will concern diplomatic marriages. You should include a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph. The topic sentence in the first paragraph of the body of my example will read: “The complex geopolitical system of the Late Bronze Age Near East was bolstered by political marriages among the great kings.”

For the next three to four sentences, I’ll discuss examples of these based on the primary sources. Because this is a history essay and not a history research paper, you won’t use footnotes or parenthetical citations. You should, though, refer to the primary sources generally. For example, “The Amarna Letters, which were a collection of cuneiform language tablets written in the Bronze Age, show that diplomatic marriages were common.”

The final sentence of the first paragraph, and in all of the main body paragraphs, is your transition to the next paragraph. A good transition sentence makes your paper flow smoothly. “As important as diplomatic marriages were to the system, military alliances enhanced the stability and complexity of the system even more so” is a nice transition sentence.

Main Body: Paragraph 2

Begin this paragraph with a topic sentence. “Military alliances among the great powers of the Near East were another factor that made the geopolitical system of the region quite complex.” I’ll use more primary source documents to support my point, and I’ll also refer to some secondary sources. “Egyptologist Donald Redford has noted how military alliances between the major Bronze Age powers assured the system’s endurance” is a good use of a secondary source.

After three to four sentences of examples, I’m ready for the next transition sentence. “Military alliances and diplomatic marriages were only possible through a lucrative and robust trade system.”

Main Body: Paragraph 3

With the transition sentence from the previous paragraph in mind, I’ll write my final topic sentence. “Trade in the Late Bronze Age Near East played a vital role in enhancing the stability and complexity of the region’s geopolitical system.”

As with the previous two paragraphs, I’ll use both primary and secondary sources to demonstrate how trade added to the geopolitical complexity of the Bronze Age Near East. The final sentence of the final paragraph of your main body should be a transition to the conclusion.

“The sources show that trade was an equal factor in what made the Late Bronze Age system so complex” would be a good final transition sentence.

The Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph should mirror the introduction paragraph in many ways. Begin the paragraph with a secondary hook. “Many people believe that complex political systems are a modern phenomenon, but a close examination of the Late Bronze Age Near East reveals that this was not always the case.”

I’ll then summarize the essay briefly in two to three sentences before restating my thesis. It’s best just to restate the thesis word-for-word in order to avoid any potential confusion.

You’re almost ready to go, but before you start writing, consider a few more things.

Some Final Considerations

One of the keys to being a good writer is paying attention to details, and when it comes to writing a history essay, this is especially true. Follow these key points about details to bring your history essay writing to the next level.

1. Tone and Style

Write in an academic tone similar to the secondary sources you are using. You should always write complete words instead of contractions. So, “they are” instead of “they’re,” “it is” instead it’s,” etc. You should also keep an objective, non-judgemental tone.

2. Use Past Tense

Writing in the present tense is natural for most of us, but in a history essay, the past tense is preferred. Remember that the events you’re writing about took place in the past, so the voice of your paper should reflect that.

3. Avoid First and Second-person Personal Pronouns

Never refer to yourself or your reader directly in your essay. If you have difficulty with this, consider using the pronoun “one” instead. “One thinks” instead of “I think” or “You think.”

4. Avoid Ambiguities in Your Writing

Finally, write with authority by avoiding the overuse of ambiguous terms like “probably,” “possibly,” and other similar words. Reword sentences that overuse these words.

Don’t Repeat the Past!

Studying history can be a bit daunting to many people, and writing about it even more so. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Although I can’t guarantee you’ll always get an “A” on every history essay you write, I can promise that the process will be a lot easier and less stressful if you follow the steps in this article.

So relax, take a breath, and look to the future positively the next time you write about the past. I bet you’ll find that history isn’t so boring after all.

Elissa Smart Elissa Smart
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