How to Write A History ESSAY

Written by Kalyn McCall

Writing a historical paper can seem daunting. How can you possibly capture everything about a historical moment? 

I’ve got good news: you can’t. 

No piece of historical work can be entirely comprehensive or encompass all aspects of a historical period, event, or figure. Instead, an effective history paper begins with a question, carefully selects evidence, and uses it to make a clear statement. 

Is it possible to know everything about the past? Nope, unless you have a time machine. Historical evidence exists in fragments and is recorded from various perspectives. It’s your job to put evidence together in a way that makes sense, and it’s okay for there to be varying perspectives among your sources. So, when will you know that you have the “right” answer? That’s probably the wrong question. Rather than looking for the “right” answer, reveal the one your evidence guided you to and explain how you got there. In other words, writing history isn’t about choosing sides, but these SIDES can assist you in arriving at a clear, well-supported perspective on your topic.

This guide is meant to help students begin the process of writing history and serve as a resource for those who want to see if they’re on the right track. History assignments vary widely—so always remember to follow your instructor’s instructions. Use this guide to go from summary to analysis, beginning with careful selection of sources to effectively present their arguments, no matter what kind of historical paper assignment you have. 

So, where should you start? Here:

Strategize: Do you understand the assignment?

To start, once you get the assignment, make sure you know what your prompt is asking. What are the parameters? How does your teacher want you to respond? 

We have a whole guide that explains how to unpack a prompt, but common types of historical essays include:

• Narrative: an explanation of events. 

• Analytical: what happened, but also how and why it happened.

• Comparative: compare the advantages and disadvantages of two sides or viewpoints. 

• Historiographical: discuss how people study history, write it, and understand it.

• Creative: using art to interpret the past. 

Before you write, study the central question posed by your assignment (or your research question). This will help you determine your answer and guide your research.

Investigate: What are your sources and where did you find them? 

Once you identify your question, begin your research and evaluate your sources. Primary and secondary sources will serve as the backbone of the essay and provide the evidence to support your analysis. Items produced in the time period being examined are primary sources (e.g., letters, diaries, reports, clothing, artifacts, newspapers, etc.). Secondary sources are created after the period in question and provide their own analysis (e.g. scholarly articles, journals, and books).

When looking for sources, don’t just jump to Wikipedia (though if you must refer to that website, scroll to the bottom of the page to look at the article’s sources—those can possibly point you in a useful direction). Instead, utilize your local and school libraries, online databases like JSTOR or Gilder Lehrman, government websites, archives, museums, and, of course, your instructors to find quality, credible sources. For some assignments, your teacher may also provide an approved list of sources for you to choose from. 

Draft: Make your case by analyzing the evidence

Complicated questions require convincing answers. Now is the time to compile your research to present a clear and concise argument. Here is an overview of how your argument can come together:

Outline

Before you write the essay, take the time to make an outline. Consider the structure of your essay. How can you organize your research so that the evidence clearly conveys an argument? Think of your main theme, the goal of the essay, and how you can present your findings. Each part should flow into the next, beginning with your main argument presented in your thesis statement.

A logical outline makes the essay easier for you to write and helps you assess its organization, logic, and cohesion. Bear in mind that while your outline will help guide your draft, it isn’t set in stone. You can (and generally should) make adjustments to its content and organization as your ideas evolve.

Introduction and Thesis

The introduction should make a bold statement that introduces your topic and compels the reader to keep going. Set the scene and tone for your paper’s topic, but don’t overgeneralize. For example, “There are many wars, and the Civil War was one of them” seems … a bit too broad. Instead, try something like, “The devastation of the Civil War shed light on America’s past while casting a shadow on its future.” To understand what this statement means, the reader must keep going. Follow the hook with an explanation, culminating in your position (i.e., your thesis). Your thesis will provide your reader with a roadmap to your paper and reveal its focus.

A general (meaning weaker) thesis might read, “The Civil War changed the course of history.” A stronger thesis would be more specific and nuanced, and might look like, “Because of emancipation, the Civil War forever changed America’s economy, attitude toward labor, and stances on citizenship.” Through a clear thesis, a reader should be able to gather where your argument is headed. As you develop your argument, be aware of possible counterarguments, so that you can acknowledge, respond to and, hopefully, refute them. For more detailed guidance on crafting a strong thesis, check out that guide. 

Analyze, Don’t Summarize

As your reader makes their way through the points of your argument, they are likely to respond with, “Where’s the proof?” As a general rule, assume your reader is willing to be convinced, but won’t simply agree with you or take your word for it. It’s your job to provide readers with the information they need to understand your argument, so for every claim you make, back it up with concrete information that substantiates your position and deepens the reader’s understanding.

Primary and secondary sources will be the basis of your evidence and analysis. They are the raw materials you will weave together to make a historical argument. As such, be sure to go beyond summarizing events, dates, and tidbits of information. Instead, what information from your research helps provide evidence to support your argument, and how does it do so? Read your sources closely, and ask yourself these questions to determine what information might be most pertinent to your argument:

• Who made this source, what is their background, and how does that information shape their perspective?

• When was this made, where, and why?

• Who is the original or intended audience of the piece? How does that shape our understanding?

• How does this source compare to others of the time? Is it representative, or an outlier?

The success of an essay depends not just on how many sources you use, but how well you use them. For more guidance on how to effectively utilize sources, check out “Writing from Sources.” 

Action list for more effective writing

Every type of writing has conventions and best practices that writers should follow. That said, there is no one way to write a history paper. Use your own voice, follow your teacher’s directions, and respond to each part of the prompt to show what you know.

As you critically engage with your sources, keep some things in mind:

• Write in the past tense when discussing history. If a historical event took place in the past, write about it in the past.

• Be precise. Focus on your thesis and only provide information that is needed to support or develop your argument.

• Be formal. Try not to use casual language, and avoid using phrases like “I think.”  You don’t need to pull out a thesaurus for every sentence, but do go beyond everyday conversation.

• Be concise. There is power in clear, direct language.

• Provide citations. Give credit where credit is due and be sure to follow formal guidelines (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.) depending on what your professor requires. Whatever style you use, be consistent.

• Avoid generalizations and cliches. Specificity is important. 

• Avoid presentism and anachronism. Leave the past in the past instead of connecting everything to the present (unless the prompt specifically asks for that).

• Mind your chronology and keep events in order.

• Place things in context. Analyze evidence in the appropriate historical setting.

• Use your voice. Weave in your primary and secondary sources (see link above). Instead of letting quotations make your argument, paraphrase when possible and only quote if you must.

With a plan in place and an outline to guide you, the writing process should feel more structured. Be sure to refer back to your prompt, and check in with your instructor if you are unsure if you are on the right track. 

Edit: Did you miss anything?

You will want to reread and revise your drafts multiple times to ensure your paper is logical, well organized, and polished—as a general rule, most of good writing is revising. And revising. If possible, ask your teacher or a friend to give you feedback and recommendations. This process takes time but is worth it. Once you are happy with your paper’s organization and content, you can focus on local edits by proofreading. You can also use the revision and proofreading stages of the writing process to make sure you addressed each element of the assignment. Here is a checklist that can support your editing process:

• Make sure the essay responds to the prompt (especially if the prompt contains several questions). Each part of the prompt can help you assess the subject and structure of the essay.

• Check the flow of the paper. Is the information presented logically? Does it follow or improve upon the outline? (Try to read your own writing from a stranger’s perspective.)

• Check your dates and other specific historical details. While the essay needs to do much more than recite facts and dates, it is still important to get the evidence and historical context correct.

• Review your citations. Avoid plagiarism, cite when necessary, and follow the proper citation format.

• Proofread for errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar, capitalization, and the like.

If you need additional editing guidance, check out our more comprehensive guide to editing college-level papers here. 

Submit: Your paper is history

Congratulations. You are done and can submit your historical paper!

One great thing about history is that there is no “right” or “wrong” answer. Much of what your essay will be judged on is the merit of your evidence and whether or not you have presented readers with believable, well-organized proof.

So have fun diving into exploring and analyzing.

Special thanks to Kalyn McCall for writing this post and contributing to other College Writing Center resources

Kalyn McCall graduated with a B.A in History, B.A. in African and African American Studies, and M.A. in Sociology from Stanford University, before pursuing her PhD in History from Harvard University. Throughout her academic pursuits, Kalyn has enjoyed working with and mentoring students in various capacities, from tutoring and academic coaching to counseling and application advising. Kalyn is particularly interested in helping first-generation and Black college students reach their potential and find their own paths. When not working, she can be found reading, playing with her dogs, or taking a nap.